How we work
Leak detection is not guesswork. We combine three proven methods – backed up by thermal imaging where it helps – and use German equipment from Sewerin, a renowned manufacturer of leak detection instruments used by water utilities and specialist contractors across Europe.
1. Pressure testing
It always starts with the question: is anything actually leaking – and which section? We isolate runs of pipe and watch how the pressure behaves. That tells us whether the loss is in the pool shell, the house installation, the pool pipework or an underground pipe before we start pinpointing.
2. Electro-acoustic leak detection (geophone)
In short: where water escapes from a pipe, it makes a faint hissing sound. With a very sensitive microphone placed on the floor or against the pipe, we listen to that sound through headphones. Where it is loudest, that is the leak. It works through tiles, screed and soil – without opening anything.
Where water escapes from a pipe under pressure, it makes a noise. Usually you cannot hear it, but highly sensitive sensors can. We use:
- Sewerin Aquaphon A200 – digital receiver with GPS and F8 headphones
- TS200 listening stick for valves, taps and accessible pipes
- TM200 pipe microphone for pipes and networks
- BM200 ground microphone and 350 mm contact probe for soil, paving and tarmac
By comparing the noise level at several points we close in on the leak step by step.
3. Tracer gas
In short: we fill the pipe with a harmless test gas that damages nothing. The gas escapes at the leak and rises up through the ground and the tiles. We sweep the surface with a detector until it reacts. That is how we also find leaks that make no sound at all, for example in plastic pipes. Our detector, the Sewerin Variotec 460, measures hydrogen from 1 ppm with two high-sensitivity sensors (manufacturer's data) – which is why it finds even very small leaks, under tiles and concrete.
When a leak is too quiet, the pipe is plastic or there is too little pressure, gas does the job: the pipe is drained and filled with a test gas, a mix of 5 % hydrogen and 95 % nitrogen. It is non-toxic, non-flammable in this mixture and used in industry for exactly this purpose. The gas escapes at the leak, rises and is detected at the surface with the Sewerin Variotec 460, D80 bell probe and hand probe. Hydrogen is the smallest molecule there is: it finds its way through concrete, screed and grout.
4. Thermal camera (thermal imaging) – as a supporting tool
In short: we use a FLIR thermal camera (FLIR ONE Pro), a well-known name in thermal imaging. It shows where it is warmer or cooler than the surroundings – for example above a hot water pipe or on a damp wall. That helps us decide faster where to listen more closely. The camera on its own does not find a leak: it is a helper, never the proof. We always confirm the leak point with the geophone or tracer gas.
A thermal camera makes temperature differences visible. That helps with hot water pipes, underfloor heating and leaks close to the surface: the run of a warm pipe and unusually warm or cool, damp patches show up in the image. It lets us narrow down faster where it is worth listening more closely. Important: the camera shows temperature differences, not water. An unusual area is a clue, not proof – we always confirm the leak itself with tracer gas or acoustics. Thermal imaging does not replace those methods; it complements them.
What you get at the end
- The leak point marked on the floor, ground or wall
- A report with photos, readings and our assessment – in English, German or Spanish
- A clear recommendation on how the repair should be done
To be honest: no method finds every leak at the first attempt. Very small leaks, several leaks at once or awkward conditions (wind, traffic noise, unknown pipe routes) can mean a second visit is needed. We will tell you on site, openly, how confident we are in the result.
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