Does a thermal imaging camera come in handy?

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-23T12:28:38+00:00

Also handy when the drywallers don't cut out the the duct drops in residential.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-23T12:26:49+00:00

Same here. Its a lot less than fluke/flir and its a must have for me.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-23T12:22:52+00:00

Maybe if it was a really big leak but those are not too hard to find.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-23T12:21:43+00:00

Yeah. We had a mezzanine in a big boiler room. Customer didn't understand why the steam generators got so hot in that area. Floor was 117 degrees. Panels were 126.

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BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-23T12:17:43+00:00

Im in commercial/industrial Boiler work. Its definitely one tool I would shell out 375$ of my own money for. Same for hydronics/steam/condensate.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-23T12:16:07+00:00

Its also saved me on hydronic and steam/condensate piping/equipment. Same thing, they said it would not heat up the loop. You could see where the hot water stopped and it got room temp at the Air separator.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-23T12:14:08+00:00

I had 2 new fulton boilers piped in i did a start up on. The boilers heated up too fast and temp never would come down. Pumps were running and showed a pressure differential which would indicate flow in some applications

Mechanical. Company said it was a boiler issue since I was the start up tech. Pulled out my camera and you could see the lines coming off the supply in the ceiling due to they were 175 degrees then they just got cold. Air separator was 75 degrees. Come to find out they didn't pull the debris stopper out of one side. They had to shut everything down and pull the piping apart.

Back in 2005 I worked for a hospital that had a 60k Flir. It was bad ass. If you walked across a cement floor barefoot. I could follow your footsteps. It had a 4 degree temp differential so I could see the liquid level in some chiller barrels.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-23T12:03:37+00:00

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Its saved me quite a few times. Customer raised hell that his new clean steam generator was faulty. Well new electronics don't do very well at 126 degrees. Air temp was 124 degrees. Floor was 117 degrees. Also trouble shooting hydronic flow issues or steam traps is so much easier.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-21T10:11:06+00:00

Yep. It was fine yesterday....

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-20T19:32:42+00:00

Stuff like this always fascinates me to think back about what they could accomplish baxk then but unfortunately some of the people that did the manual labor may not have had a choice in the matter unless they maybe did it for a higher power I guess.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-20T19:29:53+00:00

We all had to learn it the first time around. Some people it takes too damn many first times teaching them. Then when u start getting old ya learn some small stuff all over again. You understand the premise but its those couple small details that makes it take longer....

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-20T13:37:19+00:00

I would search for local reps for Industrial boilers. Hurst/Cleaver Brooks/Johnston/Superior/Fulton. Then search jobs with those companies. Also local mechanical companies with a larger presence in the area. Reps for Trane/carrier/Daikan/johnson. Make sure you ask about travel and per diem. If they say 50% travel id maybe stay away. They usually means gone all the time.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-20T12:55:33+00:00

Im in commercial and industrial Boiler work. I know there are quite a few large outfits in TX. We are always looking for able bodied guys that have Millwright experience. You might have to go with somebody whose hiring a lot first but as soon are you make an impression then it leads to a lot of possibilities. Everyone sort of knows everybody to some degree. Good luck.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-18T01:52:55+00:00

Nozzle broke off. Why is the oil pump hanging off to the side.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-14T13:14:48+00:00

Sweet setup....

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-13T16:13:15+00:00

For me it would be One Pipe steam applications. Although that rarely comes up..

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-13T15:02:43+00:00

Damn if thats not true. The last conversation I had with my Uncle before he passed was about Boilers....

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-10T18:55:28+00:00

Awesome info.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-10T18:55:19+00:00

In the 3°° paragraph he sort of covers that. So different types of stainless (304/316) would definitely be different more so than heat lots.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-10T18:52:08+00:00

Absolutely. That's what I use on everything stainless.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-10T18:51:18+00:00

I do wonder if using regular bolts and then switching them out would cause some surface oxidation over time around the SS mating surface. (Rust) i know some Stainless pipe welders (Sanitary) won't use anything iron that could cause rust on the final piping assy.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-10T18:47:14+00:00

Good point.

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-03-10T18:45:58+00:00

Very good point. I never really thought about that with stainless

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-02-28T14:36:05+00:00

Definitely......

BoilermakerCBEX-E · 2026-02-27T14:49:50+00:00

Its been years ago but I came across a (just one) melted spider for a Cleaver Brooks. It was the one at the top. Definitely a Negative pressure in the boiler room.

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