Why SERVPRO? We use Infrared Technology to Detect Water Leaks

5/23/2023 (Permalink)

While you’re researching restoration companies, you’re always looking for the “why?” Why is company A better than company B? You’ll start to answer the why on your own as you do your research and read through reviews, but we can tell you that one of the reasons why you should choose SERVPRO of West Somerset County is because we used infrared technology to detect water leaks - which is something many companies don’t use.

Every year, water leaks cause serious problems for residential and commercial property owners alike, especially those who live or work in buildings that were constructed before the 1950s. The hardest part has always been finding the source of a leak, but infrared technology is now being used to solve this costly and irritating problem.

What Causes Water Leaks?
Modern plumbing is a necessity for most buildings, but they are subject to laws of entropy just like everything else. As a consequence, even the most well-designed plumbing systems will break down over time, which usually comes in the form of cracks within the piping, allowing water to leak.

Water leaks might also be the result of rainwater entering the building through the roof. This is a common occurrence especially in aging ceilings and walls. The most hazardous water leak is the one you don’t quickly recognize. The circulation of water around the property will cause dampness in the surrounding air, which makes it unhealthy to breathe.

In extreme cases, those living or working on the premises might develop an ailment which is airborne. If enough time passes, the leak will also begin to compromise the structural integrity of the building and the presence of any electrical conductors or equipment, creates an additional danger. It is for these reasons that rapidly identifying a leak and its source are extremely important.

Why We Work With Infrared Technology
Infrared imaging is considered state-of-the-art technology that allows us to identify leaks with ease. It is also used to inspect electric fittings, HVAC, and insulation. It accomplishes this through infrared rays which look for thermal abnormalities in a given space.

Every object, whether it be plants, animals, humans, or inanimate things, gives off specific infrared emissivity. However, the emissivity of an object will change along with the temperature. Therefore, a special camera is used to take infrared radiation images and the various emissivity levels will be displayed as distinct colors within the camera’s display.

Water leaks will raise or reduce the temperature for the surrounding area. This, in turn, will affect infrared emissivity levels which correspond to specific colors. A professional plumber will then be able to identify wet spaces within the camera, and can also identify leaks in places where the liquid is falling within a location because of the air dampness in that particular area.

While infrared imaging is innovative, it still takes a trained eye to read the screen and identify leaks, which is why you should fire a professional. Even if a property owner purchased one of these cameras and tried using it, the images wouldn’t make much sense to them unless they have a deep technical understanding of plumbing systems, roofing, and heat changes.

The best case scenario is to give SERVPRO of West Somerset County a call. We have experienced, knowledgeable, technicians that can take care of finding the source of your building’s leaks and presenting the right advice and assistance to fix it.

About SERVPRO Team Harvey
SERVPRO of West Somerset County is proudly owned by Lance and Jennifer Harvey - a husband and wife duo that owns three other SERVPRO locations, including SERVPRO of Lower Manhattan, SERVPRO of Hoboken/Union City, and SERVPRO of Aberdeen/Holmdel.

We understand the stress and worry that comes with a fire or water damage and the disruption it causes your home or business. Our goal is to help minimize the interruption to your life and quickly make it “like it never even happened.”