This is a continuation of the series regarding infrared inspections.

The question is about problems found during the inspection.

If you have performed / had performed infrared scanning, what is the most common issue found?
Loose Connections
Faulty equipment
Overloads
Harmonics
Nothing - all is well
Other – please explain

Select all that apply

infrared inspection problems: over tighten terminations, not so much loose terminations.

I voted for loose connections, but the real problem is not usually that they are loose. Insufficient prep or wrong anti-oxidant used will cause them to go bad even when properly torqued..
Under the other category, include bad contact making on disconnects.

I often find loose stabs on large RK5 fuses. Not sure if that's loose connection or faulty equipment.

We found motor contactor contacts fouling/pitted using infrared imaging.

Infrared is a great tool, provided you know what you're seeing. I got my certification back in 1985. That was when Infrared scanning was pretty new. Over the 35 + years I've done lots of IR scans. And the most common problem I've found was with disconnect switch contacts. Probably better than 90% of the problems were with disconnects. Of course, I wondered why? Aside from the manufacturing problems, I think the biggest cause for heating was (and is) people using disconnects to disconnect or connect an operating load. That may sound odd that disconnects are not supposed to be used to connect or disconnect operating loads, but that's not what their intended to do. They are supposed to disconnect and connect power; not disconnect and connect power to an operating load like a motor.