Using Thermal Imaging to Detect Hidden Pipe Leaks

Using Thermal Imaging to Detect Hidden Pipe Leaks

If you’ve just dealt with a burst or frozen pipe, you know the damage can pile up fast. One of the biggest problems after the initial water flow is figuring out where all the leaks are—especially the ones you can't see. That’s where thermal imaging comes in. It's one of the first tools we grab at Total Home Water Restoration when we’re checking for hidden pipe leaks.

What Is Thermal Imaging?

Thermal imaging uses an infrared camera to spot temperature changes in surfaces. It doesn’t see water directly—it sees the cooler or warmer areas that water creates when it soaks into drywall, flooring, or other materials. Pipes leaking behind walls or under floors often leave behind these thermal “footprints.”

Why It Matters for Burst or Frozen Pipes

When a pipe bursts or freezes, it rarely just splits in one spot. Especially in older homes or homes that have been through multiple freeze-thaw cycles, you might be dealing with:

• Multiple leaks along the same pipe

• Cracks behind drywall

• Leaks under insulation or flooring

• Damp areas that haven’t started dripping yet

Without thermal imaging, you’d have to tear open every suspect wall or floor—fast, messy, and expensive. With it, we can scan large areas quickly and only open up where we actually see evidence of a problem.

How We Use It

Here’s how we typically use thermal imaging on a burst pipe job:

1. Shut off water and begin immediate water extraction

2. Use thermal imaging to scan walls, ceilings, and floors around the pipe

3. Mark the exact areas of concern

4. Open up only those areas for visual confirmation

5. Repair leaks and begin drying and restoration

Real Example

Last winter in Grove City, we responded to a home with a burst pipe in the upstairs bathroom. Water had leaked down into the ceiling of the kitchen, but it wasn’t clear how far it had traveled. Our thermal camera showed a large cold pattern extending down a wall stud bay—something you couldn’t see or feel yet. We opened that area and found a second leak and insulation full of water. That early detection saved the homeowner thousands in potential mold cleanup and drywall replacement.

Benefits of Thermal Imaging

• Non-invasive: No guesswork. No unnecessary demo.

• Fast: We can scan a whole floor in minutes.

• Accurate: Helps confirm full extent of moisture spread.

• Cost-effective: Pinpoints problems early before they spread.

Not a DIY Tool

You can buy thermal cameras now at hardware stores, but using them well takes experience. You need to know:

• What’s a normal reading?

• What building materials should look like?

• How thermal bridges or HVAC might fool the image?

That’s why you need a licensed contractor experienced in moisture inspection—not just a gadget.

If you’ve had a pipe burst or freeze, and you’re not sure if the damage stops where you can see it—give us a call. We’ll bring the right tools and the experience to find every problem before it gets worse.

Total Home Water Restoration
Tyler Zimmerman, Owner
📍 4141 Hoover Rd, Grove City, OH 43123
📞 380-246-1837

“From disaster to done right. We fix it like it’s our own home.”