Leak detection sounds like it implies seeing water directly. But plumbers can use various types of equipment to detect leaks in different parts of your home. The most problematic water leaks are those that aren’t visible; they cause your water bill to increase and do a substantial amount of damage before you realize there’s a problem. When you call Waldrop for leak detection in Spartanburg, SC, here are some places we may start looking.
Inside Pipes
One of the most effective and precise leak detection tools is pipe inspection cameras. A plumber will insert a small video camera attached to a fiber optic cable and run it through your plumbing lines. Images are transmitted to a remote monitor that you and your technician can view. It shows the condition of pipes from the interior, including pinholes, cracks, loose fittings, and other damage that indicates where a leak is.
On a Pipe
Where a pipe is visible, but a leak is not, pipe locator clamps can be placed. These transmit a radar signal through the pipe material, or “charge the pipes”. A technician analyzes the signals to determine whether a leak may be occurring and where it is.
In a Wall or Concrete Floor
Sophisticated microphones use acoustic technology to pick up the sound of running water. These include ground microphones, headphones, and listening disks. By listening to the feedback through headphones, a technician can hear the noise of escaping water, even if it’s behind a wall through layers of building materials, or under a layer of concrete.
Thermal imaging is another way to sense leaks through walls. Scanners are placed near the walls, or pointed at them, to detect changes in temperature. Using this technique, a technician can identify temperature shift patterns characteristic of escaping water. Thermal scanning is better suited for noisy locations or where a leak is too deep for an acoustic device to be reliable.
Through Your Security System
Electronic leak detection can leverage the capabilities of building security systems that pick-up sound. By analyzing the frequency, not only the location can be determined, but also the type of leak. For example, the system can determine whether the leak is coming from high- or low-pressure pipes. Technicians using this method are trained to hear differences in amplified sounds to determine the nature of a leak.
From on the Ground
Underground water leaks are notoriously hard to find. Technicians can use ground sensors to pick up suspicious sounds from below concrete, asphalt, tiles, and other hard surfaces. For soft surfaces, they may use a probe sensor, which can detect the sound of a water leak through grass or even a carpet. These sensors detect noise created through pipe vibration, contact between water and soil through a crack, or made by water flowing through a soil cavity.
How Do I Know It’s Time to Schedule Leak Detection?
Even if you don’t see water leaking, reasons to suspect a leak include peeling paint or wallpaper, a warped or stained wall, or a buckled, cracked, or water-stained bathroom floor or ceiling. Water that has leaked from a pipe behind a wall usually doesn’t dry, so develops a musty smell. You might even see mold or mildew in areas there isn’t usually water.
Call Waldrop for Leak Detection in Spartanburg, SC
At Waldrop Plumbing – Heating – Air, we provide leak detection services throughout Greenville County. Fully equipped, our plumbers can find any leak, diagnose the cause, and fix it quickly. We employ pipe camera inspections, thermal imaging, pressure testing, sound amplification, and other non-invasive methods to identify hidden leaks inside walls, above ceilings, and under slab foundations.
Our licensed plumbers are ready to fix any leak to avoid further problems, prevent water damage, and conserve water. To get started, schedule service online or call 864-536-0887 today.
