OVERVIEW OF ULTRASONIC INSPECTION OF RADIANT HEATING SYSTEMS

Radiant heating system leakage wastes energy and causes property damage. Locating leakage of hot water pipes buried under a floor can be quite a time consuming problem. If the location of the leak is not found quickly, floors can often wind up being severely damaged. The damage can be due to the leak or it can be from the physical process of tearing up or breaking up the flooring to locate the leak site.

Ultrasound inspection is ideally suited for locating the exact location of radiant heating leaks. Short wave in nature, the ultrasonic signal is a fairly localized signal. By using a combination of pressurized air and water, a probe of the leak area with an Ultraprobe instrument will reveal the leak source. Using a stethoscope (contact) module with an extended metal extension probe (that reaches to 31") attached to an EXE extension cable, a user can easily walk along, touching the floor surface while listening for a leak. By adjusting the sensitivity of the probe, the exact location of the leak will be detected. A simple confirmation method can be employed to verify the leak site before breaking the floor open. Ultrasound leak inspection is fast, easy, reliable and very economical.