Reference
Glossary: Leak Detection Terms Explained
Plain-language definitions for the terms you are likely to hear during an inspection, detection, or repair.
- Acoustic leak detection
- Using specialized listening equipment to detect the distinct sound of water leaking under pressure, even through concrete or soil.
- Ground microphone
- A sensitive listening device used at the surface to help pinpoint an underground or under-slab leak's location.
- Correlator
- Equipment that compares sound readings from two points along a pipe to calculate a more precise leak location between them.
- Hydrostatic pressure test
- A method of pressurizing a sealed section of plumbing with water and monitoring for pressure loss to confirm a leak's presence and general location.
- Thermal / infrared imaging
- Using a camera sensitive to surface temperature differences to detect patterns consistent with a hot or cold water leak underneath.
- Tracer gas detection
- Introducing a safe, detectable gas into a line and tracing where it escapes to locate a leak.
- Line tracing
- Following the physical path of an underground pipe using specialized locating equipment, often used alongside acoustic methods.
- Trenchless repair
- A repair method that replaces or relines a damaged underground pipe section with minimal excavation, as opposed to traditional open-trench digging.
- Slab leak
- A leak in a water or sewer line running beneath a home's concrete foundation.
- Expansive clay soil
- A soil type common in the Austin area that expands when wet and contracts when dry, a leading structural cause of slab leaks in this region.
- Non-invasive / non-destructive detection
- Any leak detection method that locates a leak without cutting, digging, or otherwise damaging the surrounding structure.
Keep reading
Related Resources
Heard a Term You Want Explained in Your Situation?
Call (737) 439-3888 and ask us directly.