The question of how to find a burst water pipe underground is still relevant. Small leaks are especially tricky because they do not allow one to quickly determine that there is a problem with the system. It takes a lot of time and effort to understand the cause, to locate and repair the leak.
As modern pipes do not have many of the disadvantages of the old, metal products, plumbing systems are considered sufficiently reliable. However, even they are not perfect: breakdowns can occur as too many factors affect the longevity of utilities, and the life span of all products comes to an end sooner or later.
Hidden underground water leaks and their dangers
Leaks are among the most unpleasant pipe failures. In some cases the defect can be detected quickly: the failure is indicated by water gushing from the ground. But sometimes the pipeline does not provide such a clue, so the search is seriously complicated. Without water leak detecting, of course, it cannot be repaired.
In the old days, a simple but very time-consuming method was used. The whole pipeline was dug out at the suspected accident site, but the result was not always achieved. Such measures were very labour-intensive and you had to turn off the water supply for a long time, close the roads etc.
Therefore at the first alarming sign – a drop in pressure in the water pipe, even a slight one – you may start to suspect a hidden leak. If you do not pay attention to a possible problem, in time a small hole will enlarge and a small leak will become a big source of trouble.