Tracer Gas Leak Detection in Commerce City, CO

Tracer gas leak detection fills the gap that acoustic methods leave open: plastic pipe, deep burial, and situations where the pipe route makes placing listening points difficult. The standard tracer gas blend for residential leak detection is 5 percent hydrogen in nitrogen, non-flammable at that ratio since the lower flammability limit for hydrogen in air is 4 percent and the nitrogen carrier dilutes the blend below that threshold. This blend is also non-toxic at the concentrations used in residential detection. Injected into an isolated pipe circuit, the gas permeates through fractures in the pipe wall, travels through the surrounding soil or concrete aggregate, and concentrates at the surface above the fracture point.

A calibrated hydrogen detector probe sweeping the surface in 6-inch passes produces an audible tone that increases in pitch as hydrogen concentration increases. The maximum concentration point, identified as the pitch peak during the surface sweep, is directly above the pipe fracture. For buried polyethylene irrigation laterals in Reunion and Belle Creek at 18 to 24 inches depth, the surface peak is accurate to within 6 inches of the fracture point. For PEX supply lines embedded in concrete slabs, the surface peak narrows the core drill location from a 24-inch estimated zone to a 6-inch confirmed zone.

Tracer Gas Applications in Commerce City

SACWSD non-potable irrigation laterals: the polyethylene pipe in Reunion, Belle Creek, Buffalo Run, and Buckley Ranch irrigation systems attenuates acoustic signals significantly at residential detection frequencies. Zone-by-zone pressure testing isolates the failing circuit; tracer gas injected into the failing zone locates the fracture by surface sweep without any excavation. This is the standard detection sequence for irrigation lateral failures in Commerce City's master-planned communities.

PEX supply slab lines: Reunion and Belle Creek homes built 2003 to 2012 have PEX supply embedded in the concrete slab. Acoustic correlation accuracy is reduced on PEX compared to copper because of signal attenuation through the plastic material. Tracer gas injected into the isolated circuit surfaces above the fracture through the slab aggregate. The surface sweep on the slab floor locates the fracture before any core drilling begins.

Galvanized service lines in Original Commerce City and Adams City: for service lines where the route is uncertain because the original installation predates available utility records, tracer gas injected at the meter connection surfaces above the fracture regardless of the actual route, since it follows the fracture rather than the planned pipe path. The surface sweep maps both the route and the fracture location simultaneously. Call (303) 552-3896 with the pipe material and the burial depth of the suspected failure, and we will advise whether tracer gas is the right detection method for your Commerce City property.

Call 24/7: (303) 552-3896

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Services

• Acoustic Leak Detection
• Helium Leak Detection
• Non-Invasive Leak Detection
• Irrigation Leak Detection & Repair
• Underground Leak Detection & Repair
• Slab Leak Detection & Repair

Locations We Serve

• Reunion
• Belle Creek
• Buckley Ranch
• Original Commerce City
• Villages at Buffalo Run