Commercial, Residential, and Municipal Water Leaks
Regardless of what kind of property you own leak detection is an important part of any building’s maintenance. The larger and more complicated the features the more chance there is for leaks. Fountains, swimming pools, and complex plumbing seem obvious contributors to leaks, but even flat roofs can contribute to potential water damage. In urban areas underground problems can be waiting to happen due to worn water mains and weakening sewers. When it comes to leak detection, Seattle property owners and municipalities should be especially diligent due to the high amounts of precipitation in the area.
Commercial Property Owners
When you own and/or manage a commercial property leaks can cause hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages if left unchecked. Problems concerning tenants require you to be doubly diligent as you are required by law to provide a safe living environment and under obligation to make repairs within 24 hours of a complaint. Using a leak detection service will assist you in keeping a close eye on any potential leaks. Ideal areas for you to have checked on a regular basis include:
• Areas below and in close proximity to pools both indoors and out
• Areas that have flat roofs
• Areas with major pipes hidden within concrete floors or walls
• Areas with fountains or other water features both indoors and out
• Common area laundry rooms
• Building water heaters
• Underground water holders and heaters
• Floors that might contain radiant heating
• Underground parking areas
• Rooftop parking areas
• Halls and common areas in which any smells might be present
• Halls and common areas in which there is a sound of rushing water or trickling or dripping
• Any areas in which water is detected in puddles, moist areas or where there is clearly dripping either active or recent
• Areas where ceilings or walls show signs of water damage
• Concrete where there are signs of corrosion and/or rust
In addition to these areas, commercial property owners should include a thorough maintenance check to be safe. Heavy duty leak detection requires technology such as infrared scanning to look for temperature variances. Ground penetrating radar will provide a view to hidden pipes below concrete surfaces and identify damages with images and readings.
Residential
As a home owner you should always be concerned about all kinds of issues including wood rot in structural beams, mold and mildew growth, and overall property damages. Highly toxic black mold is caused by slow leaks hidden behind walls or under carpeting. Growing mold can lead to symptoms that vary from mild issues such as skin rashes to more serious issues including respiratory and even neurological damage.
You can pay close attention to signs of potential leaks including:
• Sound of rushing, trickling or dripping
• Unpleasant musty or damp odor
• Staining in ceilings or walls
• Strange sounds coming from the walls
• Unusually hire water bills
• Running out of hot water quickly
• Changes to water pressure
• Wet or damp areas anywhere in your home
If you notice any of these signs, hire a leak detection company who will discover any existing leaks. Professionals can utilize equipment such as ground probes and frequency sensitive equipment to assist in amplifying sounds such as dripping, running, or trickling water.
Municipalities
Water leaks can affect urban areas on a larger scale too. In 1957, a massive sink hole opened up on Seattle’s Ravenna Boulevard. The sink hole occurred due to a water main leak and within hours a 50 foot deep chasm had opened. Leak detection could have prevented such a large scale disaster and avoided millions of dollars in repairs. Urban areas depend on management of ground water and sewer system to avoid cascading failures which can turn a leak into a sink hole. Undetected wear and tear and corrosion surrounding water mains and sewage pipes can result in lime deposits; Sand and earth fall away which slowly causes roadways and properties above to collapse. Leak detection can be used on a city-wide scale to detect problem areas before collapse occurs. Specific technologies include ground-penetrating radar, camera inspections, thermal imaging, seismography, and acoustic signal detection.
Water damage is a problem that starts with a small leak, and can expand exponentially. Early leak detection is the key to prevent problems such as black mold in your home or even future collapse of a city street. Leak detection experts are trained in advanced equipment use to find these hidden leaks before property damage occurs.
