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Other intangible assets with definite lives (Notes) | 3 Months Ended
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Apr. 30, 2016
Other intangible assets with definite lives [Abstract] |
Schedule of Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets [Table Text Block] | Other intangible assets with definite lives. The Company owns several patents, including those covering features of its piping and electronic leak detection systems. Patents are capitalized and amortized on a straight-line basis over a period not to exceed the legal lives of the patents. The Company expenses costs incurred to renew or extend the term of intangible assets. Gross patents were $2.60 million and $2.59 million as of April 30, 2016 and January 31, 2016, respectively. Accumulated amortization was approximately $2.35 million and $2.33 million as of April 30, 2016 and January 31, 2016, respectively. Future amortizations over the next five years ending January 31 will be $34,929 in 2017, $41,100 in 2018, $32,100 in 2019, $29,100 in 2020, $22,850 in 2021, and $92,850 thereafter. Patents are included in other assets in the balance sheet.
| Three Months Ended April 30,
| 2016 |  | 2015 |
Patent amortization expense |  | $11 |  |  | $13 |

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- Definition Other intangible assets with definite lives [Abstract] + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Disclosure of accounting policy for indefinite-lived intangible assets (that is, those intangible assets not subject to amortization). This accounting policy also may address how the entity assesses whether events and circumstances continue to support an indefinite useful life and how the entity assesses and measures impairment of such assets. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 350 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26713463&loc=d3e16323-109275 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51655414&loc=d3e18780-107790 + Details
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