Can the thermal infrared camera see through walls?
IR is the energy emitted by objects based on their temperature. The higher your temperature, the more energy you emit. Everything in the world emits this energy. However, some things emit better than others and there are also objects in the world that act as reflectors. This is where the limitations of the camera can come into play. First, the cameras are not able to “see through” objects. However, it does show what is in your walls by way of heat on the surface of the wall. For example, the studs heat up or cool down differently than the insulation, which allows us them to show up on camera. If the insulation and the studs are the same temperature, then they can’t be seen. Likewise, the Thermal IR camera will now show mold in the wall; however, the camera may be able to show the water that has caused the mold, because the water heats up or cools down differently than the other objects around it.
NO, This is a common myth. The camera does not see through walls. It measures the thermal energy radiating of the object or surface. Because all objects or surfaces have heat, it has the ability to make an image by converting thermal energy into a heat signature. This allows us to see temperature differences on surfaces. If any temperature difference is noted we can detect it.
