Equipment/strategies to locate a break in underground PVC piping?

[plowhog]

The water pressure will tell what elevation the top of the water in the pipes is located at. Each PSI of pressure is 2.31 ft of elevation.

I have been thinking along these lines. Although I've used the GPS in my Polaris for altitude measurement, I have doubts about its accuracy based on simply driving around and observing. I obtained a much higher quality GPS unit and will spend time tomorrow driving around and taking some samples at sprinkler risers where the pressure is also displayed.

Very close to the edge of my pond, I know that historically I should have about 42psi, and currently have only about 20psi. So about a 22psi shortfall. I had thought each foot of elevation was .43psi, but I will check that statistic for accuracy later.

I'm going to determine exact elevation at the pond pressure gauge tomorrow, then drive around the pasture at the elevation that would correspond to 22psi less. Probably mark the terrain as I do that. Then evaluate possible digging sites, sites to install shutoff valves, or where to listen to the pipes for flow due to leakage.

What this unfortunately presumes is the loss from leakage is equal to the replenishment from the supply. But after this amount of time, I'm going to presume it is somewhere close.

 

[caver]

I did this several times for work, I did entire towns. I don’t think smoke testing would work in pipes this small.

We were doing a chunk of Oklahoma City out near Lake Hefner. He said a 4" main with 1.5" laterals. getting the smoke into a small pipe would be interesting. I wasn't on the smoke crew but we sometimes overlapped in a couple areas.

 

[hayden]

I have been thinking along these lines. Although I've used the GPS in my Polaris for altitude measurement, I have doubts about its accuracy based on simply driving around and observing. I obtained a much higher quality GPS unit and will spend time tomorrow driving around and taking some samples at sprinkler risers where the pressure is also displayed.

Very close to the edge of my pond, I know that historically I should have about 42psi, and currently have only about 20psi. So about a 22psi shortfall. I had thought each foot of elevation was .43psi, but I will check that statistic for accuracy later.

I'm going to determine exact elevation at the pond pressure gauge tomorrow, then drive around the pasture at the elevation that would correspond to 22psi less. Probably mark the terrain as I do that. Then evaluate possible digging sites, sites to install shutoff valves, or where to listen to the pipes for flow due to leakage.

What this unfortunately presumes is the loss from leakage is equal to the replenishment from the supply. But after this amount of time, I'm going to presume it is somewhere close.

A GPS won't be very accurate. If you can string a small hose, it will be exact. A surveyor's total station would be accurate too, but probably not worth the trouble to get ahold of one, learn it, etc,, or to hire someone. A couple hundred feet of hose wouldn't be very expensive, I don't think.

 

[CalG]

The phone app Gaia is quite accurate from my uses.

It depends on How many position sources it receives.

 

[dodge man]

Usually consumer grade gps isn’t going to be that accurate for elevations. Elevations is always going to be the weak point of gps.

 

[hslogger]

Wait until you are having a dry spell.

Watch how the grass grows green at the leak. ;-)/

Not a real good solution. You won’t get water to the surface until the area is totally saturated. Water follows gravity first and goes down. When all the bottom is saturated it will begin to go laterally and then finally to thesurface