In this article on “cold bridges” (also known as “cold spots”), we’ll show you where the most energy is likely to be lost in the home. And we’ll show you the best tools to detect these heat leaks so you can act quickly.
Cold bridges: which buildings are at risk?
It’s not only older apartments and houses that can be affected, newer buildings can also have cold spots. Signs of ageing, such as cracks in the brickwork, inadequately insulated components and old radiators play a significant role, but heat leaks can also occur elsewhere. Roller shutters, window frames, balcony doors, entrance doors, or insufficiently insulated steel beams on protruding elements, such as balconies, are all at risk. Even transitions between components such as blind boxes can turn out to be weak points. The age of the building is by no means the only indicator of its cold spots.
How to find cold spots
In order to protect the environment, save energy and also avoid issues such as mould, cold bridges must be detected as quickly as possible. The best way to do this is with a thermal imaging camera, such as the FLIR ONE PRO. You can connect this camera to your smartphone and save the images on your smartphone using the FLIR ONE app. The camera can measure several temperatures and target areas simultaneously. It also features world-class resolution optimization that highlights all the details you need to quickly locate problems. The high-resolution micro-thermal camera has a 160 x 120 pixel resolution.
Avoid errors: measure at the right time
To steer clear of mistakes, it is important to take the measurements at the right time. The most suitable time is during cold late autumn or winter, as the possible temperature differences between indoor and outdoor are high, the rooms are heated and therefore cold bridges are more easily spotted. The early morning is the best time to take pictures with the thermal camera; the sunlight is often too strong later in the morning, and the resulting heating of the outer walls could falsify the image material.
Recognizing cold spots on your recordings
Different warm areas of the building appear on the picture of your thermal imaging camera in different colours. Cooler areas are dark, which means that little or no heat comes from inside to outside. The bright areas of the image indicate potential problem areas. These yellow, orange, or even red areas show possible cold spots, where unused heating energy transfers to the outside and is then lost.
Repairing heat leaks
If you have spot issues on your thermal imaging camera, we’d advise consulting with a professional to help you decide what to do and then seek help.
