Pressure & Tracer Gas Leak Detection in BC

What is pressure & tracer gas detection?

Pressure & tracer gas detection is a combined leak detection method we use when a system is too complex for any single technique. The principle is simple: most modern commercial and industrial fluid systems are divided into zones — floors of a building, loops of a radiant heat system, zones of an irrigation system, sections of a chiller or cooling tower loop. If we can systematically pressure-test each zone, we can identify which one holds the leak. Then, within that zone, we deploy tracer gas to pinpoint the exact location.

It’s the method we reach for when acoustic can’t cut through the noise of a multi-zone system, when thermal imaging doesn’t have a clear differential to read, and when standalone electronic detection isn’t enough because the system has too many possible leak paths to scan economically. It’s the “final boss” method — slower than single-technique work, but capable of solving cases nothing else could.

AnyLeak has run this combined approach on industrial radiant systems in BC warehouses, multi-floor strata mains in Metro Vancouver high-rises, large hydronic heating systems in commercial buildings, complex pool and spa configurations at resorts, and golf course irrigation with dozens of zones. The technique is methodical, sometimes slow, and almost always successful where other methods have stopped working.

How the combined method works

Step one: pressure-test each zone

The starting point is the system’s zone map. Whether that’s a 20-zone golf course irrigation system, a five-floor strata mainline, or a 12-loop industrial radiant heat installation, every zone gets isolated and pressurized individually. We monitor the pressure on each zone over a defined window — sometimes 10 minutes, sometimes an hour for large slow leaks — and look for the zone that won’t hold pressure. That zone holds the leak.

Pressure testing alone doesn’t tell us where in the zone the leak is — just that it’s in that zone. For some simple systems, knowing the zone is enough (the repair can be scoped to a defined section). For most, we then need to find the exact spot.

Step two: tracer gas within the zone

Once we know which zone holds the leak, we drain it, pressurize it with hydrogen tracer gas, and scan for the gas escaping at the surface using a sensitive electronic detector — the same method used in electronic leak detection. The detector reads parts-per-million; the leak is directly beneath or behind the peak reading.

Combining pressure testing first dramatically reduces the area we have to scan with the gas detector. Instead of scanning an entire commercial floor for a needle-in-a-haystack leak, we scan only the zone the pressure test identified.

Why the two-step approach pays off

On simple systems — a single domestic supply line, a single irrigation lateral — pressure testing alone or tracer gas alone is enough. On complex systems, neither alone is efficient. You can pressure-test a whole building’s plumbing and find that the leak is somewhere in 2,000 m² of floor; that doesn’t help you repair it. You can also pressure-charge the same 2,000 m² with gas and scan all of it; but that takes far longer than scanning just the zone that pressure-testing identified.

The combined method puts those two tools in series. Pressure-test rules out 90% of the system in an hour; tracer gas pinpoints in the remaining 10%. The result is faster, more confident, and produces better documentation for insurance.

When pressure & tracer gas is the right call

• Industrial radiant heat systems with multiple loops covering thousands of square metres.
• Multi-floor strata supply or return mains where standard methods can’t isolate which floor holds the leak.
• Multi-loop commercial cooling systems — chillers, condenser loops, multi-zone HVAC.
• Hydronic heating systems in large commercial buildings with many zone valves and circulators.
• Golf course or large-scale irrigation with many zones; we can pressure-test each zone faster than walking the entire course.
• Resort, hotel, or institutional pool and spa systems with multiple recirculation paths.
• Any system where simpler methods have already been tried and the leak hasn’t been found.

It’s overkill for single-family residential plumbing leaks in most cases — acoustic or thermal are usually faster and cheaper.

Real-world examples from BC properties

Industrial warehouse radiant heat in the Fraser Valley

An 8,000 m² warehouse used an embedded radiant heat system in the polished concrete floor. The system had developed a slow pressure loss; the contractor who installed it 20 years prior was no longer in business and zone documentation was incomplete. Standard acoustic on the floor produced ambiguous signals due to the polished concrete and the size of the space. We started with pressure testing each zone — identified by tracing the supply manifold — and isolated the failing zone within about three hours. We then drained that zone, charged with tracer gas, and scanned the floor section corresponding to the zone. The leak was a failed PEX-to-copper coupling near a column. Repair was a 40×40 cm cut in the concrete, repaired in a day.

Multi-floor mainline in a Burnaby high-rise

A 14-floor strata building had developed mainline pressure loss on the hot-water recirculation system. Standard acoustic on individual risers wasn’t conclusive due to flow noise from active loads. We worked with the building engineer to install temporary isolation valves at each floor, then pressure-tested zone by zone over two evenings (avoiding peak occupancy). The leak was localized to a single riser between floors 9 and 10. Tracer gas in that section pinpointed within 90 cm. Repair was a single fitting in a service shaft, no unit access required.

Resort pool system on Vancouver Island

A resort pool complex had three interconnected pools and spas served by a multi-loop recirculation system. Make-up water consumption had been climbing over a season but no single leak was obvious. We pressure-tested each recirculation loop individually and isolated the failing loop (a return line serving the children’s pool). Tracer gas in that loop showed escape near the equipment pad. Repair was a 60 cm section of buried PVC under the deck. The other pools stayed in service throughout.

Our process, step by step

1. Free phone consult. (604) 269-5325. For complex commercial systems, this is a more substantial conversation — we’ll want to understand the system layout, what’s been tried already, and what the property’s operational constraints are.
2. System review. Where available, we review system documentation — mechanical drawings, zone schedules, prior maintenance records. We coordinate with the building engineer.
3. Zone-by-zone pressure testing. Each zone is isolated, pressurized, and monitored. The failing zone is identified.
4. Tracer gas pinpointing. The failing zone is drained, pressurized with hydrogen tracer gas, and scanned at the surface.
5. Location confirmation. Secondary verification at the marked location (often using one of the other methods we offer) confirms the find before repair is planned.
6. Insurance-grade reporting. Comprehensive documentation: system description, zone test results, leak location, methodology, equipment, photos, recommendations. Suitable for insurance, strata council records, or corporate facilities documentation.
7. Repair coordination. We work with your repair contractor or refer one who’s experienced with the system type.

Equipment and gear

• Pressure testing kit — multiple gauges, regulated pressure sources, isolation valves.
• Hydrogen tracer gas supply (5% H2 / 95% N2) with regulator and supply lines.
• Sensitive electronic gas detector — same equipment as standalone electronic detection.
• Acoustic correlator as secondary verification.
• Ground-penetrating radar for buried portions of complex systems.
• Documentation tools — photo, measurement, sketch, and digital plan markup.

Cost & our “no detection, no charge” policy

This combined method is the most time-intensive work we do — commercial jobs typically run a full day, sometimes two for very large systems. Cost reflects that. The investment pays off when the alternative is destructive investigation of a complex system, which can run into tens of thousands of dollars in tear-out and rebuild.

The no-detection-no-charge guarantee applies to combined-method work too. If we can’t find the leak, you don’t pay for the visit.

Service areas across BC

We provide this service across British Columbia. Priority booking across Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley — Vancouver, North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Richmond, Coquitlam, Delta, Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Victoria, Nanaimo, Kelowna, Kamloops, and the rest of our BC service area.

Frequently asked questions about pressure & tracer gas detection

Related detection methods

• Acoustic detection — first method for pressurized leaks.
• Thermal imaging — moisture-based temperature detection.
• Electronic detection — standalone tracer gas method.
• Underground detection — buried mainlines.
• Drone inspection — aerial thermal for large commercial roofs.