infrared leak detection

[BLOD]

Has anyone ever used one of these camera's - are they any good (and can you hire them ?).

I'm trying to find a leak on a heating system thats losing about a gallon every day, it has to be from somewhere under the screed on the ground floor but there's no damp or hot patches showing anywhere (yet)

 

[newcastle phill]

Ive never used one but would it be any more accurate than an inexpensive IR heat gun.
Also have u tried a damp/ moisture meter.
They can detect levels imperceptible to the eye/ touch

 

[Ermintrude]

You can hire a high resolution thermal imaging camera or IR from a decent survey shop. Speedy survey or lord technical

 

[happyflyer]

Has anyone ever used one of these camera's - are they any good (and can you hire them ?).

I'm trying to find a leak on a heating system thats losing about a gallon every day, it has to be from somewhere under the screed on the ground floor but there's no damp or hot patches showing anywhere (yet)

Blod,

I have a Fluke IR camera I use it a lot to see the centres of pipe in a UFH systems, if it a very small leak of hot water you may still not find it with IR the surrounding slab temps tend to stabilise and it all goes into one, when looking at UFH coils better to view them from cold they stand out more, once the get to slab temp they are more difficult to see, its all about temp difference, pity you are so far away, you could have borrowed it. A gallon a day is tiny, then again with IR you might see it straight away, I worked for Bucks CC for a few years 20 years back had a leak at a school, no one could find it, ask the Chief Fire if I could borrow a heat seeking camera for a hour, he said he would send a fireman down with it, found it in a couple of minutes, I think they use liquid nitrogen to cool the head, spot anything with a pulse 36 Deg C so water at 70 will show. Just dial 999 cats up the tree next door to custard!!!