Dropped $300 on a thermal camera for finding wall studs and wires, total game changer or a waste?

I got the FLIR One Pro last month to stop guessing where pipes and wires were behind drywall on retrofit jobs. It actually showed me a hot water line I would have drilled right into, but some guys say a good stud finder and knowing building codes is all you really need. What's your take on splurging for tech like this versus sticking with the basics?

4 comments

4 Comments

wright.leo14d ago

Hell yeah wader71 nailed it. My old man does HVAC work and he took one of those cameras to a 1920s house and found a gas pipe literally hidden in a wall cavity that the blueprints showed as empty. Stud finders are fine for basic stuff but they won't catch a hot line or a cold draft. I'd rather drop 300 bucks once than pay for drywall repair and a plumber.

the_viola1mo ago

Honestly that feels like overkill for most jobs. A decent stud finder and some common sense has never failed me on regular renos. Unless you're constantly working on ancient houses with hidden surprises, that's a lot of cash for a tool you might use twice a year.

wader711mo ago

My buddy borrowed a thermal camera for a bathroom reno and it lit up a cold spot in the wall that turned out to be a vent pipe nobody knew about (the blueprints were wrong). He said it paid for itself right there by avoiding a huge mess. For retrofits in older homes where surprises are common, that tech seems worth it. A stud finder is fine for simple jobs, but the camera gives you x-ray vision when the walls are a mystery.

julia_carter611mo ago

Wait the blueprints were actually wrong? That's wild. Makes me wonder what else is hiding in my walls.