As your trusted plumber in Portland, we provide a range of residential and commercial plumbing services. One of the most common issues we see are pipe leaks. However, many property owners aren’t informed about how pipe leaks are detected.
How Does Leak Detection Work?
Leak detection has traditionally been one of the most difficult and specialized tasks in plumbing. Because the bulk of a property’s plumbing system runs behind walls and under floors, it’s usually impossible to find out exactly where a leak is just by visual diagnostics.
Fortunately, a number of highly effective technologies have been developed that make leak detection relatively easy and effective—without requiring the breaking down of walls or tearing up of floors. Before applying these techniques, however, there are a number of manual steps that enable us to narrow down the location of the leak:
- Check for the sound of running water. If you can hear water running but all of the faucets in the property are turned off, you have a leak.
- Look for hot spots on the floor. If a pipe that runs below the floor is leaking from the hot water line, you’ll feel that some areas of the floor are warmer than others.
- Examine the water meter. Turn all of the faucets and appliances that use water off. Now look at your water meter. If the needle is moving, you have a leak.
- Test the hot and cold water lines. Shut off the hot water valve. Now check the water meter. If the needle is moving, you have a leak in your cold water line. Next, open the hot water valve again and shut off the cold one. If the needle on the water meter is moving, you have a leak in the hot water line.
After performing these steps, we’ll have a better idea of where to look for the leak. And this is where the technology comes into play: we can use a range of non-invasive techniques including thermal imaging cameras, moisture meters, video camera inspection, pressure-testing equipment, ultrasonic listening devices and pipe-line locators to determine the precise location of the leak.
Call 3 Mountains, Your Trusted Plumber in Portland
If you believe you have a leak in your plumbing system, call us right away. Because when you have a leak, you need quality plumbing to protect your property. And we always deliver quality plumbing for a reasonable price. So don’t hesitate: call 3 Mountains Plumbing today!
