Thermal Imaging: Don’t Forget: Thermal Imagers Need Preventive Maintenance

Thermal imagers (TIs) are valuable tools in fighting fires and have proven time and again their usefulness in critical, life-saving situations. However, it’s not uncommon to miss putting the necessary effort into ensuring that thermal imagers stay in peak condition. When was the last time you checked your department’s thermal imager for battery life? Have you ever cleaned or replaced the display cover on the TI?

Fire apparatus receive daily or weekly checks to be sure everything is functioning correctly, and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) are checked before and after each use. Your department’s TIs should also function properly when needed, and a little care goes a long way to keeping your TI ready for service.

Battery care

TIs can come with different battery technologies, ranging from nickel metal hydride to lithium ion, lithium iron phosphate and even alkaline. Manufacturers do their best to optimize product run times and overall longevity with their battery selections. For the most part, the actual battery technology isn’t that important; however, when researching TIs, it’s a good idea to determine initial operating run times and the number of cycles for which thermal imager batteries are rated. Batteries with higher cycle life ratings will, under typical conditions, last longer.

How often a TI is used, what kind of temperature extremes the TI and its batteries see and how batteries are charged and maintained will all affect battery performance. To maximize the performance of your batteries, develop a clear formalized plan for maintaining, charging, storing and replacing batteries on your TI. Here’s a suggested plan.

Perform the following once a week:

• Verify that the batteries do not show physical signs of damage.

• Rotate the batteries in your TI and charger units.

• Fully charge all of your batteries.

Perform the following once a month:

• Verify that the battery contacts on the batteries and the TI are corrosion free.

• Verify that the battery chargers are corrosion free on all primary contacts.

• If you are not actively using your TI for more than 30 minutes at least one to two times per week, condition your batteries to “exercise” them and help prevent premature performance degradation.

1. The best way to condition batteries is through a battery analyzer/conditioner that accommodates your battery type. There are a few aftermarket conditioner products that may work with your TI battery and at least one manufacturer offers its own conditioner solution. Check with the manufacturer of your TI for guidance on what conditioning options may be available.

2. If a dedicated battery conditioner is unavailable, another way to exercise batteries is by taking a fully charged battery and running it down until you see the low battery indicator. For some TIs, it’s possible to over-discharge the battery by leaving it on until it turns off. Therefore, the best practice is to turn it off when you get a low battery indicator. Then, charge the battery fully. Repeat this for other batteries.

The potential lifespan of your TI batteries will depend on the frequency of your preventive maintenance program and how often the TI sees use in the field. If you use your TI multiple times a day, the life of your batteries may average about one year. If you use it only a few times a month, you may not need to replace batteries for two or three years. Also, don’t forget about using a vehicle charging unit, which reduces the likelihood that your batteries will be dead during a run. A vehicle charging unit also supports placement of the TI in the cab where it is more likely to be regularly used. Be sure to follow the TI manufacturer’s recommendations to correctly connect the truck’s power supply.

Inspecting and cleaning

Your TI is exposed to the roughest elements from water to frequent drops, which can result in gaskets or screws coming loose. Soot, carbon and dirt commonly build up on the display cover, lens or lens window and can affect performance. Here’s a suggested plan for inspecting and cleaning your TI.

Perform the following checks after each use or weekly:

• Use a damp cloth and mild cleaner to clean the outer shell of your TI. By removing debris from the imager, you help protect external buttons and connections from damage. Be sure to clean off major debris after each incident.

• Pay close attention to the lens when cleaning your TI. When carbon accumulates on the lens it can block infrared energy from reaching the detector inside and your TI will be unable to generate an image. Using a soft cloth with isopropyl alcohol or a mild cleanser works well.

• Clean the display cover with a soft cloth and mild cleaner. Most TIs have field-replaceable display covers. If it is badly scratched, order a replacement. This simple effort can often greatly improve the viewability of the TI image.

• Inspect the TI for signs of housing cracks or tearing of rubber parts. Verify that all hand straps are in usable condition and properly secured.

Perform the following checks monthly:

• Check tightness of all external screws.

• Use a damp cloth and mild cleaner to clean the outer shell including the lens and display.

Using these maintenance and care guidelines will help keep your TI operational and productive and generally extend its useful life. Be sure to check with your TI’s manufacturer for specific recommendations for maintaining your imager. Remember, your TI is a valuable tool that needs to function properly when you, your fellow firefighters and citizens need it most.

JOHN HAYS is the Product Line Manager for Emergency Responders at Bullard. He has spent more than 13 years developing emergency responder products for the fire, rescue and police markets. Hays’ technical expertise in developing emergency responder products has been instrumental in advancing the use of thermal imagers in the fire service.

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Email: [email protected]