Water leaks can be costly, especially if they aren’t caught early on. Keep an eye out for puddles or discolored walls, and take note of any unexplained spikes in your water bill.

Plumbers use a variety of tools to help detect water leaks. Here are a few of the most common:.

Acoustic Listening Devices

Many homeowners notice the telltale signs of a water leak, including puddles on floors or walls, mold growth, or musty smells. But a professional plumber might use more sophisticated tools to help locate the source of your water leak.

Acoustic listening devices amplify the noise created by escaping water, allowing plumbers to hear the sound of the leak. They can then pinpoint the location of the leak by following the sound. This method is non-invasive, allowing plumbers to avoid breaking through walls and floors.

To use acoustic leak detection, plumbers first shut off the water supply to their house and then place the device near accessible pipes. They then move the device around while listening to the sounds it makes. The acoustic listening device may also be used in conjunction with pressure testing, where plumbers pressurize the plumbing system and then observe for drops in pressure that can signal a leak. This tool allows plumbers to identify the source of the leak before extensive damage occurs.

Borescope Cameras

Many digital borescopes have the ability to store pictures and video footage on an onboard SD card, allowing users to visualize inspection images in real-time. Some models also have a USB port to connect to a computer to analyze the footage.

There are a wide variety of different types of borescopes available for various applications, including rigid pipe inspection cameras, drain and gun bore camera systems, articulating options, and more. Some models are designed to fit into spark plug ports, others feature a more robust build for jobsites, and a few even come with LED lights to illuminate dark spaces.

LeakTronics offers a number of specialized plumbing scopes, including the Pro 1.5 Pipe Camera which is made to get through 1-1/2 inch pipes and includes elbows. Other tools like ground microphones and listening discs amplify the sound of leaking water to help plumbers pinpoint the source. Infrared thermography can also be used to spot temperature variations that might indicate the presence of a leak.

Pipe Inspection Cameras

Using a camera is one of the most effective ways for plumbers to spot leaks. They attach a waterproof camera to a sewer cable and insert it into your plumbing. They can then navigate the pipeline and assess its condition in real time on a monitor.

This allows them to see what kind of blockage is causing the problem, whether it’s caused by food waste, hardened grease, tree roots, or anything else. It can also help them find the exact location of the leak or clog so they can fix it quickly and efficiently.

Hidden leaks can cause expensive water damage in your home. They can also be the source of high utility bills and water stains. If you think you have a leak, it’s important to call a plumber right away so they can find and repair it before it gets worse. Leak detection cameras can save you a lot of money and trouble in the long run.

Moisture Meters

Moisture meters can locate moisture behind walls and in subfloors, allowing plumbers to identify leak locations long before the presence of water-related damage becomes noticeable. Homeowners can purchase a variety of consumer friendly moisture meters at hardware stores and electronic retailers, or professional grade moisture meters from manufacturers specializing in plumbing and utility maintenance equipment.

Pin-type moisture meters contain probes that detect actual moisture content by measuring the electrical resistance between the meter’s electrodes. As the conductive properties of water-laden materials vary, each reading from an individual material provides a unique indication of moisture in a given area.

In contrast, pinless moisture meters use an electromagnetic signal that assesses fluctuations in wave movement data without penetrating or breaking through the surface of a sampled building material. This non-destructive measurement method is not as sensitive to moisture as the pin-type meter and requires that a reference reading from a dry material be taken to establish a baseline value. For more information sites like https://www.fixitrightplumbing.com.au/blocked-drains-melbourne/ offer great resources for water leaks.