How Check Your Home For Leaks Using an Infrared Camera

Example of how to use a Thermal Imagining Camera to check for leaks in your home.

Human eyes are unable to see leaks that are suspended within the ceiling. However, the thermal imagining camera is able to pick up where the water that has leaked in is making the ceiling colder, revealing the leak.

Flir Thermal Camera for iOS

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[drossington]

I'm changing careers from public school teacher to home inspector. I appreciated your video. Thanks for posting.

[ahome]

You are doing great work helping your clients. Had my realtor been this smart and helpful, she would have saved my family countless health issues needless to say a total home loss due to toxic mold from previous owners hiding numerous water leaks and intrusions. We have been out 5 years and still dealing with the health effects. Great job.

[bojack]

Thank you so much for showing this. This is a game changer.. Makes things a lot easier for hvac, plumbing and even electric and automotive.

[PetLife]

I absolutely LOVED this video. I live with a Veteran and his home IS SO COLD every single morning all year round, it is my goal to fix this. This camera is exactly what I was looking for to learn what needed to be targeted besides climbing into the attic to insulate and air seal the whole thing. I needed to see the house in the eyes of an infrared camera JUST LIKE THIS. You sir, absolutely rock. Expand on this video series by exploring GORGEOUS homes and showing the true heating costs of people's homes. The wealthy believe their homes are perfect, and with cameras like these, you can show them the heating duck they believe is working was never plugged in at all!

[baivabmitra]

This os the best no nonsense video I saw in a long time. And no BS, ended perfectly too

[slipnfall]

I'm sure you've figured this out by now, but it's actually an issue of parallax - why the thermal square appears below the electrical outlet. It's in fact the outlet itself. The visible and infrared images don't always align. There may be a setting to help adjust.

[Kumar_]

Great video. I wish they had realtors like you in my area. It would have saved me from having to deal with several water leaks.

[Joel-bhxd]

Thanks so much for this video, I want it to check where the heat is coming in from and make my home cooler during the summer.

This is the only video I found of someone waking around with the camera, it allowed me to check how far away I can look with the camera. It seems it will suit me perfectly!

[THECREATORTHEDESTROYER]

I've been searching for this type of content. All of the product review I each so far are bad. They show the product but they don't walk around showing it like the way you did.
I will be buying one soon and be a video about it soon. I see fun things with it and also to check where the cold air in coming in from my home to so I can fix the problem. Great video. I enjoy it. Thanks.

[bobrebera]

Thermal uncovers many issues not observed by the human eye. I use several Flir products, E96 backed up with a Protimeter moisture meters MMS3. I like the built in hydrometer. Nice video uncovering many issues-we never have enough tools in the moisture and thermal imaging inspection business. Thank for the video

[sebastianarchambeaud]

What is the action list following this analysis. For example the colder areas around the window, what is "normal" temperature drop, versus abnormal meaing you need to re fix insulation aroud the window.
Do you have exmaple of wall where insulation has been compromised by "Gravity" with time, adnn where you need to maybe refill the walls with loose wool ?

[MojoPup]

Thermal cameras are one of the handiest tools for finding issues. Too bad they're still so expensive for good ones

[cjfvent]

The spots in the ceiling could be caused by gaps in insulation or places where mice have eaten insulation. What you want to do is rapidly change the temperature in the environment if you want to 'see' water. Home inspectors who use these undergo training and certification so they don't go unnecessarily freaking out homebuyers about roof leaks...

[vitalikolos]

It might have been mentioned already but "cold" spots not always caused by water, most often it's insufficient or gaps in insulation rather than moisture. Just pointing out at the cold spots and exclaiming there are water leaks everywhere make it look unprofessional unless you confirm your findings with a moisture meter.

[mayordale]

Thank you Mark for this explanation, I was reading the report of observations from thermographic scan of a ceiling with spots of moisture. There was cold thermal pattern during negative pressure scan at some spots; but there was no cold thermal pattern noticed during positive pressure scan. What could be responsible for this?

[daveparker]

Might those 'non working' floor vents be part of the Return system? You would want to have heating return vents take the cold air at the floor to return to the heating system and be reheated. Returning the cold air at the floor also reduces the problem of cold feet as you are reducing the amount of cold air at floor level. Heating return vents at the ceiling take the heated air and heat it some more, but because there is only a small difference in temperature, there is an inefficiency. For maximum heating efficiency, you want to take the cold air near the floor to return to the heating system. That way, there is a large difference between the return air and the furnace heat exchanger and more heat is extracted from the heated gasses before they are exhausted to the outside.

Some of those cold areas that you saw in the walls and ceiling might be air leaks causing the surface to be colder from incorrectly installed insulation, rather than wet/damp areas.

In the summer time, you would want your return vents to be near the ceiling to return the warmer air in the upper part of the room back to the A/C system to be cooled. In the winter, you want the return vents near the floor to take the colder air to be heated. By doing it this way, your system will be more efficient (saving you money) and there will be a smaller temperature gradient between the floor and ceiling, resulting in better comfort for you.

[Cbreezy]

The aol sound that turned into the mortal kombat melody, then turned into a hip hop beat got me at the end😂😂

[drumcdoo]

Great tool to buy or rent when buying house! Surveys cost a fortune and are not always trustworthy. By using one of these, be it buying house, motorhome or boat this device could save tens of thousands and a lot of heart ache!

[BaGaBwithaB]

Really awesome. I am in the process of becoming a Building and Pest Inspector in Australia. Loved the way you explained everything. We would love to know whattype of infrared camera / equipment you have used in this instance. And which cameras or devices are best to use for this kind fo work, mid range priced devices.

[christophermaron]

The two vents in the floor are returns. That’s why they are not radiating heat.