Most homeowners are confused when they hear the term leak detection. Finding a leak is something as simple as looking for the puddle on the floor that just got your sock wet. However, it is essential to understand that all leaks are not as simple to see. Some leaks are more covert or hidden inside or under your home. And when that is the case, it can be very tricky to locate and repair it.
When you imagine locating hidden leaks, especially slab leaks found under a concrete foundation, you wonder if the tools for locating these problems are very destructive. Are these plumbers going to arrive with sledge hammers and shovels to destroy your walls, floors, and the foundation of your home? If so, is locating the leak more trouble and damage than it is worth? The answer to all of these troubling questions is no. Thanks to modern technology, leak detection is a far less invasive process than it once was.
Sound Is The Secret
All leaking water makes some noise. You might even be able to hear a soft dripping sound when your home is silent. But that does not mean that you can listen to the sound and zero in on its location. However, if you were a skilled leak detection expert with sound amplification tools, you could do precisely that. The devices used for leak detection allow a trained pro to listen only to the sound of the water. It also reduces all the other sounds in your home, like the hum of the furnace, the sound of the refrigerator, and other appliances.
It Is About More Than The Dripping
While the dripping sound tells part of the story, it is only the beginning. Hearing the water drop strike a surface will let a pro know if the water is falling on concrete or stone, wood, or other building materials. And it can indicate how much water is in the area. But the leak detection expert is really interested in locating the water line that is damaged.
When water flows freely through a pipe, it makes very, very little sound. However, when it begins to force its way through a tiny crack, the sound increases to a hissing noise. It sounds more like the squealing sound when you bend a garden hose and restrict the water flow, but not that loud. But with sound amplification, the noise is very audible. Therefore, this one tool is essential in pinpointing a water line leak.
Other Helpful Tech
In addition to listening for a water leak, pros use other tools, including thermal imaging and temperature sensors, to locate variations in the temperature of your floors. A leak in a hot water line will increase the floor’s temperature, often enough to feel warm to bare feet. If you have concrete or tile floors, it is possible to feel the temperature change even before noticing moisture seeping up to form a puddle.
Experts used these temperature sensing tools to help find very small temperature variations that you might overlook. In addition, they can locate the source of the leak by determining the warmest or coolest part of the floor to find a hot or cold water leak. And when the water temperature is no different from the ambient temperature, moisture sensors are used to locate areas with higher moisture content.
When you think that you could have a water leak hidden somewhere in or under your home, a call to the licensed experts at Leak1 Leak Detection is a must. Call (866) 619-7063 and know that our pros will have that leak located quickly and with no invasive exploration.