What plumbing tools to detect a water leak?

A water leak is a problem that should not be overlooked. It can cause serious material damage, just as it can drive up your water bill in a very short period of time. Whether it is visible or not, you must resolve it urgently.

It is true that the ideal is to use the services of a professional plumber to benefit from a successful job. But still, you need to know the detection methods and devices to use to find a water leak quickly, accurately, and without destruction.

The humidity tester

To pinpoint the location of a water leak, you can use a humidity tester. This device allows you to diagnose like a pro, whether it is a pipe leak, a heating water leak, a water leak under the sink or water leak in the bathroom.

It even allows you to test for humidity on the wall, on the floor or in a place accessible to the naked eye. And it is very easy to use. Which means it's made for both experienced plumbers and hobbyists alike.

The sound wave sensor

Besides the humidity tester, the sound wave sensor is also effective in locating the starting point of a water leak. You may indeed see flowing water, but you may not know where it is coming from.

With the electro-acoustic technique, you can listen to your pipes and detect the vibrations emitted by the leaks, without carrying out major demolition work, even if the leak is buried.

The electromagnetic detection device

In addition, the electromagnetic detection device is also one of the plumbing tools used by professional plumbers to spot a water leak. It is an electric cable to be introduced into the pipeline in order to produce a magnetic field which will signal the metallic networks present. It’s perfect for spotting a water leak without destroying the floor or wall.

Tracer gas

The last plumber method to lift is tracer gas. This has been specially designed to search for leaks in buried pipes. It consists of injecting tracer gas that is lighter than air into the network to be repaired in order to check whether it is rising to the surface or not.

In the presence of a water leak, this type of gas will escape from the piping, and it will be detected using a sniffer or a suction probe, a device capable of continuously measuring its concentration.