How to Locate Transient or Occasional Drips in your Building

How to Locate Transient or Occasional Drips in your BuildingFor the uninitiated, a transient drip is a leak in your organisation’s roof, balcony or basement that that does not manifest all the time. This is what makes it difficult to spot, for the water begins to seep from it only on occasion. Such leaks can cause extensive damage over time, as you may never notice water accumulating in the area until the roof is ready to cave in.

This write-up helps you understand leakage detection in UK to fix the transient drip in your building.

What is a Transient Drip?

This could be seasonal drips that start to leak the moment there is a spot of rain, or even those that have a source in the building’s plumbing. This may present seepage every time the faucets are run or the flush is used in a certain part of the building. If you assume that it is going to be a seasonal problem, that you can ignore, you should think again.

The Key to Locating Its Origin

Finding the point of its origin and the cause behind it is the only way you can fix it. So your first call should be to experts in building leak detection in UK. Be it a flat roof or a basement or balcony that needs attention, the specialists have seepage discovery methods to suit any kind of institution.

In fact, in addition to assisting you with detection solutions, they can even give you a few tips to avoid the occurrence of such drips in the future.

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What is Flood Testing?

Although flood testing isn’t a common leak detection practice followed today, it continues to remain effective when electronic testing is impractical or in areas that are continually submerged in water (swimming pools, water fountains, etc.) Sometimes, it is necessary to ensure that a structure can withstand substantial water leakage.

What is flood testing?

The area to be tested is completely filled with water without allowing a chance to escape either through the drain or other source. The water is filled to a minimum depth of 1” and a maximum depth of 4” and poured at a pressure that does not damage the waterproofing membrane. The space below the test area is then checked to look for signs of water leakage within regular intervals. If leakage occurs, water is immediately drained and recommendations are made. The test area should be re-tested after repairs are undertaken to ensure that waterproofing is complete. Tests are conducted within a 24-72 hour time range with regular inspection intervals. Also, tests are not conducted when rain is expected within the test period.

Precautions before flood testing:

Improper test practices have given this method a bad rap. When undertaken by a professional and competent roof leak detection company after ensuring proper precautions, flood testing is very effective. The building leak detection team at UK always ensures that the roof is strong enough to take weight and the drainage system can take the pressure when water is released.

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What is Electronic Leak Detection?

Electronic leak detection is a simple but effective method used by professional leakage detection companies in the UK. The method is often hyped up by companies to justify unusually high consultation fees.

What is Electronic Leak Detection?

Electronic leak detection or earth leak detection are a series of procedures used to detect leaks. They’re ideal for all commercial establishments especially rail-road tracks, parking lots, etc. One method is the low voltage test for waterproofing membranes and is used by architects and construction companies. An electrically charged brush is used to pinpoint even the smallest hole on surfaces to report penetrations. When the equipment that is brushed through the surface comes in contact with a penetration source, an audible tone along with a spark is emitted. This is then used by the specialist to detect a hole.

What are the uses of Earth Leak Detection?

ELD or electronic leak detection is better than other techniques as they’re cost and time efficient. The source of leaks are precisely identified, hence repairs are precise. Tests can be conducted without interrupting day to day operations of a company or without damage to the property. Rather than guessing about potential problems, specialists can submit exact evidence of a problem. ELDs have helped a lot in issues where roofs were suspected to be the source of a problem, but the actual problem turned to be somewhere else. This has saved companies thousands of pounds in roof repair and replacement. Electronic Leak Detection is recognized in the UK as a standard method for leak detection. It is also included as a standard within the National Building Specifications to detect water leakage.

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Three Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Professional Leak Detection Specialist

Identifying the exact place and source of a leak is the most difficult aspect of fixing leaks. More often than not these leaks remain hidden until they begin to permeate through the ceilings. When left undetected such leaks may need extensive and costly repairs. Here’s why you should choose professional leak detection specialists like us to protect your factories, offices and other commercial establishments:

The Stakes Are High:

Seemingly minor leaks can cause substantial losses by way of damage to stock or machinery. They can disrupt day to day operations and affect the morale of your workforce. There are strict regulations in place to ensure that commercial roofs are safe and leak proof; violating these rules can attract severe penalty.

Professional Building Leak Detection Companies Think Beyond Visual Clues:

Looking for visual clues does not help always especially when the problem is still in its nascent stage. Professional leak detection specialists in UK are equipped with sophisticated equipments like thermal imagers and techniques like electronic testing, moisture path analysis, and ultrasound testing to detect issues even before they manifest into a problem.

Holistic Approach:

A professional water leak detection company like Thornton UK doesn’t simply look for leaks; they analyse the problem and suggest ways to resolve these issues. Every inspection report produced by the company includes a detailed explanation of facts and issues pertinent to the leak. This includes detecting leaks from all sources including pipework, roofs, drainage, and hydrant systems.

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Why expert leak detection service is necessary for a Fitness Centre

With respect to water leak detection, fitness centres require frequent maintenance, due to the nature of equipment’s and the frequency in the use of the wet rooms. The showers, steam area and swimming pools are used much regularly than when compared to other commercial establishments.

In the case of water leak in a gym, extra care must be exercised to get the leak fixed as room as possible to prevent any further damage to the building structure.

Here are some of the best techniques used waterproofing testing to effectively determine leaks:

Water analysis:

This technique involves testing water samples for bacterial counts. By this test it can be determined if the water is fresh or contaminated. This helps in detecting any leaks from the drainage pipes into the main line.

Electrical testing:

Otherwise known as earth leak detection, it is based on the fact that water can conduct electricity and the structural membranes such as roofs and walls don’t conduct electricity. The electrical testing can be used to even find microscopic leaks. A sensitive meter records the pulsed electric fields of the leak portion. This testing method is generally used in cases where the leak originates from a weaker section above the roofing structure.

Tit Bit: Thornton Consulting was the first UK consultancy to offer electrical testing in the UK starting in early 1987.

Differential Pressure Testing:

The test is done by drawing air through a surfactant applied over laps, and this determines if there are any leaks in the structure.

Pin-Hole testing:

Previously only used to test bridge deck membranes, but now it’s used as mostly a certification tool.

Contact Thornton Consulting for expert commercial water leak detection services in the UK. Visit http://www.thorntonconsulting.co.uk/ for more details.

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Infrared Thermography: An effective method to find commercial water leaks

Infrared thermography is the method which is used to detect the infrared energy emitted from an object. The information is converted to temperature readings and an image is displayed. Through analysis of this image we can accurately point out the temperature difference on an object. In the case of water leak detection, infrared thermography can be used effectively to zero in on the source of the water leak.

How Infrared Thermography works

The technology used captures the temperature distributed on the surface and provides visual information back. The temperature can be measured without any contact with the object. The information provided is live and hence has added advantage.

(Note: Technology could be loosely compared to the natural ability used by snakes, where they smell the air to create a thermal image of their surroundings)

Advantages:

•    Comparisons can be made over vast surfaces. In the case of detection of water leaks, this helps in finding a leak over a vast area of a building

•    Allows operation from a safe distance, in many cases to detect a leak it requires getting around pipelines and other possible hazardous locations. Infrared thermography can be a big help in limiting this by providing this information easily without contact

•    Even slight changes in temperature can be recorded in case of a small cracks or leaks in the building structure

Technicalities of infrared

•    The wavelength of infrared is longer than visible light and hence it’s invisible to the human eye.

•    Can be used on any structure with temperature above zero

•    Has a nick name called heat wave as long exposures to infrared light can exert limited heat that object

•    It has a characteristic of heating an object. Therefore, it is sometimes called "heat wave"

Commercial flat roof and basement leak detection in the UK from Thornton Consulting. Visit http://www.thorntonconsulting.co.uk to know more.

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