Plumbing Leaks and How Leak Detection Works
Do you need leak detection services in your home?
Many leaks can be fairly obvious and easy to detect, but the majority of inspections reveal that your home’s plumbing system is out of view within your foundation, walls, or in your attic. Wear and tear can affect the longevity of your pipes, causing leaks in areas that you can’t see, and erosion and rust can break down your system as well, leaving you with costly repairs. No matter what the issues may be, utilizing leak detection is another tool in Ground Zero’s tool belt to help. Utilizing microphones and fiber optic cameras, we can detect the most difficult leaks, regardless of their origin.
- Microphone Leak Detection – the sounds that naturally occur in a water pipe reverberate off the walls of pipes at low volumes, not usually heard by the human ear unless close in proximity. Microphone leak detection utilizes a powerful microphone placed on or near a pipe with a suspected leak and relays those sounds back to a plumber for evaluation. With proper training and experience, sounds can be deciphered for any abnormalities. Using this technology can help a professional plumber pinpoint even the smallest of leaks with almost no margin of error.
- Camera Leak Detection – Detecting a leak using a camera is a little easier to understand. This technology is cutting edge, using waterproof fiber optic cameras to inspect your pipes in even the harder-to-reach areas.
- Infrared Camera Leak Detection – Using an infrared camera takes all guesswork out of detecting an active leak within walls or in ceilings. Your walls and leaking water carry different thermal signatures, so an infrared camera picks up the differences in temperatures and helps a plumber determine where a leak is happening and how big it might be.
These leak detection technologies are just a few of the things that make leak detection easier for you and for Ground Zero. No costly upfront demolition or destruction of your property in an effort to chase a leak. Using these techniques, we can be precise with our effort, saving you money and headaches.
What Are The Signs of a Leak?
How do I know if I have a leak in my house?
There are many indicators of leaks due to plumbing issues, but the most common are listed below. General recommendations include inspecting around the perimeter of your home looking for standing water not related to rain, cracks in your foundation, seeping water from any concrete surface, and even keeping a close eye on your water bill.
- Water bill spikes – Even the smallest fluctuations in water bills can be indicators of a water leak. While your yearly usage ebbs and flows based on season, your usage will be consistent from a 12-month view. Your utility company should offer your yearly usage so, you can if any abnormally high water usage is happening. Another water bill indicator is increased usage from one year to the next, despite conditions staying the same within your home.
- Mold or mildew near your foundation – When inspecting your property, any mold or mildew present around your foundation could mean that you have a slab or foundation leak and are in need of leak detection services. Because mold and mildew grow in areas with increased moisture, it’s not likely to be connected to rainfall unless your area has received extreme amounts of rainfall for a long period of time. If you see any mold or mildew near your foundation, reach out to Ground Zero, so we can determine what the issue might be.
- Cracks in your foundation – Even the sturdiest foundations form cracks from time to time as a home settles. It’s recommended that you become familiar with those cracks, should they exist, so you know what new cracks look like. Some indicators of new cracks are clean cracks without any dirt or debris in them, or cracks that look sharp and fresh. Cracks are usually connected to foundation/slab leaks. As the leak persists under your home, it clears out dirt and the water looks for a place to flow. This creates cavities under your foundation, that can cause cracking and extreme settling, which then puts undue stress on pipes, causing them to break.