I'm amazed how little people seem to deal with their thermal cameras. I read very often on forums about people wondering about "clicking noises" because they don't even read the manual to read the note on every other page that the "clicking" is a normal process and why this is happening.
I hear multiple times that the camera lags and freezes because the processor is too weak
No offense meant but I already experienced the contents of this beginners book myself after a week of trying out the B20 in late march. Nothing new in it therefore sent it back to Amazon. I admit most people don't even bother with their cameras that intensively. Which then leads me to the question of what the content of such an ITC level 1 seminar is that costs thousands of euros/dollars? Maybe Level 2 or 3 may be more interesting when it comes to very specific applications?!
A certificate is a certificate - the sence is primary to certify you have some knowledge. It's like a degree.
You can know it but it will be risky for any company to let you sign papers and protocols without any documentation that you know what you do. In case you would make a mistake no insurance would pay for any damage caused by your error or it would be at least very hard to get them to pay.
No problem if you know all - it's a beginners guide and not all cameras come with a good manual - I have seen also manuals which are 6-8 pages long and only describe where you find which setting but don't tell you basically anything about the sence or usage.
You also aksed about level and span. But if you think you know the basics what is the propper preparation for building thermography? (No offense)
Basically what I lack is special expertise: e.g. what does it mean if there is a temperature difference at the window? When is that 'peculiar'?
This has nothing to do with thermography - this is knowledge about the physics of buildings. Most common issues are:
1) Moisture
2) Heat-loss
To correctly interpret what you see on a thermal image of a roof you have to understand for example hot moist areas behave thermally in contrast to dry areas. This need then knowledge about heat capacity and thermal inertia. BTW - that is a example in my book.
Thermography knowledge is in the most cases not enough - you have to combine it with other knowledge. You will never be able to correctly interpret thermal images from buildings if you don't understand how the thermographed area of the building is constructed, why it's done this way and how it should behave normally. After knowing that you can get a idea what could go wrong and then you can proof your theory with further tests.
If you think there is a water leak just use a moisture meter to check if the cold spot is indeed wet and then check the roof, doors, windows, walls, whatever visually to see where the water could come from or check the plan to see if there are some pipes which could leak.
The same applies to thermal bridges. You have also to understand how walls are constructed to understand if a inspection with a thermal camera would even make sence. For example to inspect a rear-ventilated facade from outside is usually senceless or at least not relayable. To understand that you have to knwo what's a rear-ventilated facade and you have to recognice one if you see it.
To understand if a temperature difference is OK or not you have to consider things like the dew-point, usage of the building, the standards of the time when they are build, etc. A house which was build in 1960 will not have the same good isolation as a brand new low-energy house and that's why in the old house some temp. differences may be totally OK while they would be a dissaster in a low-energy house.
That's by far not all just some samples I had discussed with L2 and L3 thermographers I know for the book.
That's why you can't just make a ITL Level 1 certificate and work as thermographer for buildings without a propper education as architect or something similiar. You can't do electric-thermograhy without the education as electrician or engeneer for electric systems.
What environmental conditions must prevail outside (weather, wind, rain, sun) in order to be able to draw conclusions from them? That only has meaning for home inspectors which I'm not or didn't want to be.
That was all described in my book in the chapter about building thermography.
My question above about the "level & span" related primarily to the manual setting of the level which Fraser addressed. It seemed as if it was the case with some cameras that you would enter the temp directly there instead of manually shifting the 'level & span' up and down like with Hikmicro cameras. Hence my request.
Yes that is true.