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A wet pipe joint may not be the leak source
Moisture showing up beside a pipe joint doesn’t necessarily mean the joint is where water is escaping. Water could be tracking along the pipe or coming from a nearby fixture, which makes it hard to know whether isolating that branch would tell me anything.
After drying the area, what observations are most useful? For example, does it matter whether moisture returns while water is being used or while fixtures are off, and how much can pipe orientation or insulation hide the actual starting point? At what point is it better to stop observing and call for leak detection?
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If it returns during a particular fixture’s use, that points toward a connection or drain used at that time, but water can travel before it shows. Moisture returning with fixtures off can still come from a pressurized supply leak; timing alone doesn’t identify the source. Pipe slope and insulation can hide the first wet point. If it keeps returning, spreads, or the source stays unclear after a brief observation, stop guessing and arrange a plumber or leak-detection service.
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