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Electrical thermography uses an infrared camera to find connections and components running hotter than they should, while they are under load; power-quality measurement records voltage, current and harmonics at the UPS. Together they find faults that look fine to the eye.
It finds heat where heat should not be: a loose or corroded connection, an overloaded conductor, a failing component or a blocked cooling path. Eaton's performance-test scope uses an infrared camera to identify hot spots within the UPS and battery cabinets that show a higher temperature than normal, notes them, records the actual temperatures for future reference, and puts the thermographs in the written report. A joint that reads hot today is the joint that fails under the next heavy load.
| What happens | What is recorded |
|---|---|
| Agree the scope, the load at the time of the scan and the access | The written method |
| Scan UPS cabinets, connections and battery cabinets under load | Thermographs and temperatures of every hot spot |
| Compare hot spots with similar connections and the last survey | Temperature differences and their trend |
| Log voltage, current and harmonics at the UPS input and output | Power-quality readings and any irregularity |
| Rank findings by urgency | What needs work now, and what can wait for the next visit |
Because connections loosen and degrade over time. Eaton notes that vibration from the building, nearby construction or machinery can affect internal connections; its aging-UPS paper adds that heat makes connections loose and brittle and speeds wear on capacitors, boards and insulation. Vertiv's APM2 manual requires battery and wiring terminals to be inspected and tightened at least once a year for the same reason. Thermography shows which ones need it before the annual visit.
Eaton recommends a scan every three months for hot spots, with a complete mechanical review of the UPS and battery cabinets once a year. NFPA 70B, which became a standard in its 2023 edition, sets infrared thermography for all equipment at 12 months in condition 1 or 2 and at 6 months in condition 3, where condition reflects the equipment's physical state, criticality and environment. Eaton's summary stresses that these intervals do not replace the manufacturer's guidance; they apply when the manufacturer gives none.
It shows what the UPS is receiving and delivering: voltage, current and harmonic content at its input and output, logged over time. In Eaton's performance-test scope a power-quality meter records voltages, currents and harmonic content at the UPS output during the load steps, and any irregularity goes into the written report. Readings at the input show what the utility or generator supplies; readings at the output show what the protected load actually receives.
Every survey follows a written method that sets the equipment in scope, the load at the time of the scan, the safe approach distances, which covers are opened and by whom on site, and what is recorded. The report includes the thermographs, temperatures, power-quality readings and recommendations, ranked by urgency. For UPS service by brand across Canada, see UPS services.
No: a scan is taken with the UPS running under load, because heat only shows where current flows. Some covers must be opened, so the method sets the safe approach.
In the 2023 edition: every 12 months in condition 1 or 2, every 6 months in condition 3, unless the manufacturer gives other guidance.
Thermography finds heat at the load the site is carrying; a load bank test puts the UPS at a known load, often full load, which makes a thermal scan more telling. The two are often combined.
Whether the UPS is receiving and delivering clean power: voltage, current and harmonic content, with irregularities flagged.
Sources, checked 2026-10-04:
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