Dry Leak Testing Method Reviewed In Reeves

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warrenst

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For any who is interested;

Aerosol vapor mist is a simple new way to visually find leaks proven to speed the process of leak location and repair. Aerosol vapor mist offers a convenient low-pressure way to test systems that have been repaired to confirm that all leaks have been found and properly dealt with. This method eliminates the waste of hundreds of thousands of gallons of water each year.

Aerosol vapor mist is a special non-toxic formulation of oil that when heated to the right temperature vaporizes into a thick dense white “smoke” and pumped at low pressure into pipe systems to visually locate leaks as small as a human hair.

Aerosol Vapor Mist provides three reliable ways to test for and locate leaks: 1) citrus scent that immediately confirms the presence of a leak in its immediate area, 2) Visible Vapor or “smoke” that provides a quick visual confirmation of where in the area any leak is located, and 3) special UV dye that marks the exact location of any leaks at the point smoke is found escaping from them.

Smoke generated by the special vapor-producing machine is pumped into the system being tested at an automatically regulated pressure of 5 PSI. This pressure is specifically designed to force the smoke through the system being tested at a rate that allows it to move slow enough to collect in the air near leaks, but at a pressure high enough to cause the dye to settle out of the smoke around the exit of the leak. The machine cannot be adjusted to operate at any pressure other than 5 PSI, which also serves as a reliable pressure leak down test to confirm all needed repairs in the system have been found.

It would be inappropriate to promote the manufacturer who brought this to my attention so I won’t. But I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to share this new concept. Be aware that the UPC does not permit air pressure testing in systems using plastic pipe. However, I’ve spoken to building officials in a few other states that adopt the UPC and that prohibition is amended out of their local adoption of the UPC. You need to check with your local AHJ.

Do yourself and your company a favor, do an internet search for Aerosol Vapor Mist test equipment.
 
I've seen this being used by a few municipalities in my area and I understand the concept and equipment. My question is can this system detect leaks under a slab on grade foundation and if it can, How?
 
This technology can tell you if there is a leak in a stretch of pipe under a slab and mark where that leak is. But you can't see anything under a slab without tearing up the concrete and exposing the pipe no matter what method you use. I suppose you could use an ultrasonic system to zero in on what area of the slab to tear up and then use this method to mark the actual leak so when you uncover that section of pipe you can immediately identify where the leak is with the dye that collects where smoke escapes from.
 
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LOL!!! I beg to differ sir, I can identify leaks under any slab and repair them without ever breaking out a shovel. Please don't ask me the details of how I do this as it took me a lot of time and money to learn and develop. But as with everything there are limitations. For example inside a building sewer system depending on the run of pipe, position of accessible cleanouts and location of known/identified leaks an entire system may not be 100% tested in one sweep as these limitations may require some repairs to take place before remaining leaks can be found. But in the majority of properties I work on. I can locate at a fixed rate cost in one day locate all leaks in the system and provide my customer with exact cost of repair that I can guarantee will pass any city inspection, repair as a 30yr manufacturer warranty, and I can also guarantee the price will not change from the quote provided. I am always looking for new technologies and ideas to improve my system and process. If I had additional information on your system I maybe able to apply this to my process or further refine it to work in these conditions with out the need for excavation. I am proud of the process I perform and its accuracy, I know its not rocket science but it is also not something every plumber can, knows how, or would be willing to do. But for my clients excavation is not an option and that is my niche.
 
if you can repair leaks without ever seeing where they are, then you won't need this machine. Besides its designed for above ground plumbing which is accessible. I have read about pipe relining processes in the past and find the technology fascinating. That you can run a machine through a line and coat it from the inside with a material that will last for years is really cool. The equipment ain't cheap though. Of course you have to have an inner diameter that would permit passing equipment through it. The smoke technology I am talking about is designed for marking leaks in sewer stacks, fresh water & hydronic heating lines, and natural gas lines. If you Google Aerosol Vapor Mist you will get links to this methods website.
 

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