When you know—or suspect—that an underground water line is leaking, determining that there is a problem is often only the beginning. The harder question is: Where is the leak?
Forge Leak Detection specializes in locating difficult-to-find leaks in underground main water service lines. Using professional diagnostic equipment, systematic testing, and the detection methods best suited to the conditions at your property, we work to pinpoint the source before unnecessary excavation begins.
We locate the suspected leak and document our findings so you and a qualified plumbing professional have the information needed to determine the next step.
Our goal is simple: find the leak, narrow down its location, and help reduce unnecessary digging.
Underground leaks do not always begin with an obvious sign. Sometimes the first indication is a higher-than-normal water bill. In other cases, you may notice a wet area outside, continuous activity at the water meter, or already know that a leak exists without knowing where it is located.
It may be time to call Forge if:
The sooner the source can be narrowed down, the better prepared you and your plumber can be for the next step.
Underground water lines can travel beneath areas that are difficult or expensive to disturb.
A leak may be located:
Without a reliable idea of where the leak is located, finding it can become a process of digging, checking, and expanding the excavation until the damaged section of pipe is uncovered.
Locating the problem first gives the plumbing professional performing the repair a more focused area to investigate, which can help limit unnecessary excavation around the property.
Every leak and every property is different. Our process is designed to help determine where water loss is occurring, narrow down the suspected source, and provide clear findings that can help guide the next step.
We begin by reviewing the situation, gathering information about the property, and evaluating the plumbing system to better understand where the water loss may be occurring.
We perform diagnostic testing as appropriate to help determine whether the suspected water loss is associated with the main water service line or another area of the plumbing system.
Based on what we find, we determine which professional detection methods are best suited to the property and the suspected leak.
This may include acoustic leak detection, tracer gas, thermal imaging, or a combination of diagnostic tools.
Using the information gathered during testing and detection, we work to narrow down the suspected location of the underground leak.
Our goal is to provide a more focused area before excavation or repair work begins.
Once the suspected leak location has been identified, we document our findings and provide information that can be shared with the plumbing professional completing the repair.
With the suspected leak location identified, a qualified plumbing professional can determine the appropriate repair.
Forge focuses on leak detection and diagnostics, while excavation, repair, replacement, and other corrective plumbing work are completed by the appropriate plumbing professional.
Different leaks can require different diagnostic methods. Forge selects the approach based on the information gathered during testing and the conditions at the property.
Water escaping from a pressurized pipe can create sound and vibration underground. Professional acoustic equipment allows us to listen for those characteristics and compare readings at different locations along the water service line.
The process is not simply a matter of placing a device over the pipe and waiting for it to identify the leak. Soil type, pipe depth, surface materials, surrounding noise, and other site conditions can affect how sound travels.
Our job is to interpret those readings alongside the conditions at the property to determine where the strongest evidence of the leak is located.
Some underground leaks do not create enough detectable sound to be located reliably with acoustic equipment alone. When appropriate, Forge can introduce a specialized tracer gas mixture consisting of 5% hydrogen and 95% nitrogen into the line.
Hydrogen molecules are extremely small and can migrate through soil and other materials. Specialized detection equipment can then identify areas where the tracer gas reaches the surface, helping us narrow down the location associated with the leak.
The tracer gas mixture used for leak detection is non-toxic and non-corrosive. Depending on the circumstances, tracer gas may be used on its own or together with acoustic detection to provide additional information.
An underground leak does not always behave the same way from one property to the next. Soil composition, moisture levels, pipe material, pipe depth, water pressure, leak size, surface materials, background noise, topography, and the route of the water service line can all influence what can be detected above ground.
For example, a leak beneath open soil may produce very different readings from one located underneath a concrete driveway, near a retaining wall, or beneath saturated ground.
That's why Forge looks at the entire property and the information gathered during testing rather than relying on a single reading. By adjusting the approach to the conditions we find, we can work toward a more precise understanding of where the underground leak is located.
You do not have to wait until you know exactly where the problem is located. If your water meter is showing unexplained usage, your water bill has suddenly increased, you have noticed an unusually wet area outside, or you already know that an underground service line is leaking but cannot find the source, contact Forge Leak Detection.
We specialize in locating difficult-to-find main water service line leaks using professional, non-invasive diagnostic methods.
Find the leak before you start digging.