Posts Tagged ‘id-boise’

Idaho Waterpark Saved by American Leak Detection

Wednesday, September 9th, 2009

Craig Jones and John Davis of American Leak Detection teamed up to find a leak at Roaring Springs Water Park in Meridian, Idaho.

Water parks have complex custom water distribution systems that cannot be shut off due to risks of property damage or massive water loss.

Roaring Springs Water Park had complained of water loss that was costing a lot of water, forty thousand gallons a day to be precise. That water loss was witnessed as a two in drop in the water level in the lazy river.

Roaring Springs had a low pressure leak which made it difficult to locate with electronic equipment, but with some know-how and thorough investigation, Craig and John were able to isolate the leak to be just behind the pool wall of one of the water slide landing pools.

Problem:

Lazy river was losing 2 inches per day which equals about 40,000 gallons per day lost.

Solution:

Leak was found in the return line to a water slide landing pool. 20 x 20 x 12 deep.

Recommended repair method:

Jackhammer the deck and dig to expose the damaged pipe, and replace the return line through the landing pool wall.

Tips to Avoid Frozen Pipes

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
flickr.com  pineconekaty

flickr.com > pineconekaty

Before freezing weather:

  • Advise all household members where the main water shutoff valve is located in case of emergency.
  • Make sure hoses are disconnected from outside faucets.
  • Make sure water pipes in unheated parts of your home, including crawl spaces, are insulated.
  • Seal all openings in the basement around the foundation, windows, and doors.
  • Pipes in your basement that are close to windows should be insulated.
  • Drain all underground irrigation systems.

During freezing weather:

  • If a water pipe freezes, NEVER thaw it with an open flame. You may start a fire! Use hot air from a hair dryer, the exhaust from a vacuum cleaner, heat lamps, heat tape, or electric heaters.
  • Make sure you heat all rooms of your house that have plumbing fixtures. Water pipes in unheated rooms are subject to freezing and could cause extensive damage.
  • If your sinks are on an outside wall, you can leave the cabinet doors open to allow the heat from the room to enter.
  • A light bulb can be used to thaw pipes slowly, by placing it next to pipes that are frozen (Be sue to keep the bulb away from combustible material.)
  • Keep meter box lids closed during winter months to prevent cold air from freezing the meter. (Don’t remove snow if you don’t have to. It helps insulate the meter.)
  • If you have experienced problems in the past during freezing periods and you have exhausted all other solutions, you can leave a trickle of water running from the faucet highest in the house. This trickle should be a steady stream slightly larger than the lead of a pencil.

If you need additional advice, call your local water department.