What Methods Does A Plumber Use To Detect Leaks? | Oak Ridge, TN
Monday, August 8th, 2022
According to the EPA, household leaks result in over 1 trillion gallons of water waste annually. Therefore, homeowners must use various intervention measures to deal with these startling high volumes of wasted water. After all, wasted water means you’ll pay more in monthly water utility bills, not to forget that water can damage property. Although homeowners might be meticulous about their plumbing maintenance and use various preventative measures, leaks might still arise. Hence, the plumbers need a precise method of detecting leaks to aptly and promptly deal with them.
There are various leakage detection methods that a plumbing company in Oak Ridge, TN, may use to detect leakages swiftly. This means that the professional can deal with the problem promptly and avert any water damage or those high-water utility bills. Most leaks arise from loose connections, cracks caused by penetrating tree roots and corrosion, and faulty plumbing materials that cannot withstand extreme weather conditions. Below are some techniques of leakage detection that a plumber might use.
Smart Water Meters
One way to detect water leaks in your plumbing system involves using technologically advanced water meters (also called smart meters). These meters have Wi-Fi or wireless, hardwired, cellular, or radio connectivity that can communicate the volume of water used for various household activities. This data is used by the analytic monitoring devices to analyze the amount of water your Oak Ridge, TN home uses every day. Plumbers find the data gathered by these devices crucial in determining a leakage somewhere within your plumbing system.
If your smart water meter records a high water use whenever the taps are closed, that is a sign that water is leaking at a certain section of your plumbing and needs prompt attention. If you are using smart pipes, the technician can pinpoint the exact location of the leakage and use CIPP or sectional point repair to seal the leakage. Otherwise, the professional can rely on other leakage detection methods to pinpoint the exact location of the leakage.
Noise Loggers
The other technique and one of the best in detecting and locating leaks in a plumbing system is the use of noise loggers. These devices can analyze your entire plumbing system to detect leakages. A reliable and professional plumber can permanently or temporarily install these acoustic-based sensors to inspect your plumbing system for leaks. In a permanent installation, the sensor continuously monitors the particular areas of your plumbing system. Whenever the water leakage detecting sensor detects a leakage, it sends an alert.
However, the piping material affects the installation of the acoustic leakage detectors. Hence, the professional needs to consider the piping material before deciding which noise loggers should be installed at intervals. For instance, some materials like PVC pipes require that the noise loggers be installed near each other for effective water leak detection. When installed closely, the noise loggers scan for high-frequency sounds indicating leakage.
Optimally, the noise loggers should be installed at a range of between 100ft-300ft for them to scan the piping even during low-use hours. There are smart noise loggers that feature digital readouts, wireless connectivity, and frequency filters to help the professional plumber interpret the data. With such sensors, the technician can precisely pinpoint the location of the leakage and promptly deal with it. However, it might prove expensive if you want to use these systems to detect or identify leaks in larger water systems.
Advanced Metering Infrastructure
The advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) is another technology that a plumber might use to detect any leaks at your home is the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). These devices are installed in the plumbing piping to help in detecting leaks for a quick repair. Advanced metering infrastructure features analytical software and smart meters for monitoring your water lines. Similar to smart water meters, the two leakage detection methods differ.
The smart meter measures water use and sends the data to the analytic software. The software then analyzes the data on water use and sends out an alert in case it detects an abnormality that might be a sign of leakage. The plumbing experts use the data to pinpoint and isolate the location of the leakage within your water lines for repairs. This is the best leakage detection method if you have a comprehensive water system. Upon pinpointing the location of the leakage, the plumber uses their tools, experience, and know-how to determine the best method to deal with it effectively.
Temperature Monitoring
During winters, the temperatures are cold. Homeowners must frequently monitor the water temperature in their piping to protect them from freezing. This requires a low-temperature leakage detector or temperature monitoring device. These sensors alert the Oak Ridge, TN homeowners if they sense excessive humidity or freezing pipes. The frozen piping poses a risk for your plumbing because the lines might burst due to pressure and leak out large volumes of water if they aren’t noticed and fixed on time.
Hence, temperature monitoring is the best mechanism in winter as it will check for the freezing temperatures that might make the piping burst. It will also alert you when it senses frozen pipes for you to call in a plumber for insulation to avert cracking and water leaks.
In-Pipe Technology
Besides the above leakage detection methods, the plumber might use the in-pipe technology. The professionals can use a one-time gadget with an acoustic, electromagnetic, or pressure sensor to locate the leakage. These devices can be used when the piping is empty or have water. The in-pipe device floats or tethers on the water to check the piping for leaks and marks the exact location for easy identification and repair.
The device is used as a robotic crawler in empty pipes to locate the parts in your piping that might be leaking. By marking the precise location of the leak, the plumbing experts only have to replace the cracked, damaged, or corroded piping with a corrosion-resistant pipe using a sectional point or another method of trenchless water line repair.
Let Our Professionals Help You Deal with Those Leaks
Are you paying more on water utility bills than you have been? That could be a sign that there is a leakage in your piping. Because of the large volumes of water wasted by the leaks, you need the problem detected and fixed earnestly. This means hiring a professional with the right experience and tools to detect and patch them. Do you need a technician to identify and patch leaks at your Oak Ridge, TN home? You can call My Professional Plumber at any time.