In the leak detection field, for years, technicians had to use old technology devices designed to find leaks in plumbing. they had coffee cans tied to strings, relied on putting ears to the ground and had to dive into pools squirting dye at every protrusion – regardless of the weather or how cold the water was. They used air tanks, wetsuits, flippers and weight belts to crawl around the inside of a pool hoping to find one leak, let alone several if they existed. This did work, but was thoroughly ineffective, took long hours and required towing around lots of unnecessary equipment. Then came LeakTronics.
The technology designed by LeakTronics founder Darren Merlob came as a consequence of having to rely on what was in the field and finding it almost impossible to meet the needs of customers with pool leaks in modern equipment. As pool design advanced, things like slot drains, spa systems, multiple drain and suction ports and bowls covers and radius designs made it harder to keep finding leaks using plumbing equipment.
First came the PoolScope. A hydrophone designed to listen for the sounds of leaks from inside the pool – without having to don a wetsuit and dive in the water. By just dropping the mic in the pool, a technician can listen around all areas of protrusion, structural cracking and previously repaired areas in the pool. One can listen inside a skimmer, around the skimmer throat and easily drop and drag the PoolScope onto drain covers, or hang it in front of return fittings to hear the sounds of leaks.
As the weight of water in a full pool pushes out of a crack, crevasse or hole, it makes a whooshing sound. The smaller or further down into the pool, the more pressure that is applied from the weight of the water. By using the PoolScope to listen, the technician can hone in on the precise area where the leak occurs.
See a leak detection performed here.
The PoolScope is just one of the many hydrophone technologies created by LeakTronics. You’ll see in the video above, the PipeMic is a small uni-directional microphone that allows users to get inside pipes and plumbing that runs away from the pool. Pool leaks appear in the pool environment within 3 feet of the pool shell 95% of the time. This is a fact. Using the PipeMic, getting inside that strike zone from fittings and skimmer ports is easy.
All of this highly sensative equipment is phantom powered by the LT-1000 Amplifier. the patented and proprietary technology in this device, and all of the hydrophones, allows for increased sensitivity when listening for leak sounds. The closer the mic head gets to the area of the leak, the louder the sound becomes. This allows for accurate precision and lets users hone in on leaks from many feet away, as well as many feet underground.
Take a look at the Soil Probe. This tool is versatile, as it is also a key component that Plumbers and plumbing leak detection technicians use to listen on pipes and plumbing lines, irrigation lines, stub upos and angle stops and more. Using the probe to listen underground allows users to accurately identify where pipes lay, using the PG-2 (we’ll review that in a minute below) and when listening for leak sounds we make using the pressure rig.
Another advancement in listening technology is the ergonomic design of the DeckPlate. Where tools like the BigFoot use a rubber ring and non-ground contact points – the DeckPlate from LeakTronics uses complete ground contact, allowing for greater sensitivity and listening capability, as the entire surface of the plate is doing the job. without an attached rod, having a cable the user can release tension on removes any potential of handling noise and accurately identifies where leaks and sounds are at their exact location. This is how sub-surface listening is supposed to be.
Watch the video below to see how we used our DeckPlate to find where a leak was next to a spa in a jet line.
When combined, all of these technologies become kits that are designed to handle all of the leak detection tasks performed by individual industries. The Pro Complete Kit is for pool professionals, the Plumbers Kit is respectively for Plumbers and the Irrigation Kit is designed for the needs of Irrigation Technicians that need to both find where pipes lay underground and identify the leaks in those line.
As the leading manufacturer of leak detection equipment for multiple industries, LeakTronics also boasts a top level research and development team. As methods and techniques for finding leaks evolve, LeakTronics R&D team commits to finding the fastest and most effective tools to get the job done right. Recent advancements have included the creation of the CamVac System, using the power of controlled vacuum and the new Hand Held Video Pro 1.5, a camera that takes turns in 1 and 1/2 inch pipes, users can now find leaks accurately and see them as they happen in both water filled lines and pipes that have been evacuated and have saturation around the outside of the area where the leak occurs.
Check out how this revolutionary technology is changing the industry for leak detection professionals in all fields.
CamVac on a Pool/Pipes
CamVac on a Plumbing Line
Another advancement that LeakTronics has developed this year is the PG-2 Pulse Generator for Pipe Tracing and Line Locating. Irrigation professionals, plumbers and pool techs all need to know where pipes lay so they can listen for leaks in them. Pipes run under soil, concrete, floors, decks, patios and landscaping and they can easily be identified when you inject a gentle pulse into the fluid in the pipe. Using the SoilProbe and DeckPlate that comes standard in the kits (respectively some have both), users can find pipes and find leaks underground in non-invasive way. While we had a previous version of the Pulse Generator, the newest technology we designed does the job without shaking or rattling. it’s both powerful and gentle at the same time and if you’re performing line locating and not using the PG-2, you’re doing yourself and your employees a disservice. Check it out.
The difference between using old technology and new technology is evident. Getting the job done effectively, fast and with the best results happens when you use the most modern technology on the market, and that’s LeakTronics. Take time to look through the website and see the video content that fully explains all the equipment and how it’s used. Order direct or call us at 818-742-7719. We can arrange to deliver the right tools to get you through any job you have.
