Leak Detection and Pipe Repairs

• A higher water bill with no change in how you use water.
• The water meter moving when every tap and appliance is off.
• Damp patches, stains or bubbling paint on walls, ceilings or floors.
• A boiler that keeps losing pressure: Often a leak in the heating pipework.
• The sound of running water when nothing is turned on.
• A warm patch on the floor, which can mean a leaking hot water or heating pipe below.
• Musty smells, mould, or lifting or loose floorboards and tiles.
• Lower water pressure at the taps than usual.

To check the meter yourself, turn off every tap and water-using appliance, note the reading, and check again after a period with no water used. If the reading has moved, water is escaping somewhere.

Water leak detection is about narrowing down the search before anything is opened up. We use the methods that suit the pipe and the building:

• Pressure testing: Isolating parts of the system and testing each one, to show whether the leak is on the hot, cold or heating side.
• Thermal imaging: A camera shows temperature differences, so a leaking hot water or heating pipe shows up through floors and walls.
• Acoustic leak detection: Sensitive microphones pick up the sound of water escaping under pressure, pinpointing the spot along a buried pipe.
• Tracer gas: A safe, harmless gas mix is put into the drained pipe, and a detector picks up where it escapes through the floor or ground.
• Moisture mapping: Moisture meters map how far the water has spread, which separates a leak from condensation or rising damp.
• Inspection cameras: A small camera through a small hole can confirm the leak before a wider area is opened.

Most leaks can be located to a small area, so only the floor, wall or tiles directly over it need opening. In some cases, such as deep screeds or several leaks, more investigation is needed, and we explain why before going further.

• Under solid floors: Heating and hot water pipes buried in concrete or screed, common in homes from the 1960s and 1970s.
• Underfloor heating: A leak in the pipe loop or at the manifold. Faults with the heating itself are covered by our underfloor heating maintenance and repair service.
• Behind showers and baths: Failed joints, valves or seals behind tiles. See our bathroom plumbing service.
• The supply pipe: The mains water pipe between your boundary and the house is normally the owner's responsibility. Some water companies offer help with repairing it, so check with your supplier.
• Heating systems: A sealed system losing pressure, often at a radiator valve or a pipe under the floor. Our central heating system maintenance service covers the wider system.

Leaking waste pipes and drains are found differently, with a CCTV drain survey.

Once the leak is found, the pipe repair is planned around the cause:

• A single failed joint or split: The damaged section is cut out and replaced.
• A pipe buried in a solid floor: Sometimes it is better to leave the old pipe and run a new one through a wall or ceiling void, rather than digging up a large area of floor.
• Old or corroded pipework: If one leak is a sign that more will follow, we explain the options for replacing the run through our pipework installation and repair service.

The repair is pressure-tested before anything is closed up. Because we are also builders, decorators and tilers, we can make good the area afterwards: plaster patch repair, replacing cracked or chipped tiles, and floors relaid. Wet areas need to dry out before they are redecorated, and we can measure moisture to confirm when.

Often, yes. Many home insurance policies include "trace and access" cover, which pays for finding a hidden leak and for opening up and making good the floor or wall to reach it. It is often subject to a limit, and the repair of the leaking pipe itself may not be covered. Damage caused by the water is usually claimed separately, under escape of water cover.

Check your policy and speak to your insurer before work starts. We give you a written report showing how the leak was found, where it was and what caused it, with photos, to support your claim.