If you suspect a water leak in your home, what is the first thing
you should do? Consider locating it yourself and checking the severity of the
incident. Here are some of the methods for finding a water leak using home
methods. But we can tell you in advance that it is only sometimes possible, and
most of the time, specialised help is needed.
If you are experiencing water leakage problems in your property,
it is advisable to hire a professional service. There's no need to worry! You
don't have to break down any walls to locate and fix the leaks. Our
professionals perform steps to ensure plumbing leak detection in your
home.
This Is How Professional Plumbing Leak Detection
Is Done
Professional plumbing services can use different methods to detect
a water leak in a home, office, or commercial premises, among other types of
properties. In the past, it was expected to do so by breaking the walls until
the leak was found; however, this method could be more efficient and expensive
and also involves people suffering water scarcity for the duration of the
search for the leak and its repair.
Fortunately, the way of doing things has changed. Currently, there
are modern methods for plumbing
leak detection, some of which exist
and are used by our plumbers in Lima are the following:
Geophones
There are different ways to identify the roots of the water
leakage. One of them is by using our sense of hearing. It is not about putting
your ear to the wall until you find the leak point; instead, it is about using
tools that allow efficient detection by sound.
Geophones are extremely useful for this purpose. These devices are
placed on pipes and can capture and amplify the subtle sound of water escaping
from a pipe. When used on pipes, a plumber can know the exact point of the
leak.
Thermal Imaging Cameras
Cameras can also identify leaks that cause filtration—not just any
camera, but those capable of recognising variations in heat when passing over a
surface. These variations in heat are translated into an image with different
colours (depending on the level of heat), which allows the detection of areas
with anomalous temperatures associated with leaks.
Cameras for Pipe Inspection
The above cameras are just some of the ones that professional
plumbers can use. Pipe inspection cameras are also available. These are
flexible cables with a tiny camera at the end. The wires enter the pipes and
travel through them in search of cracks or leaks.
In addition to being helpful for this purpose, inspection cameras
are also efficient tools for detecting other plumbing problems. They can
identify obstructions, look for lost objects that have gone down the drain
pipe, and more. In such cases, you should request blocked
plumbing services to solve these
problems.
Gas Injection for Leak Detection
In addition to the above, another method that is often used,
generally in the absence of the others, is gas injection. This plumbing leak
detection method is used on purged pipes and consists of injecting a gas
that does not react with other elements through the pipe. For this method to
work, plumbers have gas detectors since it will be with these machines that
they can detect which part of the pipe the gas comes out once it enters.
How to Find a Water Leakage At Home? Some Tips
- Visual
inspection. Sometimes, water leaks are in visible places, such as faucets,
showers, connections between appliances or exposed pipes. Look for obvious
signs of moisture, water stains or corrosion in the pipes.
- Water
meter method: First, turn off all the water valves in your home. Then,
check the meter and note the reading. Wait at least an hour without using
water and check if the meter has registered any changes. If the meter has
moved, there is probably a leak somewhere in the system.
- Ink
method. To detect leaks in the toilet, use a few drops of ink or food
colouring. Place the food colouring in the toilet tank and wait a few
minutes. If the colour appears on the surface of the toilet without
flushing, there may be a leak in the flush valve.
- Use
toilet paper or napkins. Another simple technique is to use toilet paper
or napkins to detect moisture in visible pipes. Wipe the paper along the
pipe connections and joints. If it gets damp, there's probably a leak in
that area.
- Active
listening. In quiet places, listen for dripping or escaping water sounds.
Small leaks can sometimes be detected by the sound of dripping water,
especially at night when there's less noise.
What Leak Detection Method Will Plumbers Use In
My House?
The leak detection method is different in different cases.
Although some are used more than others, a plumber must generally evaluate the
situation before determining one since factors can encourage the use of one
method over another.
We recommend that you contact a professional in water leak
detection. The team has advanced machinery, such as thermal imaging cameras,
geophones, and gas injection systems, to locate hidden leaks. Don't worry about
the work: with these techniques, water leaks are detected without breaking
walls, ceilings, or floors.
In addition, having professionals save time and money in the long term since a small leak can become a bigger problem if it is not detected and solved in time.
