Patent ID: 8707762

Claim:
An easily manufactured device for indicating water leaks or mold formation behind a building panel such as a wall, a floor or a soffit by providing a visual alert when a predetermined relative humidity level is exceeded, the device comprising: a) a one-piece injection molded transparent plastic elongate hollow cylindrical body, said body having a first end that is open; a second end that is closed; an exterior cylindrical surface including a diameter of said exterior cylindrical surface being smaller at said open end than at said closed end to form an exterior draft angle enabling easy removal from an injection mold; an interior cylindrical surface including a diameter of said interior cylindrical surface being larger at said open end than at said closed end to form an interior draft angle enabling easy removal from an injection mold; a disc-shaped closure disposed on said closed end including an exterior surface, an interior surface, and a periphery, wherein said disc-shaped closure hermetically seals said closed end of said body creating a humidity detecting chamber inside said body, and wherein said periphery of said disc-shaped closure outwardly extends from said exterior surface of said body creating a flange configured to limit the insertion of said body into a hole in said panel; b) a humidity sensitive chemical that is a first color when exposed to relative humidity that is less than a predetermined relative humidity level and that is a second color when exposed to relative humidity that is greater than said predetermined relative humidity level, said chemical disposed in proximity to said interior surface of said disc-shaped closure inside said humidity detecting chamber, wherein said open end of said device is inserted into said hole in said panel to expose said humidity detecting chamber to the air behind said panel whereby a color change visible through said disc-shaped closure on the exterior side of said panel indicates the possibility of water leaks or mold formation on the interior side of said panel and c) an elongate one-piece plastic retainer that is inserted into said hole in said panel, said retainer having a first end and a second end, said first end configured to be inserted into said hole, said second end having a flange larger than said hole wherein said flange abuts said panel when said first end is inserted into said hole, said first end further configured to expand when said body is inserted into said retainer whereby said retainer and said body are fixably attached inside said hole.