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Retrofit Electric provides Thermal Inspections for Commercial, Educational and Industrial Facilities
IR THERMAL INSPECTIONS

COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL INFRARED (IR) THERMAL INSPECTION COMPANY IN MINNESOTA

RETROFIT ELECTRIC IS YOUR PARTNER FOR INFRARED THERMAL ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS 

A commercial infrared (IR) thermal electrical inspection is a non-destructive testing method that uses specialized thermal imaging cameras to capture and analyze the heat patterns emitted by electrical components. It identifies hidden electrical faults—such as loose connections, overloads, and failing parts—that show up as abnormal "hot spots" before they cause equipment failure or fires.

Call our Electrical Service Line at 507-414-5150 or visit our contact page to get in touch with our team.

DOWNLOAD A SAMPLE OF OUR REPORTCover of Retrofit Electric's IR Thermal Inspection Report

WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE AN IR THERMAL ELECTRICAL INSPECTION?

Safety & Compliance

  • Under the updated NFPA 70B standard (which transitioned from a recommended practice to a mandatory standard), annual infrared (IR) thermal inspections are required for most commercial and industrial electrical equipment. Compliance with NFPA 70B supports OSHA's General Duty Clause to eliminate workplace hazards.
    • Frequency: Annual IR thermography is the mandatory baseline. Equipment with identified maintenance issues may require inspections every six months
  • Insurance carriers frequently mandate these non-destructive surveys to mitigate liability and they may offer premium discounts upon providing documented reports.

 Benefits to equipment and business operation 

    • Fire prevention: Detects hidden heat anomalies before components catch fire.

    • Non-destructive testing: Inspections occur while equipment is fully operational, requiring zero shutdown time.

    • Reduced downtime: Identifies failing equipment before it causes a total blackout.

    • Cost savings: Replacing a single worn-out component is cheaper than replacing an entire melted panel.

    • Energy efficiency: Hot spots indicate high resistance, which wastes electricity and inflates utility bills.

    • Asset longevity: Helps maintenance teams fix small issues before they stress and degrade connected machinery.

CONTACT ELECTRIC RED

 

A sample image of the IR Thermal Imaging Conducted at Retrofit Electric Customer's Facility

WHO BENEFITS?

  • Manufacturing and Industrial Facilities: Heavy equipment generates extreme electrical loads. Thermal scans prevent unexpected shutdowns of critical production lines.

  • Hospitals and Medical Centers: Backup power systems (like automatic transfer switches) are life-critical. Inspections ensure these systems will perform reliably during emergencies.

  • Commercial Real Estate and Property Management: Routine scanning protects multi-tenant buildings and complies with strict insurance requirements.

  • Educational Campuses: Large complexes with diverse electrical demands (laboratories, dormitories, sports facilities) benefit from ongoing diagnostic sweeps.

  • Data Centers and IT: Continuous uptime is paramount. Thermal imaging scans identify overloaded servers and cooling infrastructure before they result in costly data loss.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

  • Certified Thermographers: The inspection must be conducted by a certified, licensed professional (usually holding a Level 1 or Level 2 thermography certification).
  • Operating Load: To accurately detect heat anomalies, the electrical equipment being scanned usually needs to be under at least 40% of its normal operating load.
  • Safety & PPE: Because inspectors are dealing with live electrical panels, they must adhere to strict safety regulations (such as NFPA 70E) and wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE) like arc-rated clothing and face shields.
  • Reporting: After the scan, the inspector compiles a comprehensive report featuring side-by-side visual and thermal images, detailing the severity of the temperature anomalies and recommending necessary repairs.

THE PROCESS

1. Prepare a detailed list of electrical equipment assets that you want inspected. List should include location within the facility, any identifying number, equipment name, and type of equipment.

  1. Distribution & Service Panels: Including main switchboards, sub-panels, and circuit breakers where loose terminations or unbalanced loads generate detectable heat.

  2. Transformers: Scanning bushing connections, surge protectors, and cooling tubes to detect blockages or internal failures.

  3. Switchgear & Motor Control Centers (MCCs): Inspecting bus bars, contactors, relays, and motor starters for signs of corrosion or failing components.

  4. Disconnects & Fuses: Evaluating fused disconnects to identify high-resistance connections or fuses nearing their maximum capacity.

  5. Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) & Battery Banks: Checking for failing cells or internal connection failures.

  6. Drive Panels & VFDs: Inspecting Variable Frequency Drives and variable load circuits for overheating components.

2. Call Retrofit Electric at 507-414-5150 to schedule your inspection!

CURRENT CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

“Thermal inspections of electrical systems are essential, as they reveal heat anomalies caused by excessive resistance or power draw that can lead to component failure. In our manufacturing environment, unplanned downtime is not an option; these inspections enable us to identify emerging issues early and schedule controlled, systematic shutdowns of sensitive equipment for repairs—rather than risk sudden failures that could cause catastrophic damage and major productivity losses. Retrofit Electric partnered closely with us on our first inspection to ensure all critical equipment was covered, even identifying assets we had initially overlooked and advising where inspection was not necessary. This attention to detail delivered a thorough and efficient inspection without unnecessary cost or time. The comprehensive data collected provides a solid baseline for future inspections and will allow us to monitor trends in equipment performance. I appreciated working with Retrofit Electric on this project and look forward to collaborating with them again, confident it will be another positive experience.”

“Thermal imaging inspections are critical to preventing costly downtime in our manufacturing environment, and Retrofit Electric delivered a thorough, efficient survey that identified issues we’d missed while avoiding unnecessary work. Their attention to detail, clear reporting, and collaborative approach—consistent with the high-quality services they provide across all their work—gave us confidence in our equipment and in planning future inspections.”

WHY CHOOSE RETROFIT ELECTRIC

Over 34 years of electrical experience and knowledge.

  • A strong reputation for safely performing electrical work.
  • Our Certified Thermographers are ALSO Master Electricians.
    • This reduces costs associated with both a thermographer and electrician onsite for the inspection.
    • Our process ensures that the current status of the assets and recommendations are made by an electrician, initially onsite, as well as after the inspection during the analysis and report preparation; offering multiple perspectives.