According to the EPA, household leaks, by themselves, waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water each year. Now imagine what the water waste would be if multi-unit residential buildings and commercial buildings were added into that statistic. It is estimated by the EPA that homeowners can save 10 percent on their water bills by finding and stopping leaks through leak detection and plumbing repair or replacement services. It is quite likely that you could save at least 10 percent on your water bills by fixing all the leaks in your building.
Signs of Plumbing Leaks
- Higher than Normal Water Bill
- Lower Water Pressure
- Water Spots on Floors, Walls and/or Ceilings
- A Moldy or Musty Smell or the Sight of Mold
Leak Detection
Leak detection is the process of locating leaks with special types of equipment. This equipment can consist of pumping helium and hydrogen through your water supply pipes or by using small cameras to visually inspect your water supply pipes.
When helium and hydrogen are used, the plumbing technicians first pump the gasses through your water supply lines. Then, they walk around your building with equipment that detects the presence of those two gasses.
Camera inspections are typically done with very small cameras that can be threaded through your pipes for many feet. The camera images are then displayed on a screen that the plumbers view. This can help find cracks, deteriorated pipes and holes.
Making the Repair, Replace or Epoxy Lining Decision
Continuing to repair your leaking pipes may not be the best financial decision. Every time your old copper, brass or galvanized steel pipes spring a leak, they are costing you money in the form of higher water bills and repair bills, and if one or two leaks appear in your multi-unit residential building in Chicago, you can guarantee more. This is because every pipe in your building, minus the ones you’ve replaced, are exactly the same age. This means that if you have performed numerous repairs to your pipes within the last year, you should start thinking about pipe replacement or an epoxy pipe lining system.
Here at Nu Flow, we understand that sometimes the choice can be difficult. That’s why we often partner with the plumbers at Althoff Industries. Together Nu Flow and Althoff plumbers can help determine if your pipes need to be replaced or if they can be lined with Nu Flow custom epoxy pipe lining system. Typically, pipes that are extremely corroded or missing sections are good candidates for replacing, while pipes that still have some useful life can be lined with our epoxy pipe lining system. This means that you may have to replace a few pipes, but you can line the rest, which can save you thousands of dollars.
Proven Case Study
Nu Flow Tech recently lined all the pipes at Barbara Terrace Condominiums in order to improve the longevity of their existing pipes and stop the near constant repair bills from numerous slab leaks and water pipe leaks in the walls. Pipe lining coats the inside of your potable water pipes, sealing pinholes, gaps, and cracks. This prevents any further corrosion of the pipes and eliminates future mold growth and water damage from plumbing leaks.
To learn more about how an epoxy pipe lining system can help you with future leak detection services and to schedule an evaluation of your pipes, call us at 800-834-9597.