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How Does Plumbing Leak Detection Work?

a homeowner having a water leak issue

Every single year, at least 8.1 out of every 10 homes will suffer some form of a plumbing leak. These leaks have a wide variety of causes aging pipes/connections, corrosion, severe water hammer, high water pressure, clogged pipes, rapid temperature changes, and many more. When leaks happen, the effect can devastate the physical structures of the home, its contents, and the people who live in it, warns Draper Realty. 

There is no limit to how much damage a plumbing leak can do to a house. Common consequences of plumbing leaks to your home and your health include:

  • Water leaks can destroy the content of your homes, such as when water soaks into the carpet, cabinets, or stored items in the abasement.

  • Water leaks will destroy the home’s aesthetics by discoloring its walls or ceilings and causing the drywall to bulge.

  • Water leaks subject your family to avoidable health risks by encouraging the growth of mold and mildew inside the home.

  • Water leaks may undermine the house’s structural integrity if the water finds its way into the foundation or other building structural elements.

  • Water leaks will affect your home’s value, making it lose its appeal to buyers.

Why are plumbing leaks so common?

The answer is twofold: First, it is because of the size of the plumbing and its presence in almost every part of the house. We use water for many things in the home, which multiplies the potential for problems. Second, plumbing leaks are common because many parts of the plumbing system are hidden from view. So, when there are problems, it can be challenging for the homeowner to see them.

How can you prevent plumbing leaks?

Given that the biggest issue with plumbing leaks is that you seldom see when they happen, how can you protect your home from water damage by preventing leaks in the plumbing systems? 

Is there a way for homeowners to monitor the movement of water inside the water pipes in their homes when those pipes are hidden behind walls, on the floors, or in the ceiling?

This is precisely what a leak detection system does. When installed in the home, it serves as the homeowner’s first line of defense against leaks. Leak detection systems sense when there is a problem in the plumbing system and take immediate action to prevent disaster. The best thing about leak detection systems is that they do their work without human intervention.

How do leak detection systems work?

Leak detection devices can detect water leaks in your plumbing because they measure the amount of water that flows through the pipes, the rate at which the water flows, and how long the water flows. When the leak detection device senses a deviation from how water usually flows through your plumbing pipes, it will shut off the water supply.

Leaks detection devices are programmable; homeowners can set the parameters for when they want the system to turn off the water supply to their homes. For instance, the system can be programmed to shut the water off if it flows at a certain rate for a certain length, or it can detect small leaks, such as when a toilet in the home is running.

There are two ways a leak detection system measures the water flowing inside a pipe:

  • Some leak detection devices use a mechanical system consisting of a small turbine. This turbine spins as water flows over it; how fast the turbine turns depends on the rate of flow of the water. There can be a slight loss of pressure with these systems.

  • Other leak detection devices use sonar to detect the water flow rate inside the pipes. There is no need for an impeller to be immersed in the water. This means the leak detector does not interfere with the flow of water; there is no pressure loss.

Leak detection devices are typically installed at the point of entry, where the water enters the house. The leak detection will not detect leaks if those leaks happen in the upstream portion of a plumbing system. Therefore, it is crucial to install it as close to the point of entry as possible; that way, it can detect all leaks inside the home.

Most leak detectors can be connected to Wi-Fi and monitored in real-time on a smartphone. The phone app shows you the water flow rate inside your pipes, and you get alerts when things go wrong. Most importantly, you can turn the water off remotely by using the phone app from any part of the world with an internet connection.

Leak detection systems are a homeowner’s biggest ally in their fight against leaks in their home’s plumbing. A leak detection system means peace of mind; it gives homeowners control. Installing a reliable leak detection device costs between $500 and $1,000. But that is a minor investment compared to the tens of thousands of dollars the system can save you. 

How Does Water Leak Detection Work?

plumbing-leak

Plumbing leaks are one of the most common problems homeowners have to deal with. The plumbing in your home can leak as a result of poor installation and inferior materials. Leaks may also happen as pipes and connectors start to age or they can be the result of extreme weather changes.

Every year in the USA, the cost of property damage from water leaks is more than the combined damage from break-ins and house fires. According to data from the Insurance Information Institute, the average claim for a single plumbing leak is $10,234 and there are hundreds of thousands of these claims every year.

But this is not just a problem for your insurance company. Plumbing leaks affect the physical structures of your home and impair the aesthetic appeal of your building. The possibility of leaks and water damage happening in your house is a huge factor in how much insurance premium you pay.

Part of what makes plumbing leaks such a huge problem is that water travels through almost every part of the home. There are many potential locations where pipes can spring a leak and cause damage to the house. Monitoring pipes to prevent leaks is something homeowners simply cannot keep up with.

But, at the same time, due to how easy it is for pipes to leak and the high cost of fixing the resulting damage, this is something homeowners must do. Is there a hassle-free way to monitor the pipes in your home to detect water leaks before they cause expensive damage? Thankfully there is.

Leak detection systems and how they work

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A leak detection system is a device that monitors the home’s plumbing in real-time, twenty-four hours every day. It relieves homeowners of the anxiety of living with the prospect of undetected leaks. It spares them the unplanned cost of fixing an unexpected plumbing leak by stopping leaks before they cause damage.

The leak detection system is installed in the home’s plumbing where it actively monitors the movement of water from the main water supply into the home. The device works by detecting unusual variations in the flow of water and shutting down the supply whenever it finds abnormalities in the flow of water.

There are different types of water leak detection systems. There are whole house water leak detection systems and water leak detection systems that help find leaks in specific parts of the home. Whole-house systems typically use mechanical turbines or ultrasound.

Whole house water leak detection systems

These systems monitor water flow by counting the number of gallons of water passing through the pipes and noting the time delays. All water leak detection systems – mechanical turbine systems, as well as ultrasonic systems – come with a built in valve that can be closed to cut off the water supply to the home.

Mechanical turbine systems

They are equipped with a propeller that spins as water passes over its blades into the home. The device counts how many gallons are passing through, noting variations in water flow and the time intervals between them.  

This data is sent back to the system and stored there. Since water usage in the home follows patterns – low-usage, high-usage, or no-usage – once the system senses prolonged periods of water usage that do not conform to the established pattern, it will shut down the water supply.

Ultrasonic water leak detection systems

This kind of leak detection system uses ultrasonic waves that are transmitted through the upstream and downstream sections of the plumbing system. These waves are used to record the rate of flow and detect irregular flow patterns. 

The acquired data can be relayed to your Smartphone via your home’s Wi-Fi. Just like a mechanical detection system, an ultrasonic water leak detection system will shut down the supply if the water flow exceeds the expected amount of time.

Moisture-sensing water leak detection systems

This type of system uses the presence of excessive moisture to detect leaks. If, for instance, the device detects that moisture is building up around the floorboards, it will shut off the water flow. Moisture-sensing leaks detectors are better for detecting leaks around specific points in the home, such as under the sink. They are less effective for detecting potential leaks.

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Why your home needs a water leak detection system

Your home is more likely to suffer a plumbing leak than get burgled, burned down, or struck by lightning. A water leak detection system protects you from this all-too-common problem. Installing a water leak detection system means instant peace of mind.

A water leak detection system will prevent water wastage. Hundreds of thousands of homes in America pay more than they should for water because a large percentage of the water that goes into their homes is lost through plumbing leaks. A water leak detection system will reduce your water bill and also have a positive impact on your insurance premium.

A water leak detection system preserves your family’s health by preventing mold. Mold and water leaks go hand-in-hand because water leaks provide the right environment for the growth of mold. A water leak detection system will save you the money you would have spent on dealing with mold poisoning.