Our Philosophy on "Happy Snaps": A Commitment to Real Diagnostics

Occasionally, clients ask for reports containing overview thermal images of "normal" panels with no faults—what we call "Happy Snaps." While we can provide these for specific contractual or insurance needs, we generally counsel against relying on them.

Our position is based on a simple principle: a thermographic survey should be a professional diagnostic service, not just a picture-taking exercise. Our goal is to find hidden problems, and a "book of normal images" can be misleading and provides little practical value.

The Difference Between a "Snap" and a Survey

An overview thermal image of a panel is fundamentally different from the detailed analysis our thermographers perform. Here’s why a "Happy Snap" doesn't tell the whole story:

  • Analysis is Up Close & Personal: Our thermographers don't work from a distance. They examine individual components at close range and from multiple angles to get an accurate assessment.

  • It’s More Than Just Point-and-Shoot: To find a true anomaly, a thermographer must actively manage reflections, account for the "emissivity" (the thermal radiating property) of different surfaces, and continually adjust the camera’s sensitivity and thermal palettes to enhance subtle temperature variations. None of this detailed work is captured in a single overview shot.

  • The Risk of Misinterpretation: Without understanding the technical context, an untrained person can easily misinterpret a "Happy Snap." Reflections can appear as hot spots, and different colours on the palette don't always mean a fault, leading to significant confusion. Including these images in operational manuals can create serious misunderstandings.

In short, the view the thermographer has during their active, hands-on analysis is vastly different from a static overview image. Trying to diagnose a problem from a "Happy Snap" is like trying to understand a patient's health from a single photo of the outside of the hospital.

Thermal image of multiple colored pipes and electrical components indicating heat distribution, with temperature readings including 36.5°C, 86.5°C, 73.1°C, and 41.1°C.
Multiple black electrical cables secured to metal brackets and framework inside an industrial or electrical room.

Our Focus: Finding the Faults That Matter

While we are happy to include a single "normal" image to show that a thermal imager was used, our priority is to deliver a report that provides genuine value. This means focusing our efforts and your investment on identifying the faults that could compromise your safety and operations.

As one industry expert aptly put it:

"When you go in for an operation, you want the surgeon to do a good job. Getting a photo of your appendix in a bottle is not the patient's greatest need."

Similarly, when you invest in thermal scanning, you deserve a fully professional diagnostic job. A book of pictures showing that panels were simply found doesn't accomplish that goal. Our commitment is to find what's wrong, not just to document what looks right.