Hydronic Heating Leak Detection
Professional in-floor heating leak detection using thermal imaging, acoustic sensors, and pressure testing for radiant heating systems in strata buildings.
Hydronic Heating Systems in Strata Buildings
Hydronic heating systems—including in-floor radiant heating, baseboard radiators, and fan coil units—circulate heated water through extensive piping networks. In strata buildings, these systems may be building-wide with shared boiler plants, or individual systems within each unit.
When hydronic systems develop leaks, water can escape into floor assemblies, wall cavities, and ceiling spaces. Locating these leaks requires specialized equipment that can trace tubing paths and identify failure points within the building structure.
Hydronic System Components We Test
Our Detection Methods
Thermal Imaging
When the system is operating, thermal cameras reveal the tubing paths through floor surfaces. Leaks often appear as thermal anomalies—areas where heated water has escaped and is warming adjacent materials or where the tubing path is interrupted.
Pressure Testing
We isolate and pressurize system sections to confirm leak presence and location. Pressure drop rates help quantify leak severity and verify successful repairs.
Acoustic Detection
For pressurized systems, acoustic sensors can detect the sound of water escaping through small failures—even through floor assemblies and concrete slabs.
Moisture Mapping
Moisture meters document water damage extent and help trace leak migration patterns back toward the source point.
Strata Liability Considerations
In buildings with centralized hydronic systems, determining whether a leak is in common property distribution piping (strata responsibility) or unit-level components (owner responsibility) is critical for proper liability assignment.
Our investigation identifies the specific failure point and documents whether it falls within common property infrastructure or unit-specific components—supporting accurate responsibility determination under your strata's bylaws.
Service Areas
We provide hydronic heating leak detection throughout Metro Vancouver and British Columbia, including Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Coquitlam, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, New Westminster, and surrounding areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you detect leaks in in-floor heating systems?
We use thermal imaging to trace the heated tubing paths and identify anomalies, acoustic detection to listen for water escaping under pressure, and pressure testing to confirm system integrity. Thermal imaging is particularly effective because the heated fluid creates a clear thermal signature that reveals the tubing location and any leak points.
What causes hydronic heating system leaks?
Common causes include damage during original construction or subsequent renovations (nails, screws through tubing), connection failures at manifolds, corrosion in older copper systems, and thermal stress causing joint failures. PEX tubing is generally reliable, but connections and older copper systems are common failure points.
Is hydronic heating leak repair expensive?
Repair costs depend heavily on leak location. Accessible manifold repairs are relatively straightforward, but leaks in embedded tubing may require opening floors. Accurate leak localization minimizes repair scope and cost by identifying exactly where access is needed.
Schedule Hydronic System Testing
Contact us for professional hydronic heating leak investigation in your strata or condo building.