Subject: Locating an Underground Pipe Leak

From: [email-masked] (John Theus)
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1993 07:43:55 GMT

I have 1600 feet of 1.25 inch PVC buried about 2.5 to 3 feet down that runs
through a pasture. This pipe was put in about 8 years ago, tested then with
compress air and not used since.

I now have use for the pipe and when I tested it this time with compressed
air, it would not hold a charge. I do get a little bit of back pressure that
lasts for about 5 seconds when I remove the air supply, so I assume the leak
is some distance down the pipe. One possible source for this leak was a
neighbor who decided to push a couple of stumps out of my field one day when
he had a Cat at his place. I looked for damage after the fact, and didn't see
any, but you never know.

Any ideas about how to find the leak(s)?  My soil at this depth is red clay
that drains well.

Thanks for your help,

John Theus     TheUs Group     +1 503 625 7387     [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (JAMES D ROBERSON)
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1993 14:16:28 GMT

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (John Theus) writes:
> Newsgroups: misc.rural
> Path: taco!gatech!howland.reston.ans.net!noc.near.net!uunet!psgrain!neon!wiskit!firefly!theus!john
> From: [email-masked] (John Theus)
> 
I don't know if ou can spare the water or if indeed this will work at 3 feet
down.  I have 1 inch PVC at 2 feet down and when a joint gave way last year,
it was a simple matter of following the pipe until I saw water coming up.
It seems to me that you would at least develop a damp patch of ground. (Makes
for easy diiging too.)

jim

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From: [email-masked] (Pete Lancashire)
Date: Mon, 12 Jul 93 15:27:22 GMT

[email-masked] (John Theus) writes:

Hi John ...

>is some distance down the pipe. One possible source for this leak was a

Doesn't have to be so, the air pressure in the pipe will vent back no matter
where the leak is.

>Any ideas about how to find the leak(s)?  My soil at this depth is red clay

I've used two methods, one was with an ultrasonic leak detector, this was on
a 60 acre strawberry farm. the other was with a marker dye. Each has it's
advantages the ultrasonic gives out pretty fast.. I actually found the leak
just from the leaking air by 'walking' the pipes. The marker dye only works
if the soil is quite loose. 

The pro's use a radioactive detector. They put a short life isotope in the 
supply and go out with a special gieger (sp?) counter/detector.

-pete

          --------------------------------------------
          ----- Pete Lancashire [email-masked] ----
          -------- Kid in spirit. Big Brother --------
          ---               and now                ---
          - Adopt ? ME ? Am I going crazy ? HELP :) !-
          --------------------------------------------

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From: [email-masked] (A.S. Chamove)
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 93 01:37:13 GMT

I wonder if smoke would work; it is used to test pipework in the UK
-- 
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Arnold Chamove,				E-mail: [email-masked]
Massey University Psychology Dept.	FAX:    (+64) 6350-5611
Palmerston North, New Zealand		Phone:  (+64) 6356-9099 Ex.7924
   					Time Zone:  GMT + 12.00

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From: [email-masked] (Jim Gurley)
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 93 04:24:56 GMT

>John Theus     TheUs Group     +1 503 625 7387     [email-masked]

I had the same problem with a 2" PVC pipe that ran the length of my
driveway and I simple turned it on and waited for a wet spot.  It was three
feet under the driveway, and the shale mislead me into digging a bigger
hole than I would have liked, but it was easy to 'track' the leak once I
got close.

I don't think compressed air and charge time tells you much about the
location of the leak, just the SIZE of the leak.