Pipe Leak Detection

• Copper: pinhole corrosion from the outside in when buried or slab-encased, and erosion at elbows where flow velocity is high
• Galvanized steel: internal scaling and rust-through, usually accompanied by declining pressure and discolored water
• CPVC: brittleness with age and UV exposure, with failures concentrated at glued joints and threaded transitions
• PEX: generally durable in the run, with issues concentrated at fittings and where the tubing has been kinked or abraded
• Polybutylene: fitting and pipe failures that tend to recur, which changes the conversation from spot repair to replacement planning

Once the losing section is isolated, acoustic listening finds the point of escape by intensity. On hot lines, thermal scanning adds a second, independent indication. Where the pipe route is unknown, tracing the line first prevents listening across the wrong area entirely.

The size of the opening matters too. A large break floods and often reveals itself; a pinhole is quieter and slower, and is the case where careful, methodical listening earns its keep.

When a system shows repeated failures in the same material and era of pipe, a single located pinhole is a symptom rather than the whole story. We will say so, because that context affects whether a spot repair or a reroute is the better use of money.