Assessing HVAC Leak Damage with Infrared

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Assessing HVAC Leak Damage with Infrared Dave Sawyer SAWYER INFRARED.com ABSTRACT Infrared technology can assess the amount of unseen damage that water leaks can cause to building materials.

1 Assessing HVAC Leak Damage with Infrared Dave Sawyer SAWYER INFRARED.com ABSTRACT Infrared technology can assess the amount of unseen damage that water leaks can cause to building materials. Infrared is especially helpful in locating leaks caused from HVAC (Heating Venting and Air Conditioning) systems components. Water leak damage, or at least traces of it, is not always visible to alert a homeowner or contractor to a leak problem. Certainly the severity and extent of the problem may not be readily apparent or even apparent at all. Infrared gives the homeowner, property manager, or contractor the best possible edge in identifying water leak issues associated with HVAC systems since most HVAC systems are hidden behind enclosed walls, or jammed into tight closet spaces. INTRODUCTION In examining HVAC leak examples, this paper will demonstrate that infrared can see what the human eye cannot. Infrared gives IR leak detection services the advantage, an edge in accurately determining where HVAC water damage is located, so that these messy and aggravating water situations can be properly corrected. INFRARED SHOWS A LEAK PROBLEM In this case, a contractor knew that he had a leak somewhere in the HVAC system of one of his new construction homes; the problem was apparent because of an unexplained loss in refrigerant pressure. The homeowner had already moved into the large house located in an affluent suburb just outside of Boston. Upon my first infrared examination of the home s HVAC system, I could not locate the problem. I went over the system on paper with the contractor only to find out he had forgotten to tell me about a separate supply line that ran behind a bedroom closet wall. The closet was unlit and items covering the baseboard had to be removed The IR image in Figure 1 shows the baseboard with the HVAC supply line located behind it, near the closet floor. While there were no visible signs of a water issue when the contractor pulled the baseboard, he found the system leak behind this section of the baseboard. Figure 1. HVAC system leak behind closet baseboard 1

The HVAC unit is in a tightly enclosed closet space on the right side of this IR image. Figure 2.

2 In newly built or rehabbed condo units and apartments, HVAC units have been installed in all types of confined spaces to maximize living area. Figure 2 shows an HVAC supply line leak running over the top of the entry hallway above the ceiling. The HVAC unit is in a tightly enclosed closet space on the right side of this IR image. Figure 2. HVAC supply line leak In Figure 3, we see how the leak ran down the opposite side wall causing more damage which was invisible until located with the infrared camera. A moisture meter confirmed the moisture in the building material and that data was included in the client report. Figure 3. Leak progress 2

Figure 4 shows the only side of the HVAC unit visible from the hallway. The insulated lines on the right show the moisture build up under the insulation jacket.

HVAC from hallway Ceilings spaces containing HVAC units also present leak opportunities in both private residences and in commercial spaces.

3 Figure 4 shows the only side of the HVAC unit visible from the hallway. The insulated lines on the right show the moisture build up under the insulation jacket. There is also water build-up in the condensate pan on the lower right of the IR image. Figure 4. HVAC from hallway Ceilings spaces containing HVAC units also present leak opportunities in both private residences and in commercial spaces. Figure 5 shows moisture in ceiling of a large condo unit on the second floor. The water stain was not yet visible to the naked eye, but would have eventually become evident. To fix this issue, the contractor used a larger condensate drain line and installed an alarm for high water in the condensate pan. Figure 5 Condo unit ceiling 3

HVAC ceiling unit The infrared image in Figure 7 shows a ceiling unit HVAC system with water at the base of the unit in the condensate pan.

4 In Figure 6, another HVAC ceiling unit had moisture trapped between the insulation jacket and the unit piping. Leaks from this HVAC area stained the ceiling panels leading to the discovery of the water issues. Figure 6. HVAC ceiling unit The infrared image in Figure 7 shows a ceiling unit HVAC system with water at the base of the unit in the condensate pan. There was no drain line for this pan; the water was just collecting in the pan above the ceiling tiles. Air conditioning water production is three pints per hour per ton of cooling capacity. So a three ton system will produce a bit less than nine pints of water per hour. It is important condensate pans are adequately drained and drain lines are of a large enough diameter for the water to drain properly. When they are not, water issues develop from the HVAC system. Figure 7 HVAC unit with water at base 4

5 SUMMARY Infrared easily locates water in building materials from HVAC mechanical units and makes detection of waterrelated HVAC issues a sure thing. HVAC supply lines tend to be located in hidden, hard-to-get areas of the building. Finding a leak behind the baseboard inside a wall can be very difficult; infrared investigation can supply the critical information that can identify areas of moisture. HVAC mechanical units are placed in cramped locations in buildings and this makes it difficult to service and maintain them. Supply lines are concealed in walls and ceilings and when they leak infrared can show these supply line locations easily and accurately. Ceilings are other another area that houses HVAC unit systems and when these systems have issues, anybody underneath them can get wet. Condensate drains and pans need attention so that they work and drain properly and infrared technology supplies the information needed to keep them up and running. An efficient, properly working HVAC system should provide you with quality, dependable comfort that shouldn t be plagued with leaks that indicate repair or maintenance problems. Infrared imaging offers the best chances of locating leak sources, especially in HVAC systems, quickly, accurately and non-intrusively. 5

6 REFERENCES Franapfel, Ed; Kleinfeld, Jack A.; Analysis of HVAC Systems and Building Performance Utilizing IR Physical Measurements and CFD Modeling ; pp ; Inframation 2005 Proceedings; Vol. 6; ITC 108 A Ask, Andrew C.; H2N0: Mechanical Systems and Moisture Control ; 2008; Building Science Corporation Lyon Jr., Bernard R.; Infrared thermography for HVACR Trainers and Technicians ; 2010 ITC Manual ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author wishes to thank Bernie Lyon at the Infrared Training Center for providing the support and resources that made this paper possible. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Dave is an ITC Level III Thermographer and OGI-certified. He is the owner of SAWYER INFRARED, a Boston-based infrared inspection and optical gas imaging company and has been consulting professionally in infrared since For more information on Infrared Inspection Services and OGI visit Dave s company webpage at sawyerinfrared.com and view the videos there, and on his attached YouTube page. You can contact him at dave@sawyerinfrared.com. 6

Thermography Report. For: (Client) at: (location)

Thermography Report. For: (Client) at: (location) Thermography Report A SAMPLE INFRARED REPORT INFRARED BUILDING EVALUATION For: (Client) at: (location) Thermography date: 01-01-2013 Thermographer: Dave Sawyer, ITC Level III TIR Outdoor temperature: (Temp)