I found this video and thought it was interesting.
Australian Leak Repair
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I’m not bragging but I would’ve found that leak without equipment quicker than he did in his exact situation he filmed
Other situations he may beat me with his equipment but on that one he wouldn’t have.
Other situations he may beat me with his equipment but on that one he wouldn’t have.
Often when I can't find a leak on a waterline and occasionally a drain, I will drain all the water and hook up my air compressor. Ideally you put the compressor where you can't hear it or you just let it run a cycle, then shut the power and open the air a little. Listen for leaks with the compressor off using the tank capacity.
If you can't hear the air leak, have fun.
If you can't hear the air leak, have fun.
A nitrogen bottle and regulator are also good to have.
I’m not bragging but I would’ve found that leak without equipment quicker than he did in his exact situation he filmed
Other situations he may beat me with his equipment but on that one he wouldn’t have.
But you can charge more with the elecronic leak detection equipment....LOL
I can charge more period, I set my own rates. I don’t need to justify, I just need success.But you can charge more with the elecronic leak detection equipment....LOL
I understand what you’re saying, but ultimately I don’t subscribe to having to list equipment charges on a bottom line.
The equipment is useful in certain situations, those situations are very uncommon for me in my service area.
Like yours, most of our service lines are shallow. I do mostly residential. Slab leaks are almost always bypassed so I rarely have to pinpoint where the actual leak is.
I feel the tool would sit around a lot and it costs a couple grand. I don’t want that…..
How do you find the manifolds for rerouting?I can charge more period, I set my own rates. I don’t need to justify, I just need success.
I understand what you’re saying, but ultimately I don’t subscribe to having to list equipment charges on a bottom line.
The equipment is useful in certain situations, those situations are very uncommon for me in my service area.
Like yours, most of our service lines are shallow. I do mostly residential. Slab leaks are almost always bypassed so I rarely have to pinpoint where the actual leak is.
I feel the tool would sit around a lot and it costs a couple grand. I don’t want that…..
They’re typically next to the drain or directly behind and under the fixture. They dig one ditch and put the water to the side of the drain.How do you find the manifolds for rerouting?
I have ran a 5/16” cable through pipes coming up from the slab to see where they go. You can hear it with your naked ear, it’ll stop at the next header location. Once I find one, I can find them all.
You can also use a cheap stethoscope from habor freight and just listen. You have to have good ears and experience looking for the headers is a plus.
I just did one a couple weeks ago. I had the customer call a leak detection company to find the leak and the manifolds. It was a post tension slab so jack hammering and spot repair was not an option. The manifold was behind one of the lavs.They’re typically next to the drain or directly behind and under the fixture. They dig one ditch and put the water to the side of the drain.
I have ran a 5/16” cable through pipes coming up from the slab to see where they go. You can hear it with your naked ear, it’ll stop at the next header location. Once I find one, I can find them all.
You can also use a cheap stethoscope from habor freight and just listen. You have to have good ears and experience looking for the headers is a plus.
I’ve also drilled or poked a hole and inserted a Ridgid handheld camera. I do this under the vanity cabinet or wherever.
I’m not saying I’ve never cut a hole for nothing but it’s not typical. I surprise myself sometimes how accurate I can be. Lucky too…..
I’ve made a lot of money doing slab bypasses. I like it……
I’m not knocking the equipment. I know it works.
I’m not saying I’ve never cut a hole for nothing but it’s not typical. I surprise myself sometimes how accurate I can be. Lucky too…..
I’ve made a lot of money doing slab bypasses. I like it……
I’m not knocking the equipment. I know it works.
Here’s an example of how things can go to ****. This guy destroys this house……
The leak detector guy missed the target.
Then the next leak detector guy did hit the target but once the plumber accessed the pipe it wasn’t repairable.
Then it’s it’s amateur hour with him trying to locate the correct pipe.
The leaking pipes are the ones that don’t hold water…….I just rebuild the manifold after I’m done.
This video is a prime example of why I almost always prefer to bypass overhead. I would’ve located the manifolds, found the leaker, then bypassed. Probably without any damage visible without opening a cabinet or a closet. Of course it depends on where the headers are.
The leak detector guy missed the target.
Then the next leak detector guy did hit the target but once the plumber accessed the pipe it wasn’t repairable.
Then it’s it’s amateur hour with him trying to locate the correct pipe.
The leaking pipes are the ones that don’t hold water…….I just rebuild the manifold after I’m done.
This video is a prime example of why I almost always prefer to bypass overhead. I would’ve located the manifolds, found the leaker, then bypassed. Probably without any damage visible without opening a cabinet or a closet. Of course it depends on where the headers are.
My father use to like breaking the slab and repairing the leak. Then if the pipe wasn’t repairable he would bypass it.
He liked that approach because it made more money most of the time and insurance paid more as they were involved a lot when we broke the slab. Simple as that, Businessman first.
insurance would pay us to break the slab and repair. Insurance rarely paid for a bypass or it wasn’t enough damage caused by the bypass to make it worth involving insurance.
He liked that approach because it made more money most of the time and insurance paid more as they were involved a lot when we broke the slab. Simple as that, Businessman first.
insurance would pay us to break the slab and repair. Insurance rarely paid for a bypass or it wasn’t enough damage caused by the bypass to make it worth involving insurance.
Looks like leak detection is hit and miss, if you don’t know what you’re doing, I’ve never seen this done it looks interesting.
99% homes here have basements, for the most part, the water service is brought into the building at the front wall of the home/building, into a shut off valve then into the water meter.
Our leak detection is simply behind “soaked”walls and or ceilings.
99% homes here have basements, for the most part, the water service is brought into the building at the front wall of the home/building, into a shut off valve then into the water meter.
Our leak detection is simply behind “soaked”walls and or ceilings.
Ignorant question:Here’s an example of how things can go to ****. This guy destroys this house……
The leak detector guy missed the target.
Then the next leak detector guy did hit the target but once the plumber accessed the pipe it wasn’t repairable.
Then it’s it’s amateur hour with him trying to locate the correct pipe.
The leaking pipes are the ones that don’t hold water…….I just rebuild the manifold after I’m done.
This video is a prime example of why I almost always prefer to bypass overhead. I would’ve located the manifolds, found the leaker, then bypassed. Probably without any damage visible without opening a cabinet or a closet. Of course it depends on where the headers are.
Why doesn’t the water service come in the front wall of the home, then brought up into the attic to be distributed to each fixture vs under the slab?
Is it that the labor and material cost is cheaper to come up from the slab vs down from the attic?
Not ignorant at all and some of the new construction plumbers do exactly that.Ignorant question:
Why doesn’t the water service come in the front wall of the home, then brought up into the attic to be distributed to each fixture vs under the slab?
Is it that the labor and material cost is cheaper to come up from the slab vs down from the attic?
There are several newer neighborhoods where that was done, but in pex. All the older neighborhoods are copper under the slab.
I guess at the end of the day it all comes down to $$$ and what do the builders care about slab leaks that happen years down the road.Not ignorant at all and some of the new construction plumbers do exactly that.
There are several newer neighborhoods where that was done, but in pex. All the older neighborhoods are copper under the slab.
As a service plumbers, we thrive on fixing problems.
My wife and I were just talking about piping in attic vs the slab this morning. I accessed cold water pipe in the attic and she asked “ why not just on the ground floor “. My answer was that most all the pipe is in the attic and only drops down to the fixtures and all the fixtures on the side of the house I need the pipe on were on interior walls.I guess at the end of the day it all comes down to $$$ and what do the builders care about slab leaks that happen years down the road.
As a service plumbers, we thrive on fixing problems.
No chance of a leak under the slab if there’s no water pipe under there. Takes more material though…..
Nice.My wife and I were just talking about piping in attic vs the slab this morning. I accessed cold water pipe in the attic and she asked “ why not just on the ground floor “. My answer was that most all the pipe is in the attic and only drops down to the fixtures and all the fixtures on the side of the house I need the pipe on were on interior walls.
No chance of a leak under the slab if there’s no water pipe under there. Takes more material though…..
More materials and time but worth not having a slab leak headache down the line.
Here water heaters/tankless and (most of ) the water distribution system is piped-in in the basement, easy peasy.
When the electronic leak detection is not accurate, it can be a minor nightmare.
At 7:30 the gentleman states that the manifold could not look worse. I disagree 100%. There is enough soft copper stubbed up above the slab to work with. As opposed to having fittings soldered 1" above the slab. I hate that. I have actually cut the fittings out when they are too low and soldered couplings with hard copper to raise the manifold; easier to work with this way.
With a re-route overhead {or around a wall in some cases} we cut into and add a tee somewhere convenient. The old line becomes defunct and remains in the slab.
At 7:30 the gentleman states that the manifold could not look worse. I disagree 100%. There is enough soft copper stubbed up above the slab to work with. As opposed to having fittings soldered 1" above the slab. I hate that. I have actually cut the fittings out when they are too low and soldered couplings with hard copper to raise the manifold; easier to work with this way.
With a re-route overhead {or around a wall in some cases} we cut into and add a tee somewhere convenient. The old line becomes defunct and remains in the slab.
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