Black and Decker Thermal Leak Detector

I haven't done a product review and thought I would try something a little different as Black and Decker contacted me to try out their new product. For full disclosure I was given the product for free, it retails for around 45.00 though you might be able to pick up a cheaper one on eBay or Amazon.com

First off the product received sat on my book shelf for about 2 weeks as it needed a 9v battery and I didn't have any laying around the house and was just too lazy to go out and buy one before my next shopping trip. I was bummed that a simple battery wasn't included in the product, so for me that was a negative mark right off the bat.

After hooking it all and reading through the instructions I started pointing it at windows, doors and outlets like the picture showed. It does show the red and blue colors like the picture shows which was cool. I can set the temperature varience to 1,5,10 degree difference - however it depends on what time of day I measure and if sun is hitting a window or wind is blowing I have noticed. Because of this I checked the doors and windows multiple times and days to get a better reading.

To me it was handy little product to have to see where leaks causing the house to be colder or hotter than necessary. However, I am limited in my apartment as to what I can do to fix these - plastic over windows and sliding doors and putting some draft blockers up for hinged doors, but I can't fix cold walls on my own without hanging blankets on the walls. I could see how this would be handy for those who want to check their own home insulation in the attic and walls and can take steps to fix it better.

So here is my review in summary:
+Easy to use
+Handy for checking temperature differences
+/- Price isn't bad - Though you might want to get a sale/pre-owned one

- No Battery came with it
- Have to use multiple times of day to get a good medium detection
- Really a one time use item, once you fix trouble spots

Overall, it does what it says and it does it well. It would be handy for libraries to loan out as it really is more of a one time use item and it is more useful for a home-owner than an apartment dweller. I do think I will hold onto it for a while since I am an apartment dweller and can use it at the next apartment I live in.