Leak detection questions, answered

We find hidden water leaks without tearing up your home. We use pressure tests, acoustic listening and thermal imaging to pinpoint the leak, mark it, and document it with photos. Our plumbing partner then makes a small, targeted repair, or we hand the spot to your own plumber.

It depends on how many lines need testing and how hard the leak is to reach. A single fixture check is quick; a slab or buried line takes longer. We’ll give you an idea when you call.

Many policies cover the water damage and the cost of getting access to the leak, but not the broken pipe itself. Photos and readings from the detection help with the claim. Check your own policy for details.

Turn off the main water valve if water is actively spreading, move valuables away from wet areas, and take photos for your insurance claim.

Yes. We find and mark the leak, then our plumbing partner makes the repair, so you deal with one team from finding the leak to fixing it. If you already have a plumber, we can hand them the marked spot and our report instead. Accurate detection keeps the repair small.

The most common signs are warm spots on the floor, the sound of running water when nothing is on, and a water meter that keeps moving. A sudden jump in your water bill is another clue.

Yes. Detection is non-invasive. We mark the leak location on the floor; the only opening is the small one made for the repair, by our plumbing partner or your own plumber.

It should be handled quickly because it wastes water and energy and can damage flooring. Close the cold water inlet on the water heater to stop the flow until the repair.

Many policies cover sudden water damage and the cost of getting access to the leak, but not the worn pipe itself. Check your policy and keep the detection report.

In most areas the homeowner is responsible for the line from the meter to the house, and the utility for the line up to the meter. Check with your water provider if the leak is close to the meter.

Yes. Plastic lines carry sound poorly, so we add tracer gas testing when acoustic listening alone isn’t enough.

Usually just enough for the plumber to reach and repair the pipe at the marked spot, instead of trenching the whole line.

That’s what the tests separate. A flood test checks the pan, a pressure test checks the supply lines, and running the shower shows splash and grout leaks.

With a meter test, fixture isolation, moisture mapping and thermal imaging. Acoustic listening helps on pressurized lines. The wall is opened only at the marked spot.

Yes. A slow leak keeps materials wet far longer than the 24–48 hours the EPA gives for drying water-damaged materials to prevent mold growth.

It depends on the weather. Hot, dry, windy days can evaporate roughly a quarter inch a day, and mild days much less. A bucket test tells you whether the loss is more than evaporation.

Yes. Keep the pool at its normal level and the equipment working so we can test every line.

Yes. Spas are tested the same way: dye at the jets and fittings, and pressure testing of the plumbing lines.

It finds the temperature pattern a leak leaves on walls, ceilings and floors. Combined with moisture readings, that points to where the water is coming from.

No. It reads surface temperature. Moisture inside a wall changes that surface temperature, which is what the camera picks up.

Consumer cameras can show obvious patterns, but reading them correctly takes experience, and every finding should be confirmed with a moisture meter.

At spring start-up, after the system has been winterized, and any time your water bill jumps during the watering season.

Close the irrigation valve and watch the water meter. If it stops, the leak is in the sprinkler system; if it keeps moving, it’s in the house or the main water line.