In a data centre, an overheating connection is more than a maintenance issue. It is a threat to uptime. Electrical thermography is the safest, fastest way to find developing faults in critical power infrastructure while everything stays live. Ti Thermal Imaging carries out planned electrical thermography programmes for data centres and critical facilities, including CBRE-managed sites. Every survey is led by a Level 3 certified thermographer.
Our thermal imaging work has featured on BBC News and ITN.
Plan your data centre survey or call +44 20 3885 7464.
Why data centres need electrical thermography
Data centre power chains run continuously and often close to their design load. Loose terminations, degraded connections and unbalanced loads produce heat long before they cause a trip or a fire. Thermography finds them early, so you can plan repairs into a maintenance window instead of reacting to an outage. See the 7 electrical failure risks that cause data centre downtime.
What we survey
- HV and LV switchgear and main distribution boards: see switchgear thermography for data centres
- Busbar trunking, bus risers and tap-off units: see busbar thermography inspections
- UPS systems, static switches and battery connections
- Power distribution units (PDUs) and remote power panels
- Automatic transfer switches (ATS) and generator connections
- Cooling plant: CRAC/CRAH units, chillers, pumps and motors
Surveying live with zero downtime
Thermography only works on energised equipment under load, so it fits naturally into a live data centre:
- No shutdown: equipment stays in service throughout the survey.
- Under load: we survey under normal operating load, ideally 40% or more, so faults show up.
- Your permit to work: we work within your method statements, change control and permit-to-work process. Your appointed electrician opens and closes panel covers, and our thermographer never touches live equipment.
- Planned around your operations: surveys can be phased by hall, power chain (A and B) or out of hours to match your maintenance windows.
Reports your engineers and insurers can act on
Every finding is documented with:
- A thermal image and a matching visual photograph
- The asset ID and exact location, such as hall, room, panel and circuit
- Measured temperatures and load readings where it is safe to take them, with load correction applied
- A severity grade and a recommended action with a timescale
We grade electrical anomalies using the ANSI/NETA MTS temperature-difference criteria:
| ΔT between similar components | ΔT over ambient | Recommended action |
| 1–3 °C | 1–10 °C | Investigate |
| 4–15 °C | 11–20 °C | Repair as time permits |
| — | 21–40 °C | Repair as soon as possible |
| >15 °C | >40 °C | Repair immediately |
We work to ISO 18434-1, ASTM E1934 and NFPA 70B, with thermographers certified to ISO 18436-7 / ITC. Read more about why thermography matters in data centre busbar testing.
Planned thermography programmes and annual PPM
A single survey shows you today’s condition. A planned programme shows you the trend. We set up recurring surveys, typically every six or twelve months depending on how critical the site is, that:
- Use a consistent asset register, so findings can be compared between surveys
- Track whether previous findings have been fixed
- Show which assets are deteriorating, to support capital planning
- Provide documented evidence for insurers, auditors and clients’ SLA reporting
Find out more about data centre electrical thermography for annual PPM.
Experience
- Planned electrical thermography programmes at CBRE-managed commercial and data centre sites
- More than 700 electrical thermography inspections across Amazon distribution and logistics sites since 2018
- Electrical thermography across the UAE and wider Middle East
What our clients say
“Richard and the team have been amazing to work with during testing and commissioning on a data centre. Producing quality reports with the brilliant software they are using quickly and efficiently. The TICOR software enables them to deliver my reports within a few minutes of completing the inspections which is incredibly efficient.”
David Graham, data centre testing and commissioning. 5-star Google review
“We have been working with Ti Thermal Imaging team for approx. 10 years. They are very professional and always provide a first class service.”
Darren Helliwell. 5-star Google review
“We’ve used Ti Thermal Imaging for multiple electrical thermographic inspections across our portfolio. Always professional, responsive, and easy to work with. Highly recommend.”
Richard Clarke. 5-star Google review
See also: when to thermally image busbars during data centre commissioning.
Frequently asked questions
Is thermography safe in a live data centre?
Yes. It is non-contact, and our thermographers do not touch live equipment. Panel covers are opened by your authorised electrician under your own safety procedures.
How often should data centre electrical systems be surveyed?
Most data centres survey critical power infrastructure every six months, and at least annually. Higher-risk or older installations benefit from more frequent surveys.
Can you survey enclosed switchgear?
Where covers cannot be removed safely, infrared inspection windows can be installed so future surveys can be done without opening the panels. We can advise on where windows would help most.
Do you work outside the UK?
Yes. As well as UK sites, we carry out electrical thermography across the UAE and the wider Middle East.
Plan your data centre thermography programme
Tell us about your site, your power chain and your maintenance windows, and we will propose a survey plan. Call +44 20 3885 7464, email sales@thermalimaging.co.uk or contact us online.