Leaks can cost money and cause extensive damage to your property. Most leaks can be dealt with quickly, and since most people have insurance cover for “Trace and Access”, many leak detection specialists are available at short notice to mobilize with their leak detection equipment and the leak found, repaired with your home repaired and restored.
Boiler leaks can leave you without heating and hot water.
A minute crack in the water pipe under the floorboards, going unnoticed can cause rot, mould issues and rising damp
A burst pipe, boiler losing pressure or high water bill must be resolved as soon as possible as leaving them just worsens the problem.
Most leak specialist detection companies use similar methods. There isn’t one method that’s used to locate any type of leak. Normally, several techniques are used on each job. Results from each technique allows attention to be focused in a specific area.
The equipment used by leak detection specialists for locating leaks are mainly non destructive. Leaks can be traced without having to expose pipes. The approach is much more cost effective compared to exposing parts of a property in the vain hope of finding a leak.
Leak detection equipment makes use of correlators, ground microphones, hydrogen tracer gas, pipe locators, signal generators, thermal imaging and cable detecting tools
Ground Microphone
The ground microphone is a high sensitivity sensor which is equipped with the characteristic ball to eliminate wind noise transmitting through the sensor cable to help find water leak detection
Advantages of Acoustic Ground Microphone Technology
- Confirms whether or not a leak is present.
- Quickest and easiest way to search for, detect, and pinpoint a leak.
- Water service is not interrupted.
- Works best on small diameter metallic pipes.
Limitations of Acoustic Ground Microphone Technology
- Background noise can interfere with leak sounds.
- Pressure must be high enough for the leak to produce a sound.
- Maximum depth for pinpointing is 5-8 feet for 1-3 gallon per minute (GPM) leak.
- Pinpointing over soft soil or grass cover is more difficult.
- Pinpointing is sometimes only possible at night.
- Difficult to find leaks in non-metallic piping.
- Takes years of experience to develop an ear for hearing and pinpointing leaks.
Cable Detection
Cable Avoidance Tools & Signal Generators are a vital addition to the Trace and Access leak detection contractor.
Cable Avoidance Tools
Most CAT tools have three modes
- Power – The Power mode provides the most efficient way of locating buried electricity cables. When set to this mode, the Cable Avoidance Tool will detect the signal emitted by the electrical current.
Radio – In Radio mode, the Cable Avoidance Tool can be used by itself. It will detect the re-radiated radio-type signals that are often present on buried metal pipes and cables. By detecting these signals the Cable Avoidance Tool can determine the position of buried services.
Generator – The Generator mode requires the CAT to be used with the signal Generator. In this mode the Cable Avoidance Tool will detect the signal applied to a metal pipe or cable by the Genny, allowing it to identify and trace buried utilities. In addition to this, when set to the Generator mode the Cable Avoidance Tool can also detect the signal being transmitted by a Sonde, allowing it to trace non-metallic pipes.
Signal Generators
The signal generator sends out a diverse selection of signals to accurately determine underground leak detection and provides the user with a safe map in order to dig safely and without damage to gas pipes, water pipes, fibre optic cabling, network cabling and other utilities.
Correlators
A logger is placed on each line in question at both sides of the potential leak, and a series of field observations and measurements are made to gather the following information: the utility material, utility depth, and distance between loggers. This data is then entered into a special software program on a laptop computer and the loggers are attached to each end of the line for one-half hour or, if the area is noisy, overnight. During this time, two sound recordings are made.
Advantages of Acoustic Correlating Technology
- Detects leak sounds incapable of being detected by the human ear.
- Survey multiple lines at once for commercial or municipal water systems.
- Sometimes detects leaks in non-metallic pipes.
- Noisy areas can be surveyed by taking readings at night.
Limitations of Acoustic Correlating Technology
- Not all leaking pipes produce leak sounds capable of being detected.
- Cannot detect leaks unless the water pressure is high enough.
- Sometimes it cannot detect leaks in non-metallic pipes.
- Even at night some areas are too noisy to collect readings at.
Gas Detection
The theory behind Helium gas detection is rather simple. Since Helium is lighter than air–it has a molecular weight of 4 and air has a molecular weight of 30–if introduced into an empty pipe with a break in it, the Helium gas molecules will exit from the opening, rise through the subsurface, and exit from the ground at the exact point where the break is.
- 1. Mark the Location & Depth of the Water Line, Because the gas survey must be conducted by passing the ground probe sensor across the entire length of the line in question, its location and depth must first be determined.
- Turn the water service off. The water service is temporarily turned off from a shut-off valve.
- Drain the water from the system. An air compressor is used to blow water out of the line.
- Open and isolate the line. The line is shut off at one end and opened up at the other.
- Pump gas into the line
- Conduct a gas survey, the ground probe sensor is run across the line to search for the highest concentration of Helium gas.
Advantages of Gas Detection Technology
- Can be used in noisy environments.
- Pipe material does not affect results.
- Works about 99% of the time.
- Easy to use, with little ambiguity.
Limitations of Gas Detection Technology
- Water service must be shut off.
- The pipe must be cleared and isolated.
- Helium will not always penetrate reinforced concrete.
- Helium can be deflected by large rocks and bedrock.
- Cannot be used on sleeved pipes.
Infrared Cameras
Infrared thermography is the science used to detect changes in surface temperatures. They make the invisible visible and are particularly good at locating pipe leaks on underfloor heating systems and hot pipes buried with concrete slabs.
Borescope Cameras
These are particularly useful for getting into tight corners to inspect pipes hidden behind pipe boxes, under floors, under shower trays and baths etc. They require a small hole to gain access.
