Your water main delivers the entire supply of water to your home, so leaks can cause catastrophic damage and be very costly to repair. Experts can detect leaks accurately, but many building owners misunderstand the process and may not know when leak detection is necessary. Below, we’re going to go over what water main leak detection is, how it works, and the top five myths about the process.
What Is Water Main Leak Detection?
Water main leak detection is the process of identifying underground leaks in your water main. A variety of techniques can be used to locate issues without having to excavate and potentially damage the mainline further.
How Is It Performed?
It is considered challenging in most cases because of the location of the line underground. As such, several methods are typically used to identify problems. These include using acoustical ground microphones to listen for common leak noises, electronic leak/noise correlators and loggers, pressure testing, and using tracer gas, such as helium, to find breaches in the pipe.
Below are the top five myths many building owners believe about water main leak detection:
Myth 1 – Pressure Testing Isn’t Required
Water mains carry large amounts of water, so many property owners believe that a leak would be evident from above ground. However, small and even medium-sized leaks can go undetected for months or years, gradually damaging your property and creating weaknesses in the ground. They can eventually lead to foundation failure, sinkholes, or water intrusion.
Myth 2 – Water Leak Detection Is Invasive
Many building owners believe water main leak detection will damage their yard with excavation. In fact, the process can be entirely non-invasive and can often be carried out without disturbing your property at all.
Myth 3 – Small Leaks Aren’t That Dangerous
Many people think that small leaks can be ignored for some time, as they won’t cause massive damage. Even pinhole leaks in your water main can cause damage to your property and potentially your facility or home. They can also quickly turn into an enormous issue if the pressure in the pipe widens the hole.
Myth 4 – It’s Is Expensive
Water main leak detection can be very affordable, depending on your situation. What many building owners don’t understand is that the cost of testing is significantly less than the cost of repair. This is because we can typically pinpoint the exact location of the leak which in turn will minimize the damage and cost to make the necessary repairs.
Ready to protect your property from damage?
Contact one of our friendly water main leak professionals today.