Water leaks are major issues in households, industries, and buildings. In India alone, household leaks waste nearly 3.4 trillion litres of water annually.

Often, these leaks are hidden behind walls or under floors. They become visible only after they cause significant structural damage. To address these hidden water leak issues, advanced infrared camera technology is now being used.

What Is Infrared Camera Technology?

Infrared cameras, also known as thermal cameras, are effective water leakage detectors that identify leaks invisible to the human eye. These cameras capture thermal images using the principle of thermography. They identify tiny temperature differences caused by water leaks, even in hard-to-reach areas.

These thermal cameras detect infrared radiation emitted by objects. They then convert those radiations into an image. This allows for early detection, helping you prevent costly damage and conserve water.

This article can help you learn more about how this technology works and its many benefits.

What Are The Benefits Of Using Infrared Camera For Water Leak Detection?

Infrared cameras can detect leaks that are invisible to us and record temperature differences between wet areas and the surroundings.

Infrared cameras or Thermal cameras offer multiple benefits to you that are:

1)- Early Leak Detection

Infrared water leak detector cameras can find smaller leaks before they become bigger problems. This can prevent wall and other destructive damages while saving your money. 

Early leak detection using an infrared camera will also save you time searching for leaks and making a guess.

2)- Non-Invasive Technology

An infrared camera can easily identify the leak by measuring the temperature difference. This will not harm your home or building infrastructure. Using thermal scanning for water leak identification can help you avoid room or building repair costs.

3)- Accuracy

Thermal cameras give accurate results in leak detection by pinpointing the exact location on the wall. With this, you don’t need to make any unnecessary repairs or guesswork. Once you receive the information through thermal images, you can access the exact water leak location and repair it.

4)- Cost-Effective

Infrared cameras identify water leaks and moisture responsible for making your heating and cooling system work overtime. These cameras are energy-efficient and cost-effective for houses & buildings.

Components Of Infrared Water Leak Detection Camera

A thermal camera uses several components to detect leaks and pinpoint the location accurately. These components are:

Image Sensor

Image sensors take information about different temperatures and convert it into images. Then, the images are processed into a colour map and show temperature values that cannot be detected with human eyes.

These sensors are sensitive to wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum that we can’t see.

Infrared Sensor

Infrared sensors are the key component of the Infrared camera. They detect thermal energy, heat emission, and a wide range of physical properties, including temperature.

Lens

The lens in an infrared camera focuses on infrared radiation on the thermal sensor. It comes with an adjusting length that allows you to focus on objects from a distance. 

Lenses are made from materials like germanium, silicon, and zinc selenide. They are transparent to infrared radiation and have low absorption in the infrared spectrum.

Screen/Display

The display or screen shows the image of thermal energy captured by the camera. These images show different temperature values. The colder temperature shows blue and purple images, and if the temperature is warmer, it shows red, yellow, and orange colours.  

These screens can be LCD, LED, or traditional screens, depending on the camera model. They project the display onto a transparent surface before the camera.

User Interface

The camera’s user interface is easy to use, including buttons, dials, and touch screens. This allows users to control the camera, adjust settings, and navigate the menu.

Software

The infrared camera comes with software that provides detailed and accurate analysis. This includes temperature measurement, temperature alarms, colour palettes and image annotations. 

Some embedded software manages the camera’s work and controls its features.

How Does An Infrared Camera Water Leak Detection System Work?

Working of an Infrared Camera:

• Thermal cameras identify the hidden water area. They contain an optical system focusing on infrared energy.
• Set the camera to the appropriate temperature range and sensitivity for detecting subtle changes.
• Infrared leak detection cameras detect heat radiation emitted by objects we cannot see.
• The camera captures the radiation and converts it into an image where different colours represent different temperatures.
• Analyze the image to get an accurate temperature measurement, as a water leak is caused by irregular temperature.
• Many of these cameras also have a visual light camera that captures the standard digital image.

Using these images makes it easier to identify the exact area where the moisture problem or leak occurred. This technique is essential for applications ranging from building inspections to forensics.

Infrared Camera Water Leak Detection Service Providers

1)- Wet2dry Solutions

Wet2dry Solutions has been working on providing waterproofing solutions since 2010. They take care of problems like causing leaks in society, water tanks, swimming pools and other areas.

Wet2dry Solutions uses advanced technology, such as infrared cameras and temperature sensors.

2)- Elion Technologies & Consulting

Elion Technologies & Consulting Thermography Service offers a nonintrusive and efficient solution. They used an advanced thermal imaging camera and equipment design to highlight the leak area, which we could not see.

They help you identify leaks early, preventing potential damage, mould growth, and structural damage. This way, you can save on extensive repairs, which leads to long-term cost savings.

3)- Fluke

An infrared camera from Fluke offers high-quality thermal images for industrial inspection. This makes it easier to detect faults and failures before they cause problems.

By noting temperature changes, thermal imaging helps to find accurate leak areas, cut costs, and use energy more efficiently. They will also work on identifying the overheating components of your area or the poor connection with the Infrared camera.

4)- Leakage Survey H2O

Leakage survey H2O gives a complete diagnosis of water leakage in the building’s exterior or interior. They have worked as leak detection providers for over 20 years, using moisture meters and infrared thermal surveys.

The main focus of the leakage survey H2O is to detect wall & floor to identify electric lines and waer pipes. An infrared camera is used to identify the affected area (Blue) and the unaffected area (orange). They also use ultra-sonic leakage detector is used to identify fluctuation in noise.

5)- Techno Leak Detection

Techno-leak detection experts visually inspect the property to check for signs of water leaks. Then, they use thermal cameras to pinpoint hidden leaks under walls or anywhere else.

They work with water meter monitoring to identify the leak and make your property leakproof. They also suggest appropriate actions to repair the leak obtained with a thermography report.

Application Of Infrared Camera Water Leak Detection

Water leak detection using thermal cameras is the most popular method. They have various applications across different sectors and industries.

• In the Industrial sector, it detects overheating in machinery or electrical circuits. This helps prevent equipment failures and enhances safety.
• In building inspection, these detect heat loss, poor installation, and building water leaks.
• These are used to detect roof leaks in slope and flat roofs. Identify the areas with moisture accumulation so you can locate moisture damage.
• Thermal cameras are used in plumbing systems to identify pipe bursts or leaks in underground pipes; if a leak is detected, no digging is necessary.
• Use of Infrared cameras in HVAC systems to detect visible heat patterns to identify the leaks in AC pipes & tubes.

Conclusion

When it comes to protecting your home or business from water damage, choosing the right infrared or thermal camera for water leak detection is important.

These cameras use infrared radiation to detect even the smallest leaks. This allows you to catch early issues and avoid costly repairs.

Choose a thermal camera built with advanced technologies. They should detect moisture range, electrical problems, and structural defects. This will help you save money by preventing further damage and reducing maintenance costs.

These cameras detect leaks and are helpful in other industries. Investing in water leak detectors that use advanced infrared technology is essential for long-term protection and cost savings.

Read More About: Smart Water Meters