leak detection

Leak Detection – What You Need to Know

Do you suspect you may have a water or gas leak somewhere?  Leak Detection specializes in the detection of hard to find leaks that may happen in water plumbing or gas systems.

There are two type of water leak detection systems out there. Passive systems and active systems.

1. Active System: The active water leak detection system will set off an alarm in case there is a pool leak, slab leak, roof leak or basement leak. It not merely raises the alarm but they are also capable of repairing them in case the leak is detected. So, this is an added advantage if you install this leak detection system.

The other advantage that this leak detection system will generate for you is that it will send a message to your mobile phone that a leak has occurred in your house that needs immediate attention and even though you are not in your house still you can always keeping an eye on the safety of your house with this leak detection system.

It is because of this reason that these water pipe leak detection systems have resonated so much with the changing needs of the household.

It is the best bet that you can take to enjoy peace of mind even though you are not in your house.

2. Passive system: There are also passive water leak detection systems that are available but the shortcoming that they bring with themselves is that they just set off the alarm in case they detect a water pipe leak or in ground pool leak but they don’t need any specific tools for installation and they are battery operated which are rechargeable making them a cost-effective bargain.

So, before an experienced leak detection company visits you these leak detection systems provide the much needed safety and care that you need to make your property safe and secure.

Every service technician who is environmentally conscious must know ways and methods to check for leaks in air conditioners and refrigerators. The increasing costs of refrigerants, global warming and ozone depletion have resulted in technicians becoming better leak detectors.

Leakage can occur in all sealed systems. This is because flaws are present at every weld, seam or joint fitting. Even the best equipment of leak detection can fail to detect extremely small flaws. But given environmental stress, temperature, vibration and time, even these flaws become detectable. This article will shed light on some ways and methods to detect leaks in refrigerators.

The vapors of refrigerant are able to flow under layers of pipe insulation, slag, rust, flux and paint. Frequently, the site of the leak is away from the point where the refrigerant gas shows up.

This is the reason for the importance of cleaning the site of the leak by removing rust, flux, slag and loose paint. Grease and oil should also be removed from the leak site since they may contaminate the tips of electronic detectors, which are quite delicate.

Diagnosing a refrigerant leak problem is simple, but locating the leak source is difficult. There are several methods that can be used by technicians to find these leaks. Every method has its own pros and cons. Some methods may work well in the location of a leak in certain conditions, but may not work well in another system in altogether different conditions.

There are certain times when it is advantageous to employ more than one leak detection method while searching the leak – one to locate the general leakage area and the other to pinpoint the exact location of the leak.

Following are some methods to detect leaks of refrigerants.

1. Visual inspection:

In a system, when the refrigerant leaks, the refrigeration oil also leaks. The area surrounding the location of the leak gets stained by this oil. A simple way to detect a leak is to inspect visually the fittings and lines for signs of oil. It may give the general idea about the area of the leak.

2. Using Soap bubbles:

For locating leaks in a system, a common method is to use a soap solution. The solution will begin to bubble in case a leak is present. This method is useful if there is adequate pressure in the system or if the area where the leak is present is known. It is optimum to use a soapy solution that is purchased from a supply house. Homemade solutions can also be used. They will work as long as they do not freeze onto the fittings or tubing and they do not cause corrosion.

3. Electronic detectors:

Most electronic detectors adequately detect leaks. The working of such detectors must be verified by the technician before its usage. There are some detectors whose sensors need to be changed after a certain time of usage. Their working must be tested periodically so that the technician do not waste their time by using a faulty detector to search the leak.

4. Refrigerant dyes:

Certain dyes can be used to detect refrigerant leaks by injecting them into the system. The dye gets mixed with the refrigerant oil and the leakage point develops a dye stain. The area of leak can be located by searching for the dye stained area. Generally, fluorescent and red dyes are used.

5. Ultrasonic detectors:

A sound, having frequency a little higher than normal is emitted when there is a leak of refrigerant. These sound waves can be detected with the help of ultrasonic detectors. This method gives accurate results as long as there are no other sources within the area of the system that emit same frequency sound waves.

Fixing water pipe leaks can be a costly proposition; it can take a lot of time and money. However, as we know that there are lot of things which are inevitable and water pipe leak or pool leak belong to the same clan.

In a commercial setting, an in ground leak is hard to detect and if you don’t have a leak detection system installed in your facilities.  Commercial leaks can be costly all around especially if they cut into production.

So, in that case you need to have a system that responds to the call of the hour and that too in an efficient and effective manner. Though you may do it yourself to find out the leakage but if you make the required repairs then you will not be in the position to encounter such a problem whatsoever. Remember, precaution is better than cure and for taking necessary precaution against water pipe leak you need detection system so that you don’t have to waste your valuable time and money on such useless problems. So, why do you need the system and what it does is mentioned in this article.

Helpful resources: http://www.iwa-network.org/

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