Water leak Detection | Gas leak detection | Pipe and Cable location | Object Detection

AQUAPHON® A 100 Download PDF

Electro-acoustic Water Leak Detection using Ground and Valve Microphones

Ground Microphone BO-4 for finding water leaks elephants foot type wind protected

Ground Microphone for finding water leaks Central Control Unit

Valve listening Microphone T4 for finding water leaks at valves

The theory of Water Leak Detection using acoustics

When a pressurised water pipe develops a leak the water flows out into the surrounding ground at high speed, which causes the pipe and soil to vibrate at the exit point. This sound, or vibration, is transmitted by the pipe, (structure borne) and surrounding material (ground borne) where it can be heard with the highly sensitive AQUAPHON® A100 microphones.

Water Leaks in Distribution Pipes

Water Leak Detection in water pipes

Digital Technology

Aquaphon receiver for finding water leaks

With it’s digital circuitry, superior microphone technology & easy to use help features, The AQUAPHON® helps reduce the reliance on the user’s experience & they can “hear” leaks of a far smaller size, and far quiter ones. The advanced digital circuitry has largely eliminated the “hiss” heard by older microphone technologies. It has both a large liquid crystal digital and quasi analogue display allowing the operator to make use of another of their senses, sight - “See” the leak as well as hearing it. It’s success rate over that of other acoustic devices ensures that it easily pays for itself the first leak it finds.

Mechanical Listening Sticks Versus Electroacoustic for Water Leak Detection

Traditional listening sticks for detecting water leaks rely on only one of the user's senses - hearing - the experience and skill of the operator is paramount and, at best, users are able to detect leaks that produce loud noises. However, contrary to common perception it is not always the largest leaks which are the loudest; often a large split in a water pipe will produce a less clear noise than a small hole. This can be particularly true in P.V.C., P.E. and M.D.P.E. pipe materials.
For this reason amplifying the noise with an electro acoustic microphone is becoming increasingly important to find leaks in networks where these materials are increasingly used.

Aquaphon® - Sets can be tailored to suit your applications

Aquaphone Ground Microphone Set for Finding Water Leaks

1. Ground microphone BO-4 2. Ground microphone 3P-4 3. Handle H-4 4. Test rod T-4 with various adapters 5. Headphones stereo 6. Charging station HS 7. Aquaphon A 100 8. Carrying system 'Triangle' 9. Microphone EM 30

The Dynamic Hearing Protection Function

With normal acoustic detection instruments an uncomfortable, sometimes painful and dangerous, noise is heard when the test rod slips from the contact point, or the headphones are activated too soon, or not soon enough, or something falls close to the microphone. The AQUAPHON® incorporates a novel technology to makes this danger a thing of the past. When a very loud noise is picked up the sound in the headphones is immediately muffled (a headphone symbol is displayed). If the sound increases even further, the headphones are switched off completely.

Dynamic Hearing Protection Function Aquaphon Water leak Locator Ground Microphone

Frequency Filter - Water Leak Noise Optimised Listening

Water Leak Noise Optimisation

We do not all hear best at the same frequencies; some people prefer listening at high frequencies others to lower.
Leaks do not all produce noise at the same frequency.
Sometimes interfering noises make listening at certain frequencies very difficult. The AQUAPHON® has a number of ways to assist with all these problems... ...SUIT YOURSELF:
By applying your own choice of frequency filters you can listen to any frequency range that you wish which best suits the leak noise being listened to, your hearing and to filter out interfering noises, all selected by the push of a button. ...LET THE AQUAPHON® HELP:
If you are unsure of what filters to use the Aquaphon can be easily used in “Band Pass” mode utilising pre-defined filter settings.
The filter-optimisation function makes it easier to detect leaks even when the sound is very muffled. By activating the frequency filter button the receiver takes a noise sample which is then analysed & the optimum frequency range is set and filtered. This can greatly assist those with less experience making the sound of the leak particularly clear.
AUTOMATIC BEST SETTINGS: When a microphone is plugged in the AQUAPHON® automatically recognises which model it is and sets the best filter range. If you have chosen an alternative setting it defaults to the last settings you chose; The AQUAPHON® even turns itself on and off when you plug the microphone in or out
If you are not sure which filter setting to use there is a default setting for each microphone selected by holding the “Up and Down” buttons together.

Suggested method of using the Aquaphon Water Leak Detector

Test rod T-4 plug Valve bashing / listening stick for detecting water leaks

PRELIMINARY LEAK LOCATION:
Pre location of leaks is carried out using the test rod T4 a highly sensitive microphone for listening for water leaks at valves and hydrants. Simply plug it into the receiver A100 or AF100 and it is automatically switched on, recognising the type of microphone and adjusting settings accordingly. The opertaor then listens at valves and hydrants as shown below.

Minimum Noise Level

Current “Minimum” noise level: A leak noise does not get quieter but traffic and wind noise will increase and decrease.
The AQUAPHON® ignores all these interfering noises digitally displaying only the “quietest” it has been during the time you have been listening. The current “actual” noise level is also displayed as a quasi analogue bar graph. This is a constantly moving display depending on ambient noise levels. Last Minimum Noise Level
The last Minimum Noise Level is stored and displayed
Are you closer or further away from the leak in the current listening position compared to the last? Is the leak sound getting louder or quieter? The higher the number on the display the closer to the leak you are. Amplification: There are three levels of noise amplification (as well as the standard volume control). The amplification level adjusts the scale and is user selected to best suit the noise level being listened to.

Minimum Noise Level

Pin Pointing Water Leaks with the Aquaphon BO-4 Ground Microphone

When the section of pipeline with the water leak has been located, or you have decided to walk the surface of the pipe to find the water leak, pin pointing the water leak can be carried out using the wind insulated ground microphone. The technique to be used for pin pointing is the same as shown above for preliminary location but listening is carried out on the surface and not on the valves.

Using the Aquaphon Ground Microphone to find water leaks

Water Leak Location on Paved Surfaces

BO-4 ground microphone for finding water leaks

The BO-4 (elephant's foot) microphone is best suited for paved and smooth surfaces. It provides unparalleled isolation and insulation from extraneous noises (wind traffic etc.) thanks to the unique air and rubber cushioned housing which is completely isolated from the internal microphone.

Tripod Adaptor for BO-4 Elephant's Foot Ground Microphone

If off road use is only anticipated as being infrequent there is the Tripod adaptor which fits on the base of the BO-4 converting it into an off road or uneven terrain ground microphone.

Aquaphon BO-4 with Tripod adaptor for finding water leaks

Finding water leaks with the 3P-4 rough terrain ground microphone

On uneven or off road surfaces the 3P-4, complete with ground spike, is the perfect choice; its tripod foot ensures stable contact with the surface at all times, reducing interferences from unnecessary vibrations. The 3P-4 can of course also be used on paved surfaces. The 3P-4 shares the same solid handle as the one used for the the BO-4 reducing the parts you need to carry in your vehicle.

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