Reddit reviews FLIR TG130 Spot Thermal Camera(Discontinued by Manufacturer)

I should add, you can buy a FLIR TG130 for $200.

I got one recently for $180. They have gotten much cheaper.

Edit: on amazon

No.

Your best bet is to learn a little about HVAC systems. Overall, the concept is simple. A fan blows air across cooled coils and is then circulated through your house.

Problems arise for a variety of reasons, such as:

• Freon leaks. This can usually be detected by frozen-over coils or a complete loss of AC. A tech should make a visit, refill it, add dye, and then let it run for a few days. They will make another call and look around to see where the dye is coming out and determine if it can be repaired. Usually it can be soldered up unless it's in some weird spot. With that said, AC systems are sealed systems just like the AC in your car. They do not need to be "topped up" or are otherwise "a little low on freon". Any tech who tells you that is either scamming you or allowing the system to leak so they can make repeat visits at your expense.
  
  
• Leaks in the ductwork or kinks/blockages. If you have access to the ducts, examine connections and use foil-backed duct tape to seal. If you have damaged flex duct, replace with new insulated flex duct. In one house I lived in, a duct had become disconnected and fell onto the ground in the crawl space. I got in there, put it back together, and suddenly everything was much nicer. I noticed this because I put my hand over each register and one had zero airflow. In another house, the main duct that came off the air handler was bent and crushed. I had another house where the return was crushed when it slid down behind a pipe as the fastener had come loose. AIRFLOW IS IMPORTANT.
  
  
• Dampers that are closed. Dampers are simply flaps/valves that are placed inline inside metal ducts. You can find them by looking for a little arm which should correspond to the angle of the damper. Up/down across the duct means it is closed. Left/right indicates air can flow past the damper. In my old house, each register had a damper about 6" inside the duct. I had to remove the register and put my hand inside to adjust it.
  
  
• Clogged A-coils. This is the radiator-like device inside your air handler (the box inside the house with the blower motor). This can be difficult to inspect, as you need to look inside the cabinet and underneath the coils. If they are clogged with dust and debris, you can either use a gentle brush or an air comb to blow it out with compressed air. Obviously if the coils are restricted, you won't get good air flow, and you won't have good cooling.
  
  
• Poor insulation. I am amazed at how many homes I have seen that have 3" to no insulation in the attic. Short story, blow in at least 12" to 18" of insulation and you will be stunned at the difference in comfort.
  
  
• Leaking doors and windows. Check the weatherstripping on your door and replace as needed. It's cheap. Same for windows.
  
  
• Exposure to sunlight. Sun through windows accounts for something like 50% of heat in summer. Either get curtains that are white on the glass side and dark on the room side, or look into reflective exterior window films or solar screens. Do not use interior reflective window films on double-pane glass as it can cause damage. Alternately, plant fast growing trees to provide shade over your house and around your outside AC compressor. If you can provide 20' of shade around your compressor, it will help it work 10% less or more.
  
  
• Poor HVAC system design. I had one system that had two main trunks coming off the air handler, but one was at the top, and one was on the right side. Air is like water, and travels in the path of least resistance. As a result, probably 70% of the airflow went up to the top duct, and about 30% went to the side duct. As a result, all the rooms served by the side duct had poor airflow. I reconfigured the trunks to come out and then have a perfect 50/50 split.
  
  
• Closing registers does not always work as intended. In fact, it can change the load on the blower motor and reduce efficiency.
  
  
• Undersized or poorly placed returns. In my current house, I have a loft office and it had a 8" return ... at ankle level. 8" is only about 200 CFM, and not really sufficient for getting all the heat out when it's on the floor. I moved it and upgrade to a 10" duct (400 CFM). I achieved an immediate 10 degree drop in temps. I have another return that is oversized but on the north side of the house, and an undersized return in the middle of the house (where it's much warmer). I am going to remove the undersized return and upgrade the small one. This will pull the warm air out of my living space (living, dining, kitchen, and family rooms) instead of a little office near the garage.
  
  I personally found a small handheld FLIR camera was invaluable for finding leaks and problems. For example, I discovered the ceiling in one bedroom of my new house has zero insulation on one half, which is contributing to it being over 80 degrees even though it is not exposed to sunlight.
  
  Edit - I should also mention - many techs won't address many of these issues and instead will push to sell you a new system. I used to be afraid that my 18 year old AC system would die at any time. Well, it lasted 7 years with just a few issues. Now I am of the opinion that I'd rather maintain and fix an old unit rather than replace it. Also, upgrading to a higher SEER unit often is not worth the added expense - it's simply not that much more efficient.
  
  Bottom line? Don't assume your HVAC system has been designed properly. Look at it critically and ask yourself ... "Is this the best way to get air from the air handler to the rooms?"

I can imagine the USB socket busting off the phone mounted ones under actual use.

Thanks for the recommendation! I'll have to get one of these things.

Amazon.com links

TG130 - $199 USD, no image capture [https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01ALSO84E/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501424183&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=FLIR%2Btg130&dpPl=1&dpID=41oghPRgdOL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01ALSO84E/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501424183&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=FLIR%2Btg130&dpPl=1&dpID=41oghPRgdOL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1)

TG165 - $349 USD, save images to SD card https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00NXJDQV0/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501424183&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=FLIR%2Btg130&dpPl=1&dpID=41oghPRgdOL&ref=plSrch&th=1&psc=1