SPECIALIST PLUMBER NEEDED (Busca Fugas) - Off topic - Villena forum - Costa Blanca forum in the Alicante province of Spain
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SPECIALIST PLUMBER NEEDED (Busca Fugas)

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2022 10:47am
2 replies95 views3 members subscribed
Classic man

Classic man

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Posts: 1016

451 helpful points

Location: Villena

Joined: 9 Aug 2018

I need someone who can come and check my very long water pipe for leaks. We are talking 800m. It was replaced only 5 years ago. Sadly the insurance will not cover it.

I say leak, but this is not the usual leak.. My bill has doubled over the last two months and you would expect the meter to be spinning continuously, but it's not.  It spins for a few seconds then waits for say 30 seconds before it does it again.  This is a continuous process. When it's spinning it's recording more litres used, even with the house isolated.

I have never before come across a leak that is intermittent. Why this is happening is a mystery.

 So I need someone who can come out (that won't rip me off) and by using the system that fills the line with gas which is a nitrogen and 5% hydrogen mix and then a 'sniffer' that will pick the gas up when it surfaces.  I don't think an acoustic system will do the job since the leak is not consistent and the pipe is quite deep.

Can anyone recommend someone with the appropriate knowledge and equipment?


Stephanie86

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2022 11:49am

Stephanie86

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Posts: 2748

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Location: Lliber

Joined: 4 May 2017

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2022 11:49am

Although not of immediate help to you, we had a similar problem which took some three years to resolve. Effectively our pump from our depósito kept firing up regularly and running for noticeable periods when no water being drawn from system in house. We had enormous bills, and all the usual tests and possible causes undertaken and investigated. Eventually it was discovered that there was a faulty non-return valve on the system, and every time anyone in the vicinity drew water, dueto the configuration out in the campo, it effectively drew water from ours so our depósito was supplying the vicinity. This may be worth a check?

Classic man

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2022 12:10pm

Classic man

Original Poster

Helpful member

Posts: 1016

451 helpful points

Location: Villena

Joined: 9 Aug 2018

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2022 12:10pm

Thanks for that suggestion, I am open to all of them.

Every couple of days I have to go down to the meter and turn the water back on to fill the tank in the garage.  I have a pump that fires up every time you open a tap in the house, so I'm running on that.  Not very convenient.

I know when the trouble started from the bills and it was soon after a contractor dug up the pipe.  The bills got steadily higher.  Aguas Alicante obviously deny all responsibility and I have no idea who did the digging, so I'm on my own.  This has happened at least six times over the years but has never resulted in anything like this.

I can't just start digging up the tracks just to have a look for a leak that may or may not be at that exact point, hence the need for a 'sniffer' and then we can walk the length of the pipe and hopefully find it.  It is a non-intrusive method.

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