comments:
Consider something like this: Amazon.com: TOPDON TC002C Duo Thermal Camera, Compatible with Any USB-C iPhone, iPad & Android Device, 512 x 384 Super Resolution, 256 x 192 IR Resolution Thermal Imager, -4°F~1022°F Temp Range -Grey : Industrial & Scientific So far I have found about 10 other uses for it around the home - very happy to have this in my toolbox. This is a picture of an African Grey with two other smaller parrots in the background. I don't think you would have any problems spotting your pet with the Topdon.
EV specialist here. and bought a shiny new Square-D 50 A breaker This has me nervous. This is often a subtle flag for "I started with a different brand of breaker". You need to use the breaker type certified for your panel. A lot of people think 1" breakers are interchangeable. They're not. When you don't, bus stabs overheat because you have edge/corner contact when you should have surface contact. UL will cheerfully certify for a competitor panel if it works. Eaton would much rather certify the "BR" line in competitor panels, but UL won't certify that - they make a separate "CL" line for competitor panels. I suspect Indium plating on the bus clip. I'm not overly concerned about temperature inside the breaker. That is UL's department, and breakers are supposed to get hot because that's how the thermal trip works - electricity flows through a "bimetal strip" applying pressure to the tripper mechanism. And there's a subtle dance with how breakers radiate said heat that requires more engineering than I care to think about. And I believe the IR reading. It is actually very hot to the touch, almost uncomfortably so - I think 75 C (167 F) is probably about right. Are you a chef? Do you understand what 75C is? 50C is uncomfortable. 60C can burn. 75C can cook food. There is a possibility either the camera is rubbish or you are inadequetely trained on use of FLIR. To the novice, they APPEAR to be "point and shoot" but no. I study light and radiant heating, and emissivity is complicated! That's why there are training classes for using FLIRs. For real. To simplify FLIR, the FLIR simply shows you were to stick a more reliable thermometer. The thermal camera is a Topdon TC002C - a small device that plugs into my phone. This is it: https://www.amazon.com/TOPDON-TC002C-Compatible-Resolution-4°F-1022°F/dp/B0F8MZVFBJ . Detailed Seller Information Business Name: Shen Zhen Shi Fu Ta Yi Dian Zi You Xian Gong Si Business Address: 西乡街道宝安区西乡街道盐田社区新二村176号204 深圳市 宝安区 广东省 518000 CN LOLOL well, surely it's reliable at spotting differences between cold and hot. The idea to charge at less than max allowable current, if fast charging isn't needed, is a good one. It probably makes more sense to routinely charge at 20 A for 6 hours overnight, than 40 A so it's done in 3 hours, just to be kind to the battery. I would say "to be kind to the WIRING", but whatever gets you thrifty/sane-sized. This guy gets it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyp_X3mwE1w&t=1695s If you cut current in half, thermal rise should fall by 3/4. Thermal rise ~= current squared because of how Watt's Law and Ohm's Law interact.
Thanks - It's an inexpensive device that plugs into a smartphone - think it's this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F8MZVFBJ I have no illusions that it's a professional device, but I do think it's reasonably accurate in this case. When I touch the breaker with my fingers, it is HOT, I can easily believe it's 170ish degrees F. Also, the fact that it gives a wildly lower (and plausible) reading on a nearby solar backfeed breaker with 50+ amps going through it, which is only slightly warm to the touch, gives me some confidence.