Find Pipe leak without Radioactive material

[han]

Hi all,

Is there any funny or creative way to find drinking water pipe inside concrete wall/floor without putting radioactive material + Geiger counter?

In my Google search i have find using stereoscope, small camera,...

i find one plausible solution, but haven't try it
so the next question is? Can i use like "3m cable locator"(just example) if i add salt to the water in the water pipe?

[pickle9000]

If you can make the water in the pipe run a fetal doppler monitor (30 bucksish on ebay) will work depending on the depth. Wet the wall and used the gel.

Here is a link.

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/CE-Baby-sound-fetal-doppler-fetal-heart-monitor-pink-A-/220842734249?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item336b40b2a9

[han]

If you can make the water in the pipe run a fetal doppler monitor (30 bucksish on ebay) will work depending on the depth. Wet the wall and used the gel.

thanks for reply, so basically like stethoscope?
do i need sound source?

[pickle9000]

It uses the doppler effect, completely self supporting. I used one to find a pipe 8 inches away (on the other side of a cement wall burried underground). Wetting the wall and using gel helps the sound pass easily. It will only detect moving water so a leak is ideal.

This could be considered a variant of an ultrasonic flow meter if you want to read up on it. 

[han]

It uses the doppler effect, completely self supporting. I used one to find a pipe 8 inches away (on the other side of a cement wall burried underground). Wetting the wall and using gel helps the sound pass easily. It will only detect moving water so a leak is ideal.

This could be considered a variant of an ultrasonic flow meter if you want to read up on it. 

thanks, i will find one locally...

[Bored@Work]

If you can heat the water (or in some cases cool it) so it has a significant different temperature from the surrounding you can use thermography. Done right the pipes will show up and a leak will show up as some cloud near a pipe.

Another one is using a gas (5% hydrogen, 95% nitrogen, plus some foul smelling additives) and a gas leak detector. Requires you can empty the pipe system, close all taps, etc. Pump the gas in, use the gas leak detector to detect where the gas is coming out.

For large pipes you could try a camera inside the pipe.

There is also an industrial technology using microwaves. Microwaves are used to measure the wetness / dampness of materials. The surrounding of the leak will show up as more damp.

Acoustic techniques have already been mentioned. A simple stethoscope can sometimes help to find a larger leak. High sensitive microphone to find smaller ones. They typically require that you have a pretty good idea where to listen.

[han]

....
Another one is using a gas (5% hydrogen, 95% nitrogen, plus some foul smelling additives) and a gas leak detector. Requires you can empty the pipe system, close all taps, etc. Pump the gas in, use the gas leak detector to detect where the gas is coming out.
...

Gas detector also a good idea...is there any particular reason for the 5% , 95% composition?

[Bored@Work]

is there any particular reason for the 5% , 95% composition?

It is about the hydrogen, which is easy to detect,  there is very few in normal air. The 5/95 mixture is still non flammable, although it shouldn't contain much more hydrogen before it exceeds some safety standards. It is relatively cheap, non-corrosive, non-toxic and has a low viscosity. And the mixture is considered environmentally friendly.

Another gas would be helium, but that is much more expensive.

[T3sl4co1l]

Divining rods

Hey... if they work, you're set.  If they don't, what's the worst you'll do, cut through cubic meters of concrete for nothing?....Oh.

Tim

[CaptnYellowShirt]

Old Spice. No joke.

Dump it in and start sniffing.

[tsmith35]

Is there any funny or creative way to find drinking water pipe inside concrete wall/floor without putting radioactive material + Geiger counter?

Is this a metal pipe, or plastic?

[NiHaoMike]

Blow out and then pressurize the pipe with air duster (which is R152a, a HFC) and go over it with a refrigerant leak detector.

[G7PSK]

Line the pipe. A glass fibre reinforced sleeve that is impregnated with a polymer is inserted into the pipe and then inflated with hot water which causes the polymer to set hard, not sure what the system is called but I have seen it used where leaks are very hard to get to or would cause too much disruption.

[Kryoclasm]

Divining rods Hey... if they work, you're set.  If they don't, what's the worst you'll do, cut through cubic meters of concrete for nothing?....Oh.Tim

If it is in the floor, use a set of divining rods (bare copper wire, stiff).

Make sure the water is running.

The slight change in the magnetic field near the pipe as you walk across it will cause a tiny change in your arm muscles, causing the rods to rotate inwards, thus crossing. Works best if you just don't think about it.

Honestly, this works better to find buried high voltage lines or aquifers, but you might get lucky.

[Frost]

Is there any funny or creative way to find drinking water pipe inside concrete wall/floor without putting radioactive material + Geiger counter?

You can use warm water together with a TIC
The Image below shows a drinking water pipe inside
a tiled concrete wall:



Although it should be possible to go the opposit way
and work with cold water, but then you have to first
heat up a part of the wall e.g. with a IR Heater.