Bought a $400 thermal camera for finding fridge leaks, best money ever or dumb splurge?

I dropped $400 on a FLIR thermal camera after chasing a mysterious fridge leak for three days. Found the bad seal in 10 minutes by spotting the cold air trail, saved me from replacing the whole unit. But my buddy says I could've just used soapy water and patience like he's done for 20 years. Was the thermal camera a smart tool buy or just an excuse to play with a new gadget? What would you have done?

2 comments

2 Comments

xena_williams10d ago

Three days was about how long I spent chasing phantom cold spots with my hand like some kind of fridge whisperer before I caved and bought a similar camera. My wife still calls it my "fancy ghost finder" whenever I walk around the kitchen pointing it at stuff. Honestly though, finding a leak in ten minutes after all that frustration felt like winning a tiny victory against the appliance gods. Soapy water and patience is fine if you're a saint, but for $400 I got to feel like a tech genius for a whole afternoon. Worth it just for the ego boost if you ask me.

milabaker10d ago

Ha! @xena_williams you nailed it with the "fancy ghost finder" thing, my wife calls mine the "leak lizard" now. But honestly, that ten minute victory after all that hand-waving is exactly why I keep it around. You gotta hold the camera at a weird angle though, like right up against the gasket, otherwise the cold air just disappears on you.