Short answer: yes. Thermography is non-contact and only works on equipment that is energised and carrying load, so UPS systems, switchgear, busbar and PDUs are surveyed live with no shutdown. The site’s authorised electrician opens covers under permit to work, the thermographer images each connection from a safe distance and records the load, and the covers go back on.
Why a shutdown would defeat the point
A thermal camera sees heat, and electrical faults only produce heat when current flows. Switch a UPS or a switchboard off and a poor connection looks exactly like a good one. So the survey has to happen with the data centre running, ideally at normal operating load of 40% or more. That is also why thermography suits data centres so well: it finds developing problems without touching redundancy or uptime.
How a live survey runs on site
- We agree the method statement and risk assessment with the site team and work within the site’s permit-to-work and change control.
- The site’s authorised electrician opens and closes panel covers. Our thermographer does not touch live equipment.
- Our thermographer wears the arc-flash PPE the site specifies and keeps the approach distances the site sets.
- On dual-fed sites, the A and B chains are surveyed in turn, hall by hall.
- Where it is safe, load readings are taken at the time of each image.
What we image on UPS systems
- Input, output and bypass cable terminations
- Static switch connections
- Battery strings, including inter-cell links and terminal connections
- Breakers and isolators feeding and leaving the UPS
What we image on switchgear
- Incoming and outgoing cable terminations
- Air circuit breakers and moulded-case breakers
- Busbar connections inside the board, where they can be seen safely
- Fuse carriers and contactors
Where covers cannot come off safely, infrared inspection windows can be fitted so future surveys are done with the panel closed. More on switchgear thermography for data centres.
What an experienced thermographer watches out for
Live surveys have traps. Polished copper and bare metal reflect heat from elsewhere in the room and can look hot when they are not. Panel anti-condensation heaters and some electronic components run warm by design. A good thermographer checks for these before calling a finding, compares like with like (phase against phase, joint against joint) and records where the reading was taken. That is the difference between a report your engineers trust and one they argue with.
What you get afterwards
Each finding comes with a thermal image and matching photo, the exact location (hall, room, panel, circuit), the measured temperature, the load at the time, and a severity grade with a recommended action and timescale. Reports are on our online portal the same day or by the next morning. We inspect and report only; the remedial work stays with your maintenance contractor.
A real example
On a London data centre build, our commissioning survey during busbar load testing found 16 busbar sections running above 80°C under test load, with the hottest point at a tap-off unit measuring 103.5°C. All of it was found with the system energised. See busbar thermography during commissioning and our data centre electrical thermography page.
Frequently asked questions
Does a live survey put redundancy at risk?
No switching is needed. The only change on the floor is a panel cover being opened by the site’s electrician under the site’s own procedures.
How long does a survey take?
It depends on the number of panels and how many can be opened at once. We plan it with the site, phased by hall or out of hours if needed. Our annual PPM page explains how recurring surveys are scheduled.
What happens if a serious finding turns up?
Ask any provider how urgent findings reach the site team on the day. Our reports are on the portal the same day or by the next morning, with every finding graded so the site can prioritise. The 7 risks page covers the failures these surveys are designed to catch.
Talk to us: +44 20 3885 7464 · sales@thermalimaging.co.uk · send us your site details
About the author: Rachael Browning is General Manager of Ti Thermal Imaging. Ti’s ITC Level 3 thermographers survey live data centres, FM portfolios and industrial sites across the UK and UAE, and Ti’s work has featured on BBC News and ITV.