I get where you’re coming from, but I’ve had the opposite experience a few times. My hands aren’t always the best judge, especially if there’s just a bit of moisture hiding in the drywall or subfloor. Had a tenant swear there was nothing wrong, but the meter picked up a slow leak behind the tub—turned out to be a pinhole in the pipe. Would’ve missed it just feeling around, and that could’ve gotten ugly (and expensive).
I do agree, though—demoing without checking the obvious stuff is overkill. But I kinda like using both methods, just to cover my bases. Do you ever worry about missing something that’s not obvious to the touch? Or am I just being overly cautious?
Yeah, I get it—sometimes your gut just isn’t enough. I’ve missed stuff before, too, and it’s a pain when you find out the hard way. Using both methods isn’t overkill, it’s just smart. Those meters have saved me from a few nasty surprises... better safe than sorry, honestly.
Yeah, I hear you—trusting your gut only gets you so far, especially with weird noises like that. I’ve had a couple of close calls where a meter caught something I never would’ve guessed. Ever tried using a thermal camera for leaks? Sometimes it picks up stuff even meters miss... just a thought. Either way, double-checking is never wasted effort.
- Thermal cameras are definitely handy, but I’ve found they sometimes give false positives if the temp difference is subtle or there’s a draft. Still, they’re great for spotting hot water leaks behind walls—saves a lot of guesswork.
- Meters are solid for pinpointing moisture, but I always back that up with a manual check. Once had a meter tell me there was a leak, tore open the drywall, and it turned out to be condensation from a poorly insulated vent. Not fun.
- Trusting your gut is good for noticing when something’s off, but I agree—never hurts to double-check with tools.
- Out of curiosity, what kind of piping do you have behind that bathroom wall? Copper tends to hiss if there’s a pinhole leak under pressure, but PEX usually just drips or sprays. That might help narrow it down...