Leak Detection Services

Leak Detection Services

Leak Detection Services

Increase your plant's performance and help put a stop to forced outages...put Conco to work locating and repairing air in-leakage and tube leaks today.

Air in-leakage negatively impacts plant performance, while tube leaks can cause forced outages costing plants thousands in maintenance and lost productivity. Using advanced tracer gas leak detection technology, Conco technicians can quickly locate sources of leaks within your plant. Conco has been an innovator and leading provider of leak detection services for over 30 years offering both helium and SF6 tracer gas technology.

Conco crews can detect:

  • Condenser air in-leakage
  • Condenser tube leakage
  • Heat Exchanger tube leakage
  • Sources of dissolved oxygen
  • Stator water system leakage
  • Main generator leakage

Depending on leak characteristics, a determination is made whether to mobilize with the helium mass spectrometer system, the state-of-the-art Conco Fluorotracer™ system, or both.

Locating Sources of Air In-leakage

Conco pioneered the use of tracer gas technology to locate air in-leakage in power plants. Since 1978, Conco has restored performance to thousands of plants worldwide using our exclusive technology. Conco technicians are the best in the business with an average of 23+ years of experience in the field. They have complete knowledge of all the components within your vacuum boundary. A typical 500 MW unit can be fully tested in one shift with no need for plant interruption. Our technicians are fully compliant with fossil and nuclear testing procedures and are confined space, first aid and CPR trained.

Locating Circulating Water Tube Leaks

Circulating water leaks can result from penetrations through the tube walls, from joints between the tubes and tubesheet, or from other penetrations between the water box and condenser shell. Contaminants in the circulating water change condensate chemistry, which can cause boiler or steam generator corrosion. Poor water chemistry can also cause stress corrosion cracking of turbine components. Conco’s leak detection crews specialize in finding tube leaks within main condensers. Our methodical approach, using either helium or SF6 tracer gases, ensures that we find even the smallest leaks.

Helium Testing Services

Trained in all aspects of tracer gas leak detection, Conco technicians can use a Helium Mass Spectrometer System to inspect for condenser air in-leakage and/or condenser tube leakage while the unit is running. When the unit is down, they can test main generators and stator water systems for leakage. Unsurpassed in experience, Conco technicians have mastered the “art” of leak detection. In addition to field services, complete Helium Mass Spectrometer Systems and in-house training are available.

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SF6 Testing Services

SF6 has a detectable concentration of one part per ten billion versus helium’s one part per million above background level. The ultra-sensitive nature of this tracer gas makes it ideal for finding very small leaks within condenser tubes. Conco pioneered the use of SF6 for power generation leak detection in 1978 and has manufactured its own continuous sampling SF6 analyzer! Our Fluorotracer analyzer takes full advantage of the detectable concentration of SF6 and can also be used with our hand-held SF6-Pak to perform air in-leakage surveys, making it an extremely versatile system.