How to Locate Underground Leaks

Have you noticed an unusually high water bill, despite having made little to no changes to your water usage habits? This could mean that you have an undetected leak in your home.

It’s easy to forget that there’s a myriad of plumbing and pipework throughout an average home as they are concealed behind walls and underground. If you suspect a water leak, firstly check the inside of your home for any unusual moisture, mould, or swelling in walls or door frames. If you can’t see anything visible, you may have a deeper underground or under slab leak.

This can be a challenge to identify and locate, given that gravity will pull water away from the ground, making it harder to notice. However, there are still signs that you can look out for if you suspect an underground leak:

• Hearing hissing, dripping or running water sounds, even when no water is in use
• Cracks which may be caused by the shifting of concrete slab and movement of the house
• Warm spot on the floor (leak from a hot water line) or moisture and musty smell on carpets and flooring

Finding an Underground Leak

Even if you have some idea where a leak is underground, it is still difficult to identify its exact location unless you happen to have X-ray vision, or pulling out the jackhammer to tear the concrete slab apart. Thankfully some professionals can help in this situation, without causing extensive damage to your property.

Depending on the surrounding areas and the layout, leaks can be located using audio detection. This is performed by a professional technician who uses specialist equipment to amplify the sound of water running through the pipe, and listening out for escaping noises. This can also help determine the size of the leak and narrow the area to pinpoint the location. Other methods include visual detection through thermal imaging and infrared scanning.

Regardless of the method of detection, whether it be audio, visual or a combination of both, it is essential to engage the services of an experienced professional. This ensures that you find the leak quickly and effectively, saving you the headache of digging up your garden while the water costs continue to go up.

Wild Water Plumbing provides a professional, reliable, and on-time leak detection service, looking after the local community in Sydney’s North Shore Plumber and Northern Beaches Plumbers. Our technicians are experienced and professionally trained to handle specialist leak detection equipment to identify underground leaks while providing you with options and repair solutions to minimise cost and maximise efficiency.

Get in touch with our team today.