1. Take on New Technology to Trace and Locate Leaks in Heating Pipework
Techniques and practices at work are changing and developing in all sectors. The rate at which technology
is advancing makes it difficult to keep up. Companies that take the time to research new technologies which
aid them at work, are finding they are operating much more efficiently on a day to day basis, saving time
and money, whilst also looking much more professional to the customer.
The HVAC sector is an area where technology is becoming vital to daily tasks. An example of a service
where technology could be an aid is tracing and locating leaks in heating system pipework. Historically, one
method used to try to find leaks has been to resort to digging up floors to trace and locate the leaking
pipes. This is costly and time consuming, causing a lot of damage and in-turn creating unnecessary stress
and frustration to the customer.
These images (images 1 & 2) show a kitchen floor that has been dug up, in an attempt to trace the heating
system pipework to try and locate a leak and in this instance it was totally unsuccessful. It had taken over 3
days of digging, chasing out the pipework, to conclude that the leak wasn’t going to be found this way.
Costs mounted up; labour costs for over three days, plus labour and materials for the time it would take to
repair the floor once the leak had been found and fixed. The question is what other methods can be
used that are not so time consuming and don’t cause damage?
There is now a cost effective tool which offers the perfect solution. The Testo 875 Thermal Imaging Camera
is the perfect aid to many everyday tasks including; tracing heating/hot water pipe work for leaks and
blockages, checking under floor heating and for checking radiator condition and efficiency. With the one off
purchase price at under £2,000, this is an investment that really will pay for itself in no time.

2. The thermal imaging camera is a completely non-destructive tool making it the ideal investigative tool to
locate damage, blockages or leaks. In this instance, Testo were asked to demonstrate the ability of a
thermal imaging camera to try to trace leaks where more conventional methods had so far failed
dramatically. With the Testo 875-2 Thermal Imaging camera, it was possible to trace the heating system
pipework beyond the areas where the pipework had been exposed. Frustratingly for the Engineers involved,
quite quickly a Hot Spot was detected with the camera and after waiting for a short period of time, the Hot
Spot began to expand (as shown by the thermal image, image No 4) which was a good indication of a
possible leak.
Having located the leak, the Engineer was able to just expose this
small section of the pipework and with reference to the image No 5,
the leaking section of pipework was found and as can be seen, it
had been leaking from a joint for a period of time. The leak had
quickly and non-intrusively, been successfully detected (and in
comparison to other methods that had been conducted) with
minimal disruption and considerably less cost.
This should be a lesson learnt that investing in technology such as a
thermal imaging camera will, in the long run make a job easier –
saving time, money and also ensuring professionalism.
Keeping up to date with new technology will give you an edge above
over someone using tired, old methods. Image 5
The camera used was a Testo 875-2, with 160 x 120 pixel configuration and <80mK temperature
resolution. Affordably priced, the range of Testo Thermal Imaging Cameras are highly suited to the HVAC
sector. Find out more at www.testo.co.uk/thermal or call the Technical Sales Team on 01420 566 814.
About Testo
Testo is a world leader in the development and manufacture of high quality test and measurement
instrumentation, with a wealth of experience in developing solutions for HVAC/R Contractors and Specifiers.
Testo offer excellent service from start to finish; offering technical advice and support, product
demonstrations, training and after sales care.