Compared two leak detectors on my roof job, the $20 one won

I had a flat rubber roof in Phoenix leaking for weeks. First I used a $180 electronic leak detector from Amazon, it kept giving false reads on the seams. Then a roofer buddy let me borrow a cheap $20 spray bottle with soapy water. Found the exact puncture near the AC unit in 10 minutes. Have you guys found better luck with low tech tools over fancy ones?

2 comments

Log in to join the discussion

Log In

2 Comments

adamgreen5d ago

I was the guy buying the $400 FLIR camera thinking it would save me hours. Then last spring I was chasing a leak on a TPO roof in Tempe and spent 2 hours scanning seams with it, got nothing but bad reads off the insulation. My helper grabbed a pump sprayer with a few drops of dish soap and found the pinhole at a vent boot in like 5 minutes. Felt like a total idiot standing there holding my fancy toy. Now the soap bottle comes out first every single time and the camera stays in the truck unless I'm really stuck. Sometimes the cheap stuff just plain works better.

6

wendy_perry5d ago

Man that story hits close to home. Dropping real money on a tool that's supposed to be the answer and then watching a five dollar sprayer beat it in the field is just brutal. Good on you for actually admitting it and switching up instead of stubbornly dragging that camera around every job to justify the price. The soap trick on a vent boot makes total sense too, water finds the hole way faster than thermal ever will when insulation is messing with your reads. Half the battle out here is just being honest with yourself about what actually works.

3