Published August 22, 2026 at 06:05
The sequence in electrical troubleshooting is rarely stated outright, but it exists: first find out where the problem is, then take measurements on it. The issue is that the first step traditionally requires you to have already done the second — you open the cabinet, place the probes on one connection at a time, and search your way forward. Every single measurement means introducing a hand and a measuring tool into live equipment.
An instrument that can see where the heat is reverses this order. You scan the exterior or the opened cabinet from a safe distance, see which connection deviates, and only then place the probes on that specific point. Most points then never need to be touched at all.
What it is
The FLIR DM285 is a True RMS multimeter with a built-in thermal imaging camera. The camera features 160 × 120 pixels and is used for IGM — Infrared Guided Measurement, where the thermal image pinpoints exactly where heat development is occurring. The instrument performs 18 different measurement types, features built-in worklights, a laser pointer, and a large display, and is drop-tested for field use. Via Bluetooth METERLiNK®, measurement data can be wirelessly embedded into thermal images from FLIR cameras or shared with colleagues. Delivered with a traceable calibration certificate.
The problem it solves
Safety first, because that is the true benefit. Every contact with live equipment presents an opportunity for an arc flash, short circuit, or accidental touch. A thermal image is taken from a distance and requires no physical contact — reducing the number of times you enter the cabinet from ”once per connection” to ”once, in the right place.” That is no small difference in a facility with hundreds of terminals.
The fact that it is a multimeter and not just a camera is the other half, and it is widely underestimated. A separate thermal camera is a tool you go retrieve when you suspect something; a multimeter is the instrument that is already in your tool bag, used every single day. When thermal capabilities are built directly into the device you are already holding, scanning becomes a natural first step rather than an extra task requiring planning — and an inspection that requires no extra planning is the only kind that gets performed routinely.
It also establishes a practical workflow that the instrument supports from start to finish: scan, find, measure, document — without switching tools between steps. Having 18 measurement functions in the same unit means that the step after capturing the image — voltage, current, resistance, continuity, or whatever the fault requires — does not demand yet another instrument.
METERLiNK ultimately solves the documentation challenge. A thermal image shows that something is running hot; a measurement reading shows how much current was flowing through it. On their own, they are only half the evidence. When the measurement reading is embedded directly into the image, they are linked permanently — and it is this combined data that holds up in a report, for insurance purposes, or during an inspection, long after the technician has forgotten the details.
Three typical use cases
- Electrical and switchgear: thermal scanning of terminal blocks and fuses followed by electrical measurements on the deviating connection.
- HVAC and facility maintenance: locating hot or cold spots in systems and control equipment, with immediate on-site electrical troubleshooting.
- Field service: one instrument in the tool bag instead of two, with documentation that can be sent directly from the job site.
Why it pays off
The financial justification is simple on the surface — one instrument instead of two — but the most compelling aspect lies in user behavior. Equipment that requires an extra decision (”should I go get the thermal camera?”) is only used when a problem is suspected; equipment that is already in hand is used routinely. That distinction determines whether hotspots are caught during a routine walk-through or only after equipment fails.
And on the other side of the equation lies the risk that cannot be assigned a price tag. Every time you do not have to put a test probe into a live cabinet is one less exposure to danger — and anyone who works with electricity knows that accidents rarely happen during the measurements you were fully focused on, but rather during the fiftieth repetitive test of the day.
Read more about the FLIR DM285 multimeter with thermal imaging camera →
