Compressed Air Leak Detection in Bedford

Local compressed air leak detection and leak testing across Bedford, Bedfordshire and the Midlands.

Compressed Air Leak Detection in Bedford and the Midlands

Optimeasure is based in Wootton, just outside Bedford, and has supplied leak detection and pressure testing equipment to UK manufacturers since 2003. Being local matters for this kind of work: when a production line is held up by a leak, or a compressed air system is quietly costing you money, you want someone who can be on site quickly rather than at the end of a long call-out chain.

Why Compressed Air Leaks Are Worth Finding

Compressed air is one of the most expensive utilities in a factory, and leakage is the largest single source of waste in most installations. Because the loss is invisible and audible only at close range, it tends to go untreated for years — while the compressor works harder, runs longer and wears faster to maintain system pressure.

Finding and fixing leaks reduces energy consumption, extends compressor life, stabilises line pressure for the equipment that depends on it, and cuts unplanned downtime.

What We Do

Compressed air leak surveys — locating and documenting leaks across your distribution system and point-of-use equipment.
Component and assembly leak testing — air leak testing and pressure decay leak testing for manufactured parts.
Tracer gas leak testing — where higher sensitivity is required, see our helium leak testing service and hydrogen leak detection.
Equipment supply and integration — instruments and bespoke systems, integrated into your production line.
Calibration and service — traceable calibration at our Bedford facility or on site.

Pneumatic Site Surveys

A pneumatic site survey is a comprehensive, non-contact inspection of your compressed air system. We locate, quantify and document every leak we find, so you can cut wasted energy, reduce running costs and avoid the unplanned downtime a deteriorating air system eventually causes.

Surveys are carried out with an acoustic imaging camera rather than soap solution or a handheld ultrasonic probe. The camera visualises sound in real time, overlaying a live acoustic heat map onto the camera image, so a leak that would otherwise be lost in factory noise appears on screen as a clearly located source.

The Equipment

We survey using the CRYSOUND CRY8025 SonoCam Pocket Pro acoustic imaging camera.

64-channel microphone array covering 2 kHz to 65 kHz, spanning audible and ultrasonic frequencies, so small high-frequency leaks are captured alongside obvious ones.
Leak rate quantification — the system estimates the actual leak rate, not simply its position, which is what allows severity and cost to be calculated on site.
Detection down to 0.012 l/min at 2.7 bar from 10 metres, with a working range of 0.3 m to 120 m.
Non-disruptive — non-contact and handheld, so elevated pipework, tight spaces and awkward fittings can be surveyed without stopping production.

What You Receive

Every survey ends in a data-driven inspection report. For each leak identified, you receive:

Visual evidence — photographs with the acoustic overlay pinpointing the exact location.
Acoustic data — sound pressure level and frequency characteristics.
Severity and cost analysis — the quantified leak rate translated into estimated energy waste and cost impact.

Findings are ranked by cost impact, so your maintenance team can work down the list in order of return rather than starting with whatever is easiest to reach.

Areas We Cover

From our Bedford base we regularly work across Bedfordshire — Bedford, Kempston, Wootton, Biggleswade, Luton and Dunstable — and the surrounding counties including Milton Keynes, Northampton, Cambridge, Hitchin and Letchworth. We support customers UK-wide through our North and South service hubs, so distance is not a barrier where the application warrants it.

Sectors We Work With Locally

Automotive and EV component manufacture, medical device and pharmaceutical production, aerospace, food and beverage packaging, HVACR, and general engineering and fabrication.

Why Optimeasure

Local to Bedford — genuinely nearby, not a national call centre.
Since 2003 — more than twenty years supplying UK manufacturing.
Method-neutral advice — we supply air, helium, hydrogen and refrigerant methods, so we can recommend what actually suits your application rather than the one product we sell.
Traceable calibration — certified leak standards and documented traceability for regulated industries.

Get in Touch

If you have a compressed air leak problem, a component that needs leak testing, or equipment due for calibration, we are a short drive away.

Optimeasure Ltd
Unit 10, 106a Bedford Road, Wootton, Bedford, MK43 9JB
Telephone: +44 (0) 1234 765500

Arrange a Leak Survey or Site Visit »

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you cover areas outside Bedford?

Yes. We work across Bedfordshire and the surrounding counties as standard, and support customers UK-wide through our North and South service hubs. Our base is Wootton, just outside Bedford.

How much can compressed air leak detection save?

Savings depend entirely on the size and condition of your installation, so we would not quote a figure without surveying it. Compressed air leakage is typically the largest single source of waste in a factory air system, and a survey quantifies what your specific losses are before any work is committed.

Do you test manufactured components as well as air systems?

Yes — component and assembly leak testing is our core business. We supply air, tracer gas and burst testing equipment, integrate systems into production lines, and provide testing as a service where you need capability without capital outlay.