Infrared leak detection uses infrared cameras to locate water leaks. As with most technology, the user needs to be experienced and competent to get accurate and reliable information.

Infrared cameras use the principles of Thermography to detect changes in heat on surfaces. The detector lens inside the camera can see far more frequencies of light than the human eye. The camera will take these microscopic changes in temperature and present them on a screen in a colour palette the human eye can see. Infrared is not an X-ray machine, it cannot see through or behind anything things, but it can detect changes in heat.

This is particularly helpful with water leaks on hot water systems. The variation in temperature on hot pipes versus the surrounding material can be significant. This can be easily seen on a good quality infrared camera. Water leaks on underfloor heating systems are ideally suited to this. The escaping water will be seen as a plume where the rest of the pipes will be sharp straight lines.

It’s possible with the very best of cameras to get some amazing images showing heat loss and the presence of moisture on buildings. The images above and below are great examples, this was a survey carried out at Dalhousie Castle near Edinburgh which was suffering extensive masonry damage. This was traced back to hot steam escaping from the Spa, the hot moist air was condensing onto the cold stone buttress wall and creating moisture, over time this migrated through and damaged the stonework from inside to out.

A more straightforward example of infrared lead detection and more relevant to domestic property leak detection is shown below. Here the camera being used in the grayscale mode to show a hot spot behind a skirting board. The video demonstrates how accurate and helpful infrared cameras can be. In this example, we only knew the boiler was losing pressure, and there was a leak somewhere on the ground floor.

At Water Loss Solutions we have years of experience in Hi-Tech leak detection and methods to trace and locate any water leak you may have with great accuracy.

If you need help call the experts in leak detection at Water Loss Solutions Ltd or email us here