Our Leak Detection Equipment
‘A hunch and a hammer’… This is what we call the old process of finding leaks. It used to be a guessing game, involve breaking down walls, removing ceilings & kitchens only to find the leak is not there! Well fortunately things have moved on.
Our team uses state of the art leak detection equipment to accurately and non destructively find hidden water leaks in buildings. Our mantra is damage limitation. We adopt a slow and steady, methodical approach to swiftly find the location of your water leak ensuring the process is as tidy and stress free as posible. Take a look below at some of the equipment in our arsenal.
The Latest Leak Detection Technologies
Thermal Imaging
A thermal imaging camera is a great tool for finding sources of leaks & damp.
Essentially its a heat sensore used for detecting tiny differences in temperature on a surface. The device is pointed at suspect areas where our engineers can see an electronic image based on information about the temperature differences. Although this alone does not tell us everything we need to know about the source of the leak or damp, it certainly goes a long way to building the picture.
How accurate is thermal imaging at finding leaks & damp?
Thermal imaging cameras are designed to measure temperature differentials not damp, but when the image is interprated correctly it is a formidable tool for finding both leaks & damp.
Can a thermal imaging camera be used on its own to find a leak?
In almost every case a thermal imaging camera is used along side other pieces of equipment to give us an accurate position of the leak. You can be sure though that it is a go to tool for both leaks & damp.
Acoustic Microphones
Our engineers break out the accoustic microphone on most trace & access jobs. It is a formidible piece of kit designed to detect the noise created by a water leak, whether it be water escaping from the pipe or the pipe vibrating. Our acoustic kit is on hand to accurately detect the position of your water leak.
How efective is an acoustic microphone at finding leaks?
It is very effective. Water makes noise, but it is very difficult if not impossible to hear without specialist equipment if it is burried beneath a floor or behind a wall. This is where the acoustic microphone comes into its own.
What about surrounding noise, does it interfere?
The acoustic microphone allows the user to hone the frequency to listen specifically to escape of water, drowning out surounding noise.
Gas Tracer system
Our gas tracer system is a sophisticated bit of technology used to find the waters point of exit on a plumbing system. The process requires the plumbing system to be drained of water and replaced with a speciality gas. Our gas tracer is designed to sniff out the gas mixture giving us an accurate position of the leak. No matter whether under concrete or carpet the gas will pass through and be detected.
Is a gas tracer system safe?
Yes. The tracer gas used to find water leaks is a mixture of hydrogen 5% and nitrogen 95% making it completely safe to use in drinking water supplies being both non toxic and non corrosive.
Is a gas tracer system used to detect leaks every time?
Not every time. The gas tracer system is usually used in conjunction with the thermal imaging camera for instance. The thermal imaging indicates a wet area and the gas tracer is set up to confirm the leak is in this point before excavation.
Endoscopic Camera
An endoscopic camera is an extension of our engineers eyes. Used to see under floors & inside wall cavity’s via a very small hole drilled through the surface.
Is damage caused by using an endoscopic camera?
Very little. A small hole needs to be drilled in order to fit the camera head in.
How accurate is an endoscopic camera at finding a leak?
Its accurate as long as it can be aimed directly at the leak. In some cases excessive moisture is detected or heavy mold which tells us this is an area of concern.
Moisture Meter
Our engineer uses a moisture meter to map the spread of the moisture within a surface. By taking readings from around a room we are able to build a map of the highest readings indicating the wettest spots.
What is a moisture meter?
Well technically a moisture meter is a conductivity meter. It measures the current passed between two probes, the stronger/faster the current passes indicates the conductivity of the material they are placed within i.e. moisture.
Is a Moisture meter a good way to find a leak or damp?
Its a great way to find a leak and damp. Recording multiple readings of strategic points in a room gives us a snap shot of the wettest & driest points.
Suspect you have a leak?
Contact our specialist leak detection team who can chat with you and discuss what the causes could be and the next steps for resolving your problem.