A professional underground water leak detection system is necessary when you cannot figure out the real cause behind the leak. These technicians have all the tools and techniques to understand the reason behind the horrendous water leak at your place. Most people try to use DIY hacks but fail, in fact, they make the matter worse by bursting more underground pipes.
When you call the skilled labor, you have already done some homework that makes their work a bit easier. However, most underground leaks remain silent, causing damage to the foundation and plumbing system. To address these lurking problems, a professional team uses the latest tools to reach the bottom of the problem in the inspection phase.
What Are The Tools Plumbers Use For Effective Water Leak Detection?
Plumbers are certified and licensed individuals who learn about complex plumbing systems. They can detect the problem by analyzing your walls, floor, or basement. However, various buildings have unique systems that make it challenging to find the underground leak. To address this problem, plumbers use industry-approved tools that act as catalysts and help them reach the core of the problem.
Some of the valuable tools are as follows.
Water Pressure Testing
Water pressure or isolation testing helps plumbers find the tap or faucet leaking. Not all the taps sometimes leak, but one tap causes havoc in the building. Plumbers go from room to room testing all faucets, indicating which tap is faulty and needs immediate action. They attached the machine with the tap to get the reading and checked the pressure by running the water in full flow. If the pressure on the gauge decreases, it is evident that there is an underground leakage at your place.
Video Pipe Inspection
Video pipe or sewer camera inspections are another way to tell if you have a water leak underground. For this, plumbers run a small sewer camera throughout your house’s plumbing system. This camera is equipped with sensors and LED light that helps the plumbers reach the corners of the pipes and detect the leak. Once it is inside the pipe, plumbers find the leak through a live feed. This technique not only finds the leak but also indicates mold and mildew, corrosion, mineral buildup, and clogs that affect the smooth flow of the water inside.
Thermal Imaging Cameras
Thermal imaging cameras, or heat scanners, can find hidden leaks in hot water pipes behind drywalls, floors, or other structures. These cameras can use infrared imaging to identify issues that are not visible, such as excessive moisture or temperature changes. These specialized tools can scan broad areas, allowing our plumbers to pinpoint leaks efficiently.
Audio Equipment
Plumbers listen to discs, ground microphones, deck plates, and other audio equipment to detect leaks through drywall, cabinets, and floors by isolating leaking sounds from behind the surface. Deck plates and other tools are powerful enough to locate leaks through concrete and bricks. Plumbers place these machines against a surface and listen through headphones to the gurgling sound of water traveling through the pipes. By assessing the sound, they can find the precise area of the leak and confirm the general location with other methods.
Soil Probe
Soil probes, called pipe probes, are audio devices that detect underground leaks in sewer lines and water mains. If left unchecked, these leaks can escalate into structural damage to your property. Skilled plumbers look for minor signs, such as wet soil patches, and follow the suspected plumbing area with the probe to listen for leaks. Experience and skill can tell the plumber about the type of leak, its depth, and how to best fix it.
Dye Testing
Often used for leaks related to toilet or pool systems, dye tests are a noninvasive way to trace the leak’s location. The plumber introduces a high-visibility colored dye into the system where they suspect a leak, observe the flow, and watch for the dye to leak from plumbing connections. If the leak is obscured, the dye test can lead the plumber to the source of the leak.
Trace Gas Leak Detection
Another non-toxic yet beneficial way to find the leak inside the pipes. For this, they use a trace gas tool where this machine throws an unharmful gas that does not affect the nature of water or harm the environment inside the pipes. Plumbers then put pressure inside the pipes through a machine and monitor the movement through the gas detector. If there is a leak, the pressure starts decreasing, telling the plumbers about the leak. This tool is valuable when the leak is so small or has occurred in a dark corner.
Using these tools systematically, plumbers can run a detailed water leak detection. These tools are precise and provide accurate results. DIY hacks come in handy sometimes, but most of the time, calling a professional can save you from a lot of trouble. A skilled leak detector will locate and fix the problem, providing reliable solutions.
Speaking of reliability, Ted’s Plumbing Company provides top-notch plumbing services nationwide. Our trained and licensed team can operate all modern tools to detect and fix underground leaks. To book your inspection, visit our website now!
FAQs
How do you tell if a water pipe is broken underground?
If you encounter cracked pavement, water puddles, constant mudding, or surprising irrigation, these signs indicate a broken pipe underground.
How do plumbers detect the source of a leak?
Plumbers perform several tests to find the source of leaks, such as listening disks or plates, sewer cameras, or inspecting the bulges or cracks in the walls.
How do you trace water pipes underneath the ground?
Today, sewer cameras are the best tool for the job, as they accurately map metal and PVC pipes.
