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Bought a cheap camera scope for $80 and it broke after two inspections
The lens fogged up inside a warm flue and the image went completely blurry. I had to redo both jobs for free. Anyone have a good brand that can handle the heat and moisture?
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theawest5mo ago
Learned that lesson the hard way myself with a cheap unit. You really need something sealed against moisture and rated for thermal shock. Look for inspection cameras specifically built for HVAC or plumbing work, they cost more but don't die in the field. My Bosch has been through some steamy pipes and still works fine.
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river_hart185mo ago
Yeah, the thermal shock rating is key. I fried a cheap one going from a cold crawlspace into a hot furnace exhaust chase. Condensation killed the board. Now I just look for that IP67 rating and a decent temperature range on the spec sheet.
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ryan_carr593mo ago
Funny enough, I've had the opposite experience. Stuck a cheap $40 inspection camera down a hot air duct then straight into a wet AC drain line, and it's still kicking two years later. Not knocking the expensive stuff, but I feel like people overspend on specs they don't always need for basic home use. If you're doing this daily as a pro, sure, get the Bosch. But for the occasional homeowner job, a $50 waterproof model with a decent IP rating handles crawlspace moisture and furnace exhaust heat fine. I'd rather replace a cheap camera every few years than drop $300 on a tool that sits in my garage most of the time.
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