detecting cold water flow in copper pipes?

[Joncrawf]

Hi all,

Is there an easy way of detecting water flow in copper pipes? I'm installing a new bathroom in a house which used to be several flats which has left me with a maze of copper piping under the floor. I'm think that much of the plumbing is redundant but I'd like to get my head around what does what under the floor.

The CH and HW pipes are pretty easy to figure out but I'm struggling to identify all of the cold pipes.

Thanks in advance

Jon

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

Only to say that a pipe with cold water running through it in a warm damp room will attract condensation.
If it doesn't get condensation it could be a :-
dead leg
gas pipe
system feed or vent pipe
pipe to an outlet that isn't turned on or is capped.

The only sure way is to trace each pipe back from whence it came.

 

[Joncrawf]

The only sure way is to trace each pipe back from whence it came.

I was worried that might be the case! I think I'll have to do this anyway so I can figure out where my gas supply to the boiler runs.

Many thanks for your help.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Thermal imagine is an option.

Also sound can tell you which pipes have water moving (to differentiate mains from gravity).

However, telling the direction of flow is another thing.

Experience and/or exploration is the only option sometimes.

 

[slapper]

I sometimes turn the hot tap on and see what pipe gets hot.

 

[Norcon]

If you know their is flow in the pipe and have a digital differential temperature kit with two velcro thermocouples then strap them on about 800mm apart and heat the pipe in the center.

That will let you know flow direction quite quickly and no flow if the readings don't change.

And if you don't like hot works or the pipe is plastic then use a tin of spray freeze.