There have been a number clients recently who have commented that it must be frustrating at times being a ‘leak finder’…
The answer is simple… after doing many many inspections and seeing many different scenarios, it becomes easy. This would be the same as asking someone who fixes computers how easy it is to extract lost computer data out of a hard drive… it’s easy for them, but only because they know what they are doing.
Leak detection techniques aren’t complicated as such, it just takes logic and the right diagnostic tools in most cases. You also need other devices to help you confirm the findings. The most technologically advanced leak testing equipment available for sale should give you all the correct signals that will indicate your ‘on the money’ when pinpointing the water entry point, as long as your operating them correctly and can interpret (and confirm) the read outs.
You need to detect the leak before you can test it, but the interesting part is that you will miss most of them without infrared in most cases… especially on high ceilings.
If you’re buying a house, and you think that going out and buying some kind of ‘leak finder’ equipment or moisture meter will be sufficient to diagnose any hidden problems, then please think again. If it wasn’t for using an infrared camera as an additional tool for finding signs of defective windows, roofs, cladding, ceilings etc. , then many of the problems could have been missed… because you simply can not scan a non-invasive leak tester over a huge surface area of ceiling effectively (and you would be there all day). Good luck convincing the real estate agent to stay with you for 6 hours while you test the house!
Leave this type of work to us. We are leak detection experts (Here’s the proof)
You simply can’t afford to miss obvious problems when testing a house for leaks. Taking the DIY approach could work out to be more expensive long term, as opposed to getting the job done correctly and professionally! In addition, the reality is that you won’t actually ‘see’ the majority of anomalies with the human eye.
To answer the question, a leak finder is someone who knows how to find a leak, and a leak tester is the equipment used to indicate the areas where water has penetrated.
