American Leak Detection Services Glossary

Water line leak

An outdoor water leak on underground piping or plumbing. Often a domestic water leak or a potable water leak, though it can also be a irrigation water leak or non-potable water leak. Usually located at depths below frost or freezing line if used year round. May be a plastic pipe leak, copper pipe leak, iron pipe leak or steel pipe leak. Also called water service line leak, water main leak, main leak, well line leak, irrigation line leak, underground water leak, irrigation leak.

Water line leak detection

An electronic testing, or electronic detection, of underground piping or plumbing to accurately locate the source of leakage without expensive excavation or replacement. Usually reduces cost of leak repair to a small fraction of outdated and expensive search and destroy methods used decades ago in the plumbing and pipe repair industry. Methods may range from rarefaction wave correlation, vibrational analysis, trace gas induction and detection (often called helium testing although many testing gases are available for use by qualified technicians under AWWA Code M36), acoustical leak detection. Also called water service line leak detection, water main leak detection, main leak detection, underground leak detection, irrigation leak detection, potable water leak detection, non-potable water leak detection, plastic water line leak detection, copper pipe water leak detection, iron pipe water leak detection, steel pipe water leak detection. Helium leak testing: Often misused by repair contractors in hopes of matching American Leak Detection's decades old record of accurate location of buried leaks, and due to lack of experience and expertise will cost the customer many times in expensive helium costs and excessive digging. These contractors will flood an area of land in hopes of picking up some level of helium and then search for the source of helium with their backhoe. American Leak Detection will use helium when needed (and often such an expense is not needed to locate the leak), but will identify a precise location, usually equal to the depth of the leaking line, and provide a 100% guarentee that the leak is in the specified area marked. A tremendous difference from untrained contractors, dabbling in techniques they don't fully understand! Water line repairs are easily accomplished once the exact location is detected with American Leak Detection electronic leak detectors.

Slab leaks

Slab leaks are pressurized plumbing or piping leakage, under or in the concrete floor, found on homes, businesses and industrial facilities built with slab on grade foundations. Also known as under-floor leakage, or in-floor leakage, on domestic water plumbing or heating systems such as radiant system leaks, hydronic system leaks, baseboard heating system leaks. Domestic water plumbing leaks may be hot water slab leaks or cold water slab leaks.

Slab leak detection

Many of the specialized methods of locating leaks on outdoor piping are also used in precision location of under slab or in-slab leaks. Additionally, thermographic inspections or infra-red inspections, as well as ultrasonic inspections may be used to inexpensively find hidden plumbing leaks under, or in concrete floors. Electronic detection is used on slab leaks to avoid the catastrophic property damage associated with “hunting” for slab leaks with jack hammers and similar demolition tools used by those unskilled in locating leaks without destruction. Slab leaks on domestic water piping or heating system plumbing are easily repaired once the exact location is detected with American Leak Detection electronic leak detectors.

Pool, spa and fountain leaks

Leaks on pool, spa or fountain piping and structure causing water loss, over use of chemicals, excessive pool, spa or fountain water heating costs, pool deck damage and spa deck damage and dangerous contamination of pool water and spa water with bacterial and viral agents that often will require closure of public and commercial pools and spas to protect the users from infection and disease. Also known as spa leaks, swimming pool leaks, fountain leaks, hot tub leaks, wave pool leaks, therapy tub leaks, lap pool leaks, above ground pool leaks, in-ground pool leaks, pool piping leaks, spa piping leaks, vinyl liner leaks, water feature leaks. Pool leakage, spa leakage or water feature leakage prompts proper maintenance to find the source of water loss.

Pool, spa and fountain leak detection

Precision detection of in-ground pool leaks and in-ground spa leaks is used to avoid the catastrophic destruction of property associated with searching for leaks with jack hammers and other demolition tools by those unskilled in non-destructive location of leaks. Many of the specialized methods and leak detection equipment used on outdoor water line leaks and on indoor slab leaks are also used to accurately locate leaks on swimming pools, spas and fountains. Detecting pool leaks, spa leaks and fountain leaks are complex procedures due the open nature of the unpressurized nature of the circulating systems, and because they often require diving the pool to fully test piping under the floor of the pool. Spas can be drained easily for these tests. Pool leak repairs, spa leak repairs and fountain leak repairs are easily performed once the exact location of the leak is detected with American Leak Detection electronic leak detectors.

Leak detection equipment

American Leak Detection has spend decades performing research and development to acquire the most advanced and accurate means of non-destructively locating hidden leaks of all kinds on all kinds of structures and piping systems. Our arsenal of electronic tools, as extensive as it seems, enables our engineers and technicians to solve your leakage problem quickly and cost effectively. These leak finding tools, also known as leak testing equipment, leak sensors, leak testers, leak detection tools, leak detection instruments, leak detection devices, leak detection dyes, leak testing gases, helium testing equipment, water leak detection equipment, gas leak detection equipment, pipeline leak detection equipment, pool testing equipment, spa testing equipment, LPG leak detection equipment, roof leak testing equipment, pipe leak detector, pipe leak detectors, pipe leak detection equipment, plumbing leak detector, plumbing leak detectors, portable gas detector, plastic pipe leak detector, PVC pipe leak detector, pool leak detection dyes, propane leak detector, radiant leak detector, slab leak detector, spa leak detector, thermal leak detector, ultrasonic leak detector, under-floor leak detector, ultrasonic leak detection equipment, vacuum leak detector, air leak detector, vinyl pool leak detector, water leak detection equipment, under ground pipe leak detector, UV leak detector, ultrasonic gas leak detector, water leak locator, water leak sensors, hydrophones, correlators, sniffers, compressed air leak detector, combustible gas leak detector, air leak tester, above ground leak detector, electronic leak detector, electronic leak tester, electronic leak detection equipment, fuel leak detector, hydrogen leak detector. The type of detection equipment is determined often by the type of pipe or system being tested. If it is round with a hole through the middle, American Leak Detection can test it for leakage.

Sewer leaks

Leakage, breaks or blockage on drain, waste and vent piping or sewer service lines associated with sanitary sewer, or septic systems. Includes leakage of hazardous sewer gases that contain highly flammable methane gases. These systems in northern areas are often as deep as the basements of the homes and buildings they serve. These systems often require electronic location of septic tanks, location of sewer clean-outs, and sewer taps. Sewer or sanitary drain line leaks often are the source of mystery water damage in homes and commercial buildings, as well as noxious sewer smells. Sewer leaks are also known as drain leaks, vent pipe leaks, or DWV system leaks. Sewer leaks and drain leaks are easily repair once the exact location is detected by American Leak Detection leak detectors.

Sewer leak detection

Precision location of sewer breaks, sewer breaks or sewer blockages often begin with an internal inspection of the piping called a sewer camera inspection. Our miniature inspection devices, sometime also called borescopes, or fiberoptic cameras, are made for rough service in drain lines of all sizes and can often see the interior well enough to “video” record the inspection. Sometimes the inspection is called a sewer video inspection for this reason. Other methods include use of cool, inert “smoke” induced into the drain system to locate the source of sewer gases (thus prompting many of our customers to call it a smoke test). Never let an unskilled contractor attempt to do this test with the usual fireworks called “smoke bombs”. These dangerous and flammable toys can ignite the flammable gases in the drain system or sewer system causing property damage and physical danger to building inhabitants and contractor alike. American Leak Detection uses a air cooled, proprietary product rated for habitable buildings to avoid such hazards that unskilled persons may use in attempting to copy the professional and proven procedures used by American Leak Detection.

Natural gas leaks and Propane leaks

Gas leaks are inherently dangerous, and often explosive. Natural gas leaks and propane gas leak have an smell produced by a product called ethyl mercaptan that is placed in processed heating gases to warn of a flammable or explosive gas leak. Exit the building or area immediately and call your natural gas provider who will close the meter and lock it until the gas leak repair is performed. Repairs are easily performed once the exact location is detected by American Leak Detection leak detectors.

Natural Gas leak detection and Propane leak detection

Electronic detection or location of natural gas leaks and propane leaks are often performed with combustible gas indicators, gas detectors, and ultrasonic gas testers. American Leak Detection will usually perform leak detection on flammable gas systems using our proprietary inert traceable testing gases that are completely non-flammable and non-destructive to insure our customers safety.

Heating and cooling system leaks

Precision detection of leaks on heating systems such as radiant heating leaks, in-floor heating system leaks, hydronic leaks, radiator piping leaks, chiller leaks, in-ground heat pump system leaks, solar heating leaks, snow melt system leaks, and ice melt system leaks, require specialized procedures that American Leak Detection has produced and tested for years on these unique types of slab leaks. Repairs are easily performed once the exact location is identified by American Leak Detection electronic leak detectors.

Heating and cooling leak detection

Electronic detection of these unique leaks, most often slab leaks located under or in a concrete floor, requires specialized tools such as ultrasonic leak detectors, thermal leak detectors, infrared leak detectors, helium gas detectors, refrigerant leak detectors, thermal imaging cameras, thermographic inspection cameras as well as our proprietary leak testing procedures. Repairs are easily performed once the exact location is located by American Leak Detection electronic leak detectors.

Municipal and private water system leak detection

Water systems as a whole, or in part, can be tested with a electronic leak survey to identify points of leakage within the system. Types of systems are tested differently, but all are tested "in-service" with usage and flow in normal mode. Leak indications are noted as they are located and localized with leak correlators, sophisticated geophones, or broad frequency accelerometers. Water systems lose a large amount of the water produced for their customers in the distribution process and leak surveys allow the public or private water system to lower their "unaccounted for" or non-revenue water through loss control. Management of water losses is a sign of modern, proactive water system management.

Water system leak detectors

American Leak Detection performs leak surveys and spot leak location on public and private water systems with the industry's most advanced leak sound correlators, proprietary geophones and sensitive leak survey tools such as broadband accelerometers.

Pipeline leak detection

Electronic detection of pipeline leaks, including those operated in the oil and gas industry require specialized testing procedures and equipment, as well as a through understanding of pipeline construction techniques. Pipeline's may require electronic leak testing because product losses are know to exist in a segment of line, or because a new line has failed its original hydrostatic pressure test, also known as a proof test, as exhibited by a loss of test pressure during the prescribed test period. Pipeline leaks, even those with very high pressures, often are very tiny leaks requiring the most sensitive leak testing equipment. Oil pipeline leaks, high pressure natural gas pipeline leaks are often of large scope encompassing many miles of pipelines.

Pipeline leak detectors

Test equipment may include advance rarefaction wave correlators, trace gas detectors, high frequency accelerometers, and ultrasonic leak detectors.

Cause and Origin Investigations

Electronic testing for causes of mystery water or sewer damage, and locations of hidden leaks are fundamental tools for assisting the insurance industry. Determination of coverage is often based on cause and duration of the damaging agent. American Leak Detection performs non-destructive investigations to determine the source of the water or sewer damage in homes and commercial buildings. These investigations may be prompted by wet basements, wet ceilings, flooded basements, settlement, heaving of slabs or foundations,basement leaks, foundation leaks, mold growth, mold infestation, water damaged drywall, roof leaks, leaking showers.

Cause and Origin leak testing equipment

Location of what may be very small leakage or seepage requires very sensitive leak detection tools and detectors. Thermographic cameras, infrared inspection devices, borescopes, fiberoptic inspection tools, pressure testing equipment, sewer cameras, ultrasonic detectors, sonic detectors, moisture detectors, thermal imaging detectors.