Underground Sprinkler Leak Detection at UK Studio

Polygon were appointed by a sprinkler systems specialist company, who advised that they had an unknown position on the underground sprinkler system on site at a well-known UK studio set. We initially attended to assess the feasibility of finding the leak and what equipment was necessary, and then tested a section of pipe as advised in our assessment survey.

The Process

The suspected section of pipe could not be isolated, so we had to test the whole site! Just the two of us with limited bottles of tracer gas! Our technicians are trained in our bespoke ‘training houses’ where we mimic every possible water damage scenario. That means that whatever you’re facing, they know how to resolve it. We could have easily advised it was not practical, but through discussions with the onsite engineers, we decided to utilise the time agreed to find the issue of which was successful.

The Solution

Due to the potentially complex nature of the work, Polygon will sometimes request an assessment visit to ascertain what equipment, consumables and labour we will need to be as streamlined as possible in our work. In this instance, the assessment showed a considerable quantity of tracer gas was required, and two technicians would be needed. This has meant that when we returned, we completed all of the necessary works in a single day, rather than multiple visits, meaning a substantially reduced disruption and business interruption. By draining down the pipework, we believe the leak is on, and then pressurising the system with a nitrogen/hydrogen gas mix, we can use a gas sensor to detect where the gas is rising from, indicating the leak. Polygon will always use as many techniques as we can to corroborate where the leak is, so we have also used acoustic profiling, a technique that works a lot like putting a glass up against a wall to hear what’s on the other side, of course, with a little bit more precision! 

The Outcome

By detecting the location of the leak firstly with acoustic profiling, then with the tracer gas, we were able to minimise the amount of downtime on the systems by reducing the amount of pipework being drained down. By finding the exact location of the leaks, Polygon have also successfully stopped the costly water leak, and prevented the concrete flooring from being removed, which would have been another great cost, and negative impact on sustainability targets.