The Golden Estates Mobile Home Community, located just outside Atlanta, received a $27,000 water bill in January 2011 when Manager Crissy King said she “just wanted to cry.” Instead, she decided to investigate what happened. Although she suspected a massive water leak, there was little evidence to prove it- no water bubbled from the pavement and their gutters ran dry. The community used 850,000 gallons of water in one month, 34 times their average, and it had to be going somewhere.
King contacted two plumbers to investigate potential leaks, but neither discovered the source. After researching American Leak Detection of Atlanta through the Better Business Bureau, she decided to hire them. Now, four service calls and seven leaks later, the dilemma is solved.
The 50-acre mobile home community in Douglasville includes 234 lots. Although the property owner is responsible for maintaining the underground water lines, each home has its own sub-meter. Technicians shut off each lot’s sub-meter, concluding the main meter was still leaking 25 gallons of water per minute. It was finally determined the leaks were caused by aging pipes located 7 feet beneath the surface.
“We expect to save more than $100,000 every year on our water bills,” King said. “So, as you can imagine, my bosses are very happy the staff has been proactive in tackling this problem. Where other companies had failed us, American Leak Detection came through.”
To maintain their current usage of 25,000 gallons of water per month, King said the owner plans to repair all future leaks once they are found. The property received a $20,000 credit from the local water authority in 2011.
Earthquakes not only rattles you nerves, it rattles and shakes everything.Many people do not think about the pipes that are underground are also moving with thousand s of tons of dirt during an earthquake.These lines can crack, break or even loosen fittings.
Due to the recent earthquakes American Leak Detection has some pre-caution info for our local residence.Here are a couple of tips and pre-cautions to check following an earthquake.
Here are a couple of tips and pre-cautions a homeowner can perform themselves following a earthquake.
·Check the pool for leaks by performing a Bucket Test.This is a simple test that takes a period of 24 hours.You will need a 5 gallon bucket, tape or a permanent marker to perform this test.
1.Place the bucket on the first or second step of the pool.Ensure that the bucket is immersed in the pool at least five inches.
2.Mark the water level inside the bucket with tape or a permanent marker.
3.Let the bucket sit for a period of 24 hours.
4.After 24 hours, you want to compare the two water levels (inside/out).The inside of the bucket will represent the normal evaporation rate and the outside of the bucket will represent the how much you pool is losing.
5.Measure the two distances and they should be the same.If they are different, that tells the homeowner how much the pool is losing compared to evaporation, indicating there is a leak.Call for a Leak detection ASAP.
·Check your front “Water Meter” for the house.This meter is usually by the curb or street and it is either in a plastic or concrete box.Most times they are marked “Meter”.
1.Mark with either tape or a pen the line the meter is currently at.
2.Left the meter sit for a period of 45 minutes to 1 hour without using any water in the house.
3.After step 2, check the mark from before.If it shows that the meter has moved at all within this time with no water being used in the house, there is a leak somewhere.This means there is a water leak on the domestic or pressurized hot/cold water lines inside or below your house.
4.If there is no movement there is NO LEAKS.If there is any movement then you need a Leak Detection to locate the problem before the problem escalates.
·Pool/Spa Electricity: Another concern is electricity for the pool light or the equipment.
1.Outside the pool visually look at the light to try to determine if there is water inside the pool light.If there is water in the light, you want to turn off the electricity feeding that light immediately.Now you need a leak detection to locate the source of the leak or electrical problem.
2.Your pool has a GFI (ground-fault circuit-interrupters) that is suppose to trip the electric system if there is a short or problem. If cause of failure these pre-cautions are important to avoid injuries or death.
3.There may not be sufficient current flowing in the water to blow a fuse, but sufficient to kill you. Some electricity will flow directly to earth and some will flow through the water. In fact, there will still be an electric potential difference in the vicinity (probably the whole pool) of the exposed conductor. Consequently, some of the electricity will flow through the pool water, some will flow through the person in the pool, and some will flow through to earth.
4.Call the professionals at American Leak Detection if you have any questions.
714-836-8477 or 800-990-5325
Heres an example of what happens to a pool during our recent earthquake Sunday April 4th:
Due to the recent earthquakes American Leak Detection has some pre-caution info for our local residence.Below are a couple of tips and pre-cautions to check following an earthquake.
Earthquakes not only rattles you nerves, it rattles and shakes everything.Many people do not think about the pipes that are underground are also moving with thousand s of tons of dirt during an earthquake.These lines can crack, break or even loosen fittings.
Here are a couple of tips and pre-cautions a homeowner can perform themselves following a earthquake.
·Check the front “Water Meter” for your house.This meter is usually by the curb or street and it is either in a plastic or concrete box.Most times they are marked “Meter”.
1.Mark with either tape or a pen the line the meter is currently at.
2.Left the meter sit for a period of 45 minutes to 1 hour without using any water in the house.
3.After step 2, check the mark from before.If it shows that the meter has moved at all within this time with no water being used in the house, there is a leak somewhere.This means there is a water leak on the domestic or pressurized hot/cold water lines inside or below your house.
4.If there is no movement there is NO LEAKS.If there is any movement then you need a Leak Detection to locate the problem before the problem escalates.
·Check your pool for leaks by performing a Bucket Test.This is a simple test that takes a period of 24 hours.You will need a 5 gallon bucket, tape or a permanent marker to perform this test.
1.Place the bucket on the first or second step of the pool.Ensure that the bucket is immersed in the pool at least five inches.
2.Mark the water level inside the bucket with tape or a permanent marker.
3.Let the bucket sit for a period of 24 hours.
4.After 24 hours, you want to compare the two water levels (inside/out).The inside of the bucket will represent the normal evaporation rate and the outside of the bucket will represent the how much you pool is losing.
5.Measure the two distances and they should be the same.If they are different, that tells the homeowner how much the pool is losing compared to evaporation, indicating there is a leak.Call for a Leak detection ASAP.
·Pool/Spa Electricity: Another concern is electricity for the pool light or the equipment.
1.Outside the pool visually look at the light to try to determine if there is water inside the pool light.If there is water in the light, you want to turn off the electricity feeding that light immediately.Now you need a leak detection to locate the source of the leak or electrical problem.
2.Your pool has a GFI (ground-fault circuit-interrupters) that is suppose to trip the electric system if there is a short or problem. If cause of failure these pre-cautions are important to avoid injuries or death.
3.There may not be sufficient current flowing in the water to blow a fuse, but sufficient to kill you. Some electricity will flow directly to earth and some will flow through the water. In fact, there will still be an electric potential difference in the vicinity (probably the whole pool) of the exposed conductor. Consequently, some of the electricity will flow through the pool water, some will flow through the person in the pool, and some will flow through to earth.
4.Call the professionals at American Leak Detection if you have any questions.
619-233-0382 or 760-432-6417 Toll Free 800-619-5325
Heres an example of what happens to a pool during our recent earthquake Sunday April 4th:
The largest gathering of retail property managers and facility operation directors ever held in Denver representing more than 150 shopping centers in the metro area.
Water leaks can be one of the most frustrating and expensive aspects of owning property. An undetected leak can create enormous havoc in a very short time. Think about this: a hole the size of a pinhead can waste 360,000 gallons over a year, enough to fill about 12,000 average-sized bathtubs.
The loss of that much water has two negative effects. First, the property owner is paying for the water that is disappearing into the ground. This is often compounded by sewer rates that are tied to water consumption. If a leak occurs in January, it could be even more expensive since some water companies do not read meters during the winter. The April or May water bill could be a real shocker!
The Golden Estates Mobile Home Community, located just outside Atlanta, received a $27,000 water bill in January 2011 when Manager Crissy King said she “just wanted to cry.” Instead, she decided to investigate what happened. Although she suspected a massive water leak, there was little evidence to prove it- no water bubbled from the pavement and their gutters ran dry. The community used 850,000 gallons of water in one month, 34 times their average, and it had to be going somewhere.