Switchboard thermal imaging for
data centres
At a glance
- What: thermal imaging of your switchboards, busway and main connections, scanned live under load
- Who it’s for: data centre operators, facility managers and the electrical contractors who maintain their sites
- Where: anywhere in Victoria
- How often: every six months for data centres
- Who does it: qualified electricians certified to AS ISO 18436.7:2014 (thermography), with a Level 2 certified infrared thermographer on the team. Registered Electrical Contractor REC-19259.
- Your report: heat map images, findings and recommended repairs, the same day once payment is made
A data centre can’t stop for a maintenance check. Power runs around the clock, loads stay high, and your customers expect uptime. Switchboard thermal imaging suits that environment because we scan with the power on, under the load your site carries every day.
We use infrared thermography to find the early signs of electrical faults: loose connections, unstable and overloaded circuits, damaged fuses and switches, and faulty wiring or circuit breakers. You get a report with heat map images, the location and severity of each issue, and our recommended repairs, on the same day once payment is made.
We’ve already scanned a data centre in Laverton North, and every person we send is a qualified electrician and thermographer.
Why data centres need switchboard thermal imaging
1. Scanned live, with no shutdown
Thermal imaging only works on equipment that’s carrying load, so we scan during normal operation. Nothing is switched off and nothing is transferred to backup while we work.
2. Constant load means constant stress
Data centre electrical systems carry heavy load 24 hours a day. A poor connection under that load keeps heating, and the heat is what our camera picks up. That’s why we recommend scanning data centres every six months. Finding a fault early lets you plan the repair for a maintenance window instead of reacting to an outage.
3. Both sides of your redundancy
Redundant A and B power paths protect uptime only while both are in good condition. Scanning each path under load shows you where a problem is building before you need to rely on the other side.
4. A maintenance record you can show people
A dated report with thermal images and findings for each switchboard is evidence of preventive maintenance. It’s the kind of record insurers, auditors and your own customers ask for.
5. Repairs planned through your change process
Each finding comes with its location and severity, so your team can schedule the work through change control rather than waiting for a fault to force it.
What we scan in a data centre
We scan the switchboard cabinets, busway and main connections on your site: anything running at 240 V and above. That includes:
- Main switchboards and main distribution boards
- Distribution boards and sub-boards
- Busway and busbar runs
- Main connections and other cabinets at 240 V and above
- Server room and comms room switchboards in office buildings, hospitals and universities
We focus on your electrical system. Airflow mapping and rack-level cooling analysis aren’t part of this service.
What a scan finds in a data centre
Most electrical faults show up as a hot spot well before anything fails. The common ones are:
- Loose or degraded connections on breakers, busbars and cable lugs
- Overloaded circuits, and phases carrying uneven load
- Failing breakers, fuses and switches
- Hot joints and tap-off points on busway runs
- Faults left behind by poor installation or later alterations
Each one appears in your report with a thermal image, its location, its severity and our recommended repair.
Cable terminations inside a data centre switchboard, in normal light and through our thermal camera during a live scan.
Our qualifications
Every person we send to site is a qualified electrician and thermographer, certified to AS ISO 18436.7:2014 (thermography).
- AS ISO 18436.7:2014 certified (thermography)
- Certified infrared thermographer, Level 2 (No. 17501)
- Trained, qualified electricians
- Registered Electrical Contractor (REC-19259)
- Elected member of the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA)
We hold professional indemnity insurance with Vero, which is required to carry out thermal imaging and issue a report.
What to expect
- Planning the visit. We talk through your site, the number of switchboards and your access requirements, so the visit is planned before we arrive.
- Access and induction. We complete your site induction and work within your access, escort and change control rules. Where needed, we supply a safe work method statement (SWMS) and risk assessment ahead of the visit. Our team holds police checks and working with children checks.
- Arrival. You get a text when we’re on our way, and we introduce ourselves to your site contact when we arrive.
- Live thermal scan. We open the switchboard covers and scan with the power on under normal load. We can work in your maintenance windows or after hours if your site needs it.
- Findings on site. We walk through our initial findings with you before we leave.
- Same-day report. Once payment is made, you receive a written report with heat map images, findings and recommended repairs the same day, often before we leave. If payment comes later, the report is sent automatically as soon as payment is received.
- Re-scan after repairs. Once repairs are done, we re-scan to confirm the fix.
Book a scan for your data centre
Tell us how many switchboards you have and where your site is, and we’ll come back with a quote. Ready to talk? Call 0422 877 257 or request a quote below.
Data centre thermal imaging FAQs
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Do you need to shut anything down?
No. Thermal imaging needs equipment running under load, so we scan with the power on during normal operation. Our team opens the switchboard covers for a clear view, and nothing is switched off.
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Have you worked in data centres before?
Yes. We’ve scanned a data centre in Laverton North, and we’re used to the inductions, escorts and change control rules that come with these sites.
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How much does a data centre thermal scan cost?
We price by the number and type of switchboards. Data centre main switchboards are often long boards made up of many cubicles, so they’re priced differently from a single commercial board. Send us your board list for a quote, or use our price estimator for a guide. You can also read how our pricing works. A per-kilometre travel fee applies to sites more than 30 km outside Melbourne.
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How long does it take?
Commercial switchboard thermal imaging takes 15 minutes to an hour per switchboard. A data centre with boards spread across data halls, plant rooms and generator areas takes longer. We’ll give you an estimate when we plan the visit.
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How often should a data centre be scanned?
Every six months. Data centres pull a heavy load around the clock, so we recommend checking twice as often as the yearly scan most sites need. Your insurer may also set its own minimum.
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Is thermal imaging a legal requirement?
In most cases the requirement comes from your insurer rather than a specific law. Many insurers ask for an annual switchboard scan as a condition of cover, and auditors or customers may ask for a maintenance record too. What the law does control is who works on a live switchboard: in Victoria, the Electricity Safety Act 1998 limits that to licensed electrical workers and a few other authorised people. Our post Could your thermographer void your insurance? explains why that matters.
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What are the limits of thermal imaging?
A thermal camera reads surface temperature, so two things have to be true. The equipment must be carrying load, and the camera needs a clear view, which is why we open the switchboard covers. A circuit that’s switched off or barely loaded won’t show a fault, and a thermal scan doesn’t replace other electrical testing. That’s why we scan during normal operation and recommend repeating it every six months.
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Who is qualified to do thermal imaging in a data centre?
Switchboard thermal imaging requires a Registered Electrical Contractor licence and AS ISO 18436.7:2014 certification. Not every electrician holds both. Ask any contractor for evidence of each, and of their insurance, before they open a switchboard on your site.
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What's in the report?
The date and time of the scan, the thermographer’s name, the location and description of each switchboard, any faults found with heat map images, and our recommendations for repairs or maintenance. See what’s in our thermal imaging reports.