Leak Detection with Geophone
Acoustic listening with an electronic geophone to locate leaks in pressurised pipes (hot and cold water, heating, service pipes), whether concealed or buried; combined with tracer gas when the pipe is plastic or does not make a sound.
If we do not locate the leak, we do not charge for the diagnosis.
What does the service consist of?
The electronic geophone is a listening instrument that amplifies the sound of water escaping through a crack. At Telefuga we use it to locate leaks in buried and concealed pipes without digging to search for them.
What it hears and what it needs
When water escapes under pressure through a crack it produces a noise that reaches the surface through soil, concrete or wall; the professional geophone filters by frequency to separate it from traffic, a pump or a fridge.
It needs pressure in the pipe: more pressure, more noise. Without pressure (drains, downpipes, pool circuits with the pump stopped) there is no jet to hear.
The material matters: metal carries the sound a long way; plastic (PVC, polyethylene, multilayer) dampens it, so the leak sounds deeper and duller, you have to listen closer and at more points, and confirming with tracer gas is common.
During listening we shut off the water outlets so that the only water noise is the leak: a cistern filling or a running pump can be mistaken for it.
When it is used
- Leaks in service pipes: supply pipes from the mains network to the building.
- Concealed pipework: plumbing networks hidden inside walls and floor slabs.
- Buried irrigation networks: irrigation systems in gardens and communal areas.
What level of pinpointing to expect
There is no universal figure: it depends on the material and depth of the pipe, the pressure, the ground or paving and the ambient noise.
With a pressurised metal pipe, hard paving and quiet conditions, the geophone narrows the point down enough to open a single inspection opening; in plastic, soft ground or noisy conditions it narrows down a section that is then confirmed with another technique.
The geophone does not confirm the pipe material or depth: that is established with a pipe locator or from the plans.
- Written technical report when the service requires it
- Free phone assessment and no-obligation quote
Main advantages
- Location from the surface: on pressurised pipes, without opening up to search for the leak.
- Frequency filtering: to isolate the sound of the leak from the ambient noise.
- Confirmation with a second technique: tracer gas when the material or the noise requires it, before marking the point.
How We Work, Step by Step
- 1
Check the pressure
We confirm that the pipe is pressurised and shut off the water outlets in the property.
- 2
Follow the route
We trace the pipe run with a probe or the plans, so that we listen at the right points.
- 3
Listen and compare
We listen at contact points and over the ground, comparing intensities.
- 4
Confirm and mark
If the material or the noise requires it, we confirm with tracer gas and mark the area for the opening.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Service areas
We work in the provinces of Valencia, Alicante, Murcia, Albacete and Almería. For other areas, please ask us.