Thermal Leak Detector

Heating accounts for an estimated 61%* of your home’s entire energy use. Finding and sealing draughts and can be a very cost effective way of stopping heat from escaping, and boosting the comfort and efficiency of your home.

Cold spots are often found around windows, where pipes come out from floors or walls, under skirting boards or around doors. If you find a cold spot, there are lots of ways you can seal it up to stop cold air coming in, and heat getting out.

Similarly, by finding hot spots such as uninsulated hot water pipes, you can add insulation to those too and prevent that heat from escaping.

* SEAI 2020

The thermal leak detector helps you find air leaks or draughts by shining a light that changes colour when it finds colder and hotter surfaces. Draughts are a sign that cold air is getting in, and your heating has to work harder to warm it back up again. This can make your bills more expensive than they need to be.

For full instructions on this and other tools in the Home Energy Saving Kit, see our Manual and Workbook.

If you find your heat is escaping too quickly, there may be ways you can help keep it in, such as fitting draught excluders.

To find out how you can make savings on your heating, see pages 6 – 14 of our guide to 100 Ways to Save Energy at Home.