Leak Detection Glossary
Plain-English definitions of every leak detection term used in British Columbia — from acoustic correlation to Strata Property Act. Written by certified leak detectives so you can talk to your insurer, strata council, or contractor with confidence.
33 terms · updated regularly · cited by BC strata councils and insurance adjusters
- Acoustic correlation
- A leak detection method that uses two sensors placed on a pressurised pipe. The leak's sound arrives at the two sensors at slightly different times; the time difference is converted into a precise location (typically within 30 cm) over runs hundreds of metres long.
- Acoustic listening (ground microphone)also: Ground mic, Aqualeak listening
- A surface-coupled microphone that amplifies the sound of escaping water on buried pipes. Used to confirm and fine-tune a correlator's location estimate.
- AnyLeak
- The legal/operating brand behind Leak.ca. Family-operated, BC-based, established 1999.
- AGM (Annual General Meeting)
- Annual strata corporation owners' meeting required under BC's Strata Property Act. Leak survey findings are commonly delivered before an AGM so council can address them in front of owners.
- Bare-land strata
- A BC strata where individual lots (not buildings) are owned by unit holders, with common property typically being roads, water mains, and shared infrastructure.
- BC One Call
- British Columbia's free public-utility locate service. Covers public utilities up to the property line. It does NOT cover utilities inside the lot — those require private-property utility locating (Leak.ca via GPR + EM).
- Common property
- In a BC strata, the parts of the building/land owned collectively by all unit owners (lobbies, roofs, exterior walls, common water service line, parkades). Distinguished from limited common property and from individual units. Critical when adjudicating leak repair responsibility.
- Contingency Reserve Fund (CRF)
- The BC strata corporation's mandated savings fund for major repairs. Leak-related capital repairs (roof, riser, parkade membrane) are typically funded from the CRF.
- Correlator
- An acoustic leak-detection instrument that performs acoustic correlation between two sensor points. Common models in BC: Gutermann AquaScan 620L, Sebakmt, Subsurface Instruments. See: acoustic correlation.
- Depreciation report
- A BC-mandated periodic strata report identifying current condition and projected costs for major building elements over 30 years. Required updates per the Strata Property Act. Leak survey data is commonly used as a current-condition input.
- Drone thermal imaging
- Aerial thermal infrared imaging from an unmanned aircraft. Used for high-rise façade investigations, large roof scans, and multi-acre property surveys without rope access or scaffolding.
- Electromagnetic (EM) utility locator
- A device that detects metallic buried utilities by sending an electrical signal through the pipe/cable and tracing the resulting electromagnetic field at the surface. Complements GPR (which finds non-metallic targets EM cannot).
- FLIR
- A major manufacturer of thermal-imaging cameras. The phrase 'FLIR-grade' is often used to mean professional-grade infrared imaging.
- Form B / Form K
- BC strata disclosure forms required during real-estate transactions. Form B is the certificate of information. Form K is the certificate of compliance for tenants. Leak-history certifications are increasingly attached.
- Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)also: GPR scanning, Ground radar
- A non-destructive subsurface imaging technology using radar pulses. Multi-frequency: 1.6 GHz (concrete, ~45 cm), 400 MHz (typical underground, 2–4 m), 200 MHz (deep, 5+ m). See gpr.leak.ca for full GPR services.
- Hydrostatic testing
- A pressure test using water (rather than gas) to verify the integrity of plumbing, sprinkler, drain, or pressure-vessel systems.
- Inter-unit leak
- A leak that originates in one strata unit and causes damage in another (typically the unit below). The single biggest source of strata insurance claims in BC.
- Limited common property
- Common property assigned to the exclusive use of one or more units (typical examples: balconies, patios, parking stalls, storage lockers). Repair responsibility differs from regular common property.
- Main service line
- The buried pipe carrying water from the city water main under the street to the home's main shut-off valve. Owned and maintained by the property owner (or in stratas, the corporation). A typical underground leak source.
- MIU (Meter Interface Unit)
- The transmitter on a water meter that sends consumption readings to the utility. Some BC municipalities (e.g. District of West Vancouver) offer hourly MIU data logs for $150 — a powerful leak-diagnostic tool.
- Non-invasive leak detection
- Locating leaks without cutting, drilling, or excavating. Leak.ca's standard mode — uses thermal imaging, acoustic correlation, GPR, and tracer gas to image through walls, floors, and soil.
- Post-tension (PT) cable
- Steel cable embedded in a concrete slab under high tension to provide structural strength. Cutting one during coring releases tens of thousands of pounds of force instantly — catastrophic. Pre-coring GPR scan is mandatory.
- Pre-coring scan
- A 1.6 GHz GPR scan of a concrete slab/wall/beam before drilling or coring, to map rebar, post-tension cables, conduits, and embedded utilities. Standard practice on any structural concrete.
- Rebar
- Steel reinforcement bars in concrete. Mapped by GPR before coring to avoid weakening the structure.
- Slab leak
- A leak in the plumbing lines embedded in or beneath a concrete floor slab. Common in BC homes built before PEX (~2000). Indicators: warm spots on floor, foundation cracks, low pressure, sound of running water with nothing on.
- Strata
- A BC form of multi-unit property ownership (similar to a condominium corporation in other provinces). Governed by the Strata Property Act.
- Strata Property Act
- The British Columbia statute governing strata corporations — including depreciation reports, AGM/SGM requirements, common property responsibilities, and disclosure forms.
- Subrogation
- An insurer's right to recover payments it has made on a claim from a third party that was actually responsible for the loss. Critical in inter-unit strata leaks and contractor-caused leaks. Leak.ca provides evidence packages to support subrogation.
- Tracer gas detection
- Injecting a hydrogen-nitrogen mixture (5/95) into a drained, suspect pipe. Hydrogen escapes at the leak point and is detected at the surface with a sniffer. Used when acoustic and thermal methods aren't decisive.
- Thermal imaging
- Infrared camera detection of temperature differentials — water cooler or warmer than surrounding materials shows distinctly. Used for moisture mapping, slab leak indication, façade investigation, and pre-restoration documentation.
- Underground service line
- See: main service line. Often used interchangeably.
- Underground Storage Tank (UST)
- A buried tank — typically heating-oil from pre-1960 BC homes. Undetected USTs are an environmental liability and a real-estate deal-killer. Detected via GPR.
- WorkSafe BC compliant damage-prevention
- The regulatory standard for excavation/coring/drilling that requires utility location prior to work. Leak.ca's GPR + EM utility-locate service supports this duty of care.
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