Black & Decker TLD100 Thermal Leak Detector
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Black & Decker TLD100 Thermal Leak Detector
Customer Review: Black & Decker Thermal Leak Detector
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a wonderful tool. I check my entire house for leak and I found some that I have to fixed, then work. I recomended. It's work for me. I'm really happy with this product.Customer Review: Black and Decker Thermo Reader
Summary: 5 Stars
Very easy to use and definitley helps identify cold spots/ leaks. I'm not sure about the negative reviews about accuracy, but the unit is measuring the difference between one surface area to another, so as along as you start with a room temperature surface you will be good. Just point and shoot, the unit really helped with doors, windows, drafts around piping and recessed lighting fixtures. I also used it to determine behind which wall needed insulation.Customer Review: Clever Product Makes it Fun to Find Heat Loss
Summary: 4 Stars
This product interested me because it should be able to pay for itself in identifying cold air leaks and heat loss. For about what you might pay to rent a more sophisticated instrument for a few hours, you can own this one. What makes this product different from other non-contact thermometers is the ability to set the device to recognize temperature differences. When it does, the targeting light changes color. Very clever and easy to use.
One complaint is that I would have appreciated some hints on the best ways to use it. For example, is it better to use it outside the home or in? Where are the places to check that we might not think of? And so on. Overall, I'm pleased.
Customer Review: Does what it claims...
Summary: 5 Stars
I've used thermal guns before but this 3 color light indicator is way cool. It makes checking temp delta's very quick. With the old gun (with laser pointer), it was, point at the area you wanted to test and then look at the meter, repoint the meter to a new location and look at the meter again. With this TLD100, it was just move the light around the area you are checking and the only time you have to actually look at the meter is when the color changes. It completely eliminates this looking back and forth at the target, then the meter, then the target, then the meter,...
A comparison would be the difference between using a box end wrench or a rachet wrench to remove bolts. It makes the process much simpler and faster.
I bought my unit at the wrong time of year when the outside temp was, at maximum, only 30 degrees different then the inside temp so even though I found some leaks, they were minor. My house is about 40 years old and since I bought it a few years ago, I installed storm doors and had added insulation to the attic. All the windows and doors are relatively new and from what I can tell, this house is relatively tight. Even though I didn't find any major problems, it's gives a certain peace of mind to know that everything is okay. This summer when the temps hit the 90's, I'll retest.
The bottom line is that for home use and price, this is a very good meter. As some posters have pointed out, there are more accurate meters available and IR camera's that have far more versitility, but for what they cost, it would be much cheaper to not fix your leaks and just pay for the extra energy costs.
Addendum:
I've owned this product for a while now. When I first got it, it took under a minute to figure out how to use it. The concept behind it is very simple and very well done. At first, to my chagrin, my house seemed very tight and I found no hot or cold spots of any significance. I almost felt like I wasted my money, but there is a certain amount of consolation knowing that everything is in order.
Recently, I bought a whole house fan, but my attic access was too small to get it into the attic, so I enlarged the opening. I knew that I would have to insulate the cover to the new opening, but before I got around to it I used this product to see what to expect. It was a warm day and I had the air on at about 77 degrees. When I pointed the meter at the new attic cover, it was reading almost 100 degrees. What that meant was that I had a radiating surface of about 7 square feet at 23 degrees over the interior of the house temperature. Looking toward the future when the winter would come, I could have a temperature differential of over 100 degrees during very cold days. In the summer when the temperature gets into the mid 90's or more, my attic temp exceeds 140 degrees. This would give me a temperature differential of over 65 degrees.
I figure that this knowledge alone would pay for the meter in short order.
Anyway, I really like having this meter and contrary to what some posters have said about it's accuracy, it's the delta (temp difference) that is the most important thing to be concerned about in this case.
Customer Review: Does what it says!
Summary: 5 Stars
This unit is well constructed and easy to use. Aim at a place whose temp you want to measure, turn it on, and the light that it projects on the spot turns green. Move it along the surface and you will instantly see the temperature changes on the LCD as well as the projection light turning either red (warmer) or blue (cooler) than the reference temperature. If the temperatures are within the range you set, the projection light will stay green. This thing is great for finding air leaks around windows, doors, outlets, etc. Of course you could use the back of your hand to feel for the draft, but what fun is that. Plus you don't know how much air is leaking and how cold it really is. I had one leak where the window glass temp was 63 and the air leaking in was around 48 (outside temp was 30). And invaluable tool and well made. If your a techno-geek then you should get this product.