Locating underfloor heating pipes

What the survey finds

When you need a pipe survey

Drilling through an underfloor heating pipe is expensive. The floor has to be broken out, the pipe repaired and the screed and finish replaced, and the heating is out of action in the meantime. A survey is used:

• before fixing partitions, kitchens, sanitary ware or equipment to the floor
• before cutting or coring through a heated floor
• to find a leak or plan repairs to the system
• where installation drawings are missing or inaccurate

What the survey finds

GPR detects plastic and metal heating pipes embedded in screed. It shows the pipe loops, the flow and return runs to the manifold and the approximate depth of the pipes. Other cables and conduits in the screed show up in the same scan.

How it is done

We scan the floor with a high-frequency GPR antenna. No floor finishes need to be lifted, and the screed is not broken. Pipe positions can be read on site and marked straight onto the floor, or onto protective covering. Where you need a record, the data is processed in the office and the pipe layout is drawn onto your floor plan.

Marking out a typical pipe network usually takes a day or less on site. The equipment is safe to use in occupied homes and workplaces.

Limits you should know about

Most floor finishes, including tiles, timber and vinyl, can be scanned through. Metal-backed or foil-faced layers, steel mesh close to the pipes, and some reflective insulation can reduce what GPR can see. Where pipes are very tightly spaced, we mark the area to avoid rather than individual pipes. A thermal camera with the heating running can be a useful check alongside GPR.

Why use GPR

• No damage to the screed or floor finish.
• Avoids costly repairs to the heating system.
• Pipes marked on site, so work can start straight away.
• Safe in occupied buildings.

GPR has been the core of our business since we started, and our surveyors have extensive experience of locating heating pipes.

Questions we're asked