Vacuum or ingress leaks are notoriously difficult to locate. Very often, systems are completely dismantled and then reassembled in an attempt to try and ascertain exactly where the troublesome leak is, which is obviously very time-consuming.

These types of leaks can cause a lot of problems across many different industries, from power stations through to food processing plants. Condensers, distillation columns, freeze driers and turbines are all prone to leakage, which can negatively affect product quality, safety and uptime.

Gross vacuum leaks are best located using an ultrasonic instrument, as ultrasound is generated as the fluid moves from high pressure (ambient) to low pressure (vacuum vessel). This detection method is quick and the equipment is often simple to operate.

For the smaller leaks, we would recommend a portable helium leak detector. Helium is sprayed over the areas and joints suspected to have a leak, and the vacuum pump exhaust is monitored for helium particles using the equipment.