Method and device for detecting hot points in a facility, especially for detecting leaks in air ducts

A method uses at least: one line made up of at least two conductors insulated by a material whose insulation impedance depends locally on the temperature, the line running through the installation; a reflectometer periodically transmitting a reflectometry signal at one end of the line, the signal being propagated along the line, the reflectometer measuring the echoes received and comparing the amplitudes of the echoes with a given reference; a hot spot being detected when the amplitudes of a given number of successive echoes are greater than the given reference, the echoes being provoked by a local reduction of the value of the insulation impedance.