Can I Use a FLIR Scout TS32 for Home Inspections?

Question: I’d like to be able to use a FLIR Scout TS32 Pro for Insulation Inspections and Hunting, rather than having to buy a FLIR E30bx and a FLIR Scout TS23 Pro. Is this something I can do?

Answer: This is a great question, so I appreciate our customer for asking it. So, can someone use a thermal imaging camera designed for long range surveillance and monitoring for close range preventative maintenance applications? You may already have an answer, but I think if you’ve never seen a side-by-side comparison, I think you’ll appreciate this one.

And, although this is the first time I’ve had to answer the question, however not the first time our company has had to answer it, I thought the best way to answer this question is to provide some good ol’ hard evidence; photos. BTW, don’t forget to let me know what you think of this post in a comment below.

FLIR Scout TS32 Pro vs FLIR E60 For Home Inspections

Object	Visual Light Image	FLIR Scout TS32 Pro	FLIR E60
Electrical Panel (5 ft away)
Electrical Socket / Plug (5 ft away)
Exit Sign (5 ft away)
Warehouse Ceiling Corner (NW) (19 ft away)
Warehouse Exit Door Base (6 ft away)

Comparison First Thoughts

Color vs No Color

Thermal imagers for home inspections are known to have a variety of color palettes to work with. Many prefer the Iron Bow palette, as do I, while others may decide to use other palettes depending on the “information” you can see with them. When I see the mono-chrome black and white palette side-by-side the colored Iron Bow image, its obvious to me there are significant benefits when looking at the FLIR E60’s image vs the FLIR Scout images. A colored palette shows more of the hot and cold points. For inspections, the 30bx image is better to use to make a diagnostic than a black and white image.

Focus & Clarity

When you step up from an i-series thermal imager, such as the FLIR i7, into an E-Series camera like the E60 for example, the first thing you will notice when you start using the higher end camera is the manual focus feature. One of the important things you’ll learn at Level 1 Thermography traning are the benefits of having the focus feature; its difficult to make an accurate assessment when your picture is blurry.

When you compare the images, you should notice the considerable amount of clarity and detail the E-Series photos have vs the FLIR Scout. Keep in mind, both cameras have the same 320 x 240 sensor resolution, but obviously its not just about the resolution.

What’s the Final Verdict?

Personally, I wouldn’t use a FLIR Scout to do a Building Science inspection camera’s job. There are reasons why these cameras were designed for one or several applications vs the latter’s one or several applications.

I recommend sticking with the tool to do your job right the first time and that will at minimum increase your chances of having a successful inspection for your customers.

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