Quick diagnostic
HUF 135,000 + VAT
list price: HUF 190,000 and up + VAT
- Exterior and interior thermal imaging
- Annotated thermal image catalogue
- A–B–C findings list with HUF/season estimates
- 10–15 page PDF, 45-minute walkthrough
District heating · hot-water pipes
A leaking pipe underground: where is it and what does it cost?
A wetted pre-insulated pipe section continuously loses heat, and with make-up water the price of the water as well. A thermal camera helps narrow down the suspect section from surface temperature anomalies, before the road is dug up. We add the order of magnitude of the loss in HUF.
01 / The situation
Why does a leak stay hidden?
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01
It hides in a large network
In a closed-loop system the water balance only indicates reliably above roughly 4 m³/h. A smaller leak can go unnoticed for months.
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02
Behind the meter, you pay
If the leak is downstream of the heat meter, the loss appears 1:1 on your bill, including for your own pipe between two buildings.
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03
Digging is expensive
Without a precise location, excavation is a big cost. A surface thermal image narrows the suspect section so less has to be opened up.
02 / What we typically find
What we typically find
Typical items in this type of facility. Which of them exist in your building is what the survey shows: we do not promise defects.
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Warm strip along the route
Melted snow, a dry or warm streak above the pipe that may point to wetted insulation.
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Wetted section
A longer, uniformly warmer stretch: the insulation is wet and the pipe is giving off heat.
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Make-up water and water balance
Comparing make-up water consumption with the thermal image so the suspicion can be confirmed.
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Shafts, branches, valves
Covers, shafts and fittings, where heat often escapes.
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Overhead and bracketed runs
Missing or damaged insulation on freely routed visible pipes. Here the image is direct.
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Heat substation, connections
Thermal condition of the substation and building connections.
03 / Worked example
What can an item like this be worth? Example, October 2026 prices
The example: Leak in a buried pre-insulated hot-water line. 25 m of wetted pre-insulated (PUR) hot line between two buildings (district heat / hot water, 80 C supply). The leak is DOWNSTREAM of the heat meter, so the loss is billed 1:1.
- Heat and make-up water loss per heating season
- 2,100,000 HUF
- Cost of replacing the section
- 3,000,000 HUF
- Payback (repair)
- 17 mo
- Pipe-run survey, minimum, list price + VAT
- 90,000 HUF
The wetted section loses 200 W/m (100–380 W/m), about 5 kW over 25 m. Make-up water is 19% of the cost (267 m³). A 50 l/h leak is 0.1 m³/h, far below the roughly 4 m³/h detection threshold of a closed-loop water balance, so the balance does not show it.
Energy price basis: non-residential heat fee (the Budapest FŐTÁV tariff as a proxy, not a local tariff) 5,500 / 9,965 / 12,959 Ft/GJ, about 20 / 36 / 47 Ft/kWh; treated make-up water 800 / 1,500 / 2,500 Ft/m³ (assumption). October 2026. We use the figures on your invoice.
Estimate – not a guarantee. Figures are model-based and actual values may differ.
04 / Pilot offer
For the first 10 facilities: pilot prices for the 2026/27 heating season
3D package
HUF 275,000 + VAT
list price: HUF 390,000 and up + VAT
- Everything in the Quick diagnostic
- Interactive 3D heat map in your browser
- Loss breakdown per building element
- Action plan with payback, 60-minute meeting
Limited to the first 10 facilities. Quick diagnostic up to 2,000 m², 3D package up to 2,500 m²; travel within 80 km (free up to 40 km). Orders by 31 January 2027, surveys by 31 March 2027, weather permitting.
Our recommendation
What fits a pipeline?
For pipe runs we quote a separate item: HUF 60,000 + VAT per started 500 m, minimum HUF 90,000 + VAT. For buildings, the pilot prices are the Quick diagnostic (HUF 135,000) and the 3D package (HUF 275,000). The pipe-run price is a list price.
- Drone imaging, where airspace and permits allow
- Verification re-scan after repair: HUF 70,000 + VAT
What we ask in return
- Written consent to an anonymised case study (sector, size band, region; no name, logo or address). You approve the final text.
- A 30-minute feedback interview, and a follow-up call after six months on which fixes were done.
Same scope and quality as a list-price order. The price does not depend on what you say in the feedback.
05 / How it works
Three steps from quote to fix list
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Step 1: Briefing and quote
We ask about size, heating or cooling system and energy price. You get a fixed written quote.
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Step 2: Night-time survey
We survey in the heating season when the pipe is in operation and the ground surface is out of the sun: at dawn or in the evening. We take both drone and ground-level images and follow the route from your drawings.
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Step 3: Report and walkthrough
PDF report: for each item the location, likely cause, estimated loss with a range, fix suggestion and priority. Raw files and a walkthrough.
06 / Common questions
What people usually ask
Will you definitely find the leak?
We cannot promise that. A surface thermal image depends on pipe depth, soil and weather. We undertake to flag suspect sections and tell you how reliable the result is.
What should I prepare?
The pipe route (drawing or sketch), the operating temperature, make-up water consumption data if available, and access on site.
Is an outage needed?
No. The pipe must be running so that it gives off heat. The survey needs no shutdown.
07 / Honest limits
What we do not do
- A thermal image of a buried pipe is an indirect indication. A surface temperature difference can only suggest the leak position. Further checks (pressure, water balance) are needed before digging.
- This service is still being introduced in the field, so during the pilot we quote buried sections on an indicative basis.
- We do not do pressure tests or install meters. Savings come after repair; we do not guarantee them.
08 / Get a quote
Request a quote for this type of facility
Tell us the type, location and approximate size of the facility. We reply by the next working day at the latest. The request is for business purposes: we serve companies and organisations.