Sponsored by:

Pipe Leaks in Concrete

Thermal imging can often be used to help locate leaks from pipelines buried within concrete. For best reults, the subject piping should be heated as much as possible prior to imaging. Cold water lines may be heated by continuously flushing them with hot water. The amount of time required will depend upon the burial depth of the lines and the thermal conductivity of the concrete.

Once the lines have been heated, use your thermal imager to inspect the pathway of the pipe. Pipe leaks will appear as amporphously shaped warm areas instead of the well-defined lines caused by the pathway of the pipe. Suspected leaks may be marked directly on the concrete to direct excavation efforts required for leak verifcation and repair.

When imaging outdoors, it is best to perform infrared imaging at night to avoid interference from the sun.

Translated from tip submitted by Juan Nava, Cemex Mexico Planta Hermosillo.

Gracias Juan!