Thermal Imaging Camera

[Deleted User]

Hello everyone, I would like to ask a question about water leaks please. There is a smell of stagnant water near my front door. No mould, no mildew, no damp stains or marks. Engineered wood flooring in place. Some warmth underneath the floor, which has always been there as it stems from a heating pipe. However I am just starting to wonder if it has sprung a leak. The smell hits me when I walk in. Stupid as it sounds there is exactly the same smell in the bathroom at the top of the stairs which is going to be dealt with next week. I leave the bathroom door open - can a smell float downstairs?! Does anyone have experience of using a thermal imaging camera to find leaks - before I rip the floor up? Obviously I will wait until the bathroom is fixed and see if the smell dissipates. Partner recently beggared off and I'm extremely short of money and advice. Any advice owuld be appreciated. Thank you.

FreeBear

A damp wall or floor will suck heat out of the air, so a thermal camera can be used to find damp in some situations. But if the damp is under a suspended wooden floor, it may not show much. If you do not have a thermal camera (or can borrow one for free), they can be a quite expensive piece of kit - If funds are limited, lifting boards is the cheap option.

[Deleted User]

Thank you FreeBear for your thoughtful answer