I’ve wondered the same thing about those meters. I grabbed a cheap one off Amazon and honestly, it felt like a toy—numbers all over the place, even on dry spots. Kind of makes me nervous to trust them when deciding if I need to tear out drywall. For now, I just look for stains or that musty smell, but I know that’s not exactly high-tech. Maybe the pricier meters are better? Just hard to justify spending more unless I’m sure they actually work.
I hear you on the cheap meters—had one years ago that gave me readings all over the map. Ended up trusting my nose and eyes more than the tool. The higher-end ones do seem to be more reliable, but yeah, they’re not cheap. Out of curiosity, have you ever actually found a leak just by smell or stains before the meter picked it up? Sometimes I wonder if all the gadgets are just overkill for basic home stuff.
I’ve actually caught a couple leaks just by noticing a weird musty smell under the sink, or seeing a little discoloration on the drywall. Sometimes you just get that gut feeling something’s off, you know? But I’m always a bit nervous about relying only on senses—like, what if there’s a slow leak inside a wall that you can’t see or smell yet? That’s where I think the gadgets come in handy, even if they’re not perfect.
I get what you mean about overkill, though. For basic stuff—like a dripping faucet or a visible pipe joint—you probably don’t need anything fancy. But when it comes to older pipes, especially if you’re not sure what’s behind the walls, I’d rather double-check with a meter, even if it’s just for peace of mind. Ever had a situation where you missed a leak because it wasn’t obvious? That’s my worry, especially in older houses where pipes can be pretty unpredictable.
Man, you’re not wrong about those sneaky leaks. I once had a customer who swore their house was “dry as a bone,” but the only thing dry was their sense of humor. Turned out, there was a slow drip behind the wall that had been feeding a little mold farm for who knows how long. Sometimes your nose helps, but those meters are like having x-ray vision for pipes—especially in older places where you never really know what’s lurking back there. I’d say trust your gut, but don’t be afraid to back it up with a gadget or two. Better safe than staring at a surprise indoor waterfall, right?
That’s a good point about using gadgets, but I always wonder—how do you actually decide when to just patch up a section versus ripping out a whole run of old pipe? Like, is there a rule of thumb or is it just experience? I’ve seen some pipes that looked fine on the outside but were basically Swiss cheese inside... makes me second guess just doing spot repairs sometimes.
