What does thermal imaging help detect in insulator maintenance?

• A. Moisture intrusion through the surface.
• B. Electrical arcing across the conductor.
• C. Hotspots indicating leakage or damaged connections.
• D. Color variation of porcelain surfaces.

Answer: (C)

Thermal imaging reads infrared radiation to map surface temperatures. In insulator maintenance, it highlights hotspots—areas that are hotter than their surroundings. These hot spots point to abnormal heating from problems like leakage currents through degraded insulation or loose/damaged connections. Detecting these localized heat signatures allows you to pinpoint faults before they cause outages or equipment damage. It isn’t about detecting moisture passing through the surface or about color on the porcelain; those aren’t primarily temperature-based signals. The key takeaway is that hotspots reveal leakage or damaged connections.