24/7 Expert Leak Detection Services

If you suspect that you have a water leak but can’t find it, you need professional leak detection.  If you know you have a leak but can’t find it, you need expert leak detection right away.  With possibilities including plumbing, appliances, roofing, and window or door seals you need someone with experience and all the right equipment.  The sooner you, act the more likely you’ll be able to avoid expensive water damage repair.

Visible symptoms, such as damp or moldy areas, often show up far from where the source itself is located.  And often there are no visible clues.  Yet you’re likely experiencing progressive water damage.  Insulation becomes ineffective… wood swells, warps, and splits (even structural framing)… sheet rock and other drywall deteriorates… and wiring corrodes.  Given enough time even concrete weakens.  An undetected leak under a concrete floor is a big problem.  The flow erodes the underlying soil leading to cracks in the floor and walls, and even structural damage.

Leak Detection Tips

Unexpected problems can come from a variety of sources.

• To help spot any hidden plumbing problems check the gallons of water consumed on each utility bill.  If there’s an unexpected jump, compare it to the same period in one or more previous years.  An increase is cause for concern.
• After the first heavy rain of the season, take a look in the attic and check around and below windows (rain can seep down inside walls).  Any damp, dark, or otherwise discolored materials suggest a problem.  You should also visibly inspect for roof damage, and for exterior cracks between the window and building as well as for damaged caulking and weather stripping.

• The sound of running or spraying water  (That’s an emergency situation.  You should shut off the water supply line, usually a valve at the street or where it enters the building.)
• Moldy, damp, discolored, or warm spots
• Musty or other unexplainable bad odors
• Wood floors buckling or staining
• Wet soil or unusually lush vegetation outdoors

Major appliances with hoses are often the source, so check around and behind dishwashers, clothes washers, ice maker lines, water softeners and filters, and water heaters. Hidden fittings as well as plumbing pipes themselves can develop pinhole leaks and cracks, or even rupture.  That’s especially true for 1970s and earlier galvanized pipes that eventually corrode, but even copper plumbing can pose problems after many years.  Earth movement and poor installation can also cause issues that don’t show until much later.  The problem can be inside walls, under the floor, above the ceiling (including commercial sprinkler systems), or outdoors (lawn sprinklers, main water line, or sewer line).  Pipes running under the floor (including radiant heating systems) can be especially difficult and call for expert slab leak location.

If you suspect a problem you can do your own quick leak detection test.  Shutoff every possible water user (including ice makers, toilets, and any automated appliances).  Read the water meter (you can find instructions from your local utility, often online) and write down the numbers.  Wait an hour or two, and check again.  If there’s any difference at all you almost certainly have a problem.  If there’s any doubts, or you can’t locate the source, then it’s time to call in leak detection professionals.

Professional Leak Detection Methods

Different techniques and meters all have their pros and cons, and it takes training and experience to know which to use first as the most dependable and fastest course of action to determine if you have a problem, and then locate its source.  Here are the main methods we use.

  Pressure Tests

Shutting of the water supply as well as all fixtures and appliances, we connect a sensitive pressure meter.  If the pressure falls, water is escaping somewhere.

  Acoustic

As an alternative, we may drain the pipes and pressurize them with a non-toxic inert gas.  Again, a drop in pressure reveals the presence of a leak.  With this method we can also use special microphones (including ultrasonic), amplifiers, and headphones to listen for the hiss of escaping gas and track down its location.

  Electronic

There are a couple of different electronic leak detection meters.  One sends a signal down the pipes, helping us trace out their location.  The other works somewhat like a metal detector, measuring the radio-frequency conductive effects of different moisture levels.  We also employ sensitive humidity meters and other instruments.

  Thermal

Once found only in advanced high-tech military gear, we can also use sensitive infra-red thermal imaging video cameras.  They show us the tiny differences in temperature that can indicate the presence of water or even dampness.

  Video Inspection

For drains and sewer lines we can send in a live video camera and visually look for holes, cracks, and other deterioration.

Slab Leak Location

Pipes are sometimes run underneath or even within a concrete floor slab, and a leak can pose one of the most serious of repairs.  As an added symptom, it can also result in mineral build ups in appliances even when the local water isn’t hard.  Both galvanized and copper pipes can be damaged.  Soil conditions can cause additional corrosion, and these pipes are more prone to damage by earth movements.  Left unchecked, even a relatively small flow of water causes erosion that can in turn lead to uneven settling, cracks in floors and walls, and even structural damage.

Yet slab leaks are hard to detect and locate, literally buried beneath several inches of concrete then padding and carpet, wood or laminate flooring, or other floor coverings. Accurate slab leak detection and location is especially important due to the costs and disruptions of removing flooring, breaking through concrete, and the follow-up restoration.  We most commonly use electronic and acoustic slab leak location methods to pinpoint the problem.  And the good news is that some plumbing repairs can correct the problem without any demolition at all.

Slab Leak Repair

A plumbing issue under a driveway or walkway can often be repaired with recently developed trench less methods, but they usually can’t handle the distances involved in a slab leak repair.  So the traditional approach has been to jackhammer through the concrete and repair just the damaged section of pipe.  Re-piping is another option.  That routes new pipe around the outside of the floor slab.  It’s sometimes a lower-cost solution, and avoids future problems beneath the concrete floor.  Pipe-lining is a new option, and lines the insides of existing pipes with a non-toxic epoxy coating.  It’s ideal if there are several pinholes spaced fairly far apart.  You’ll need a pro like those at Restoration Masters to properly determine your best options, help you make a decision by discussing the trade-offs with you, and then complete the slab leak repair and floor reconstruction.

Underground Leak Detection

Outdoor water lines, sewer lines, and lawn sprinklers are another common issue.  For underground leak detection we most often rely on our electronic meters, including soil moisture meters.  After underground leak detection, you’ll be glad to know that modern trench less methods can frequently avoid breaking up driveways, walkways, and patios as well as avoid damaging landscaping.

Don’t Wait

The EPA reports that 1 out of 10 U.S. homes have leaks loosing as much as 100 gallons per day.  That’s some 1/4 of the average Southern California home’s usage!  But the issues go far beyond wasted water. Water that doesn’t make it down the drain (as well as roof, window, and other problems) often lead to mold and usually progressive harm to building finishes and even to the structure itself. Neglect frequently results in extensive (and expensive) water damage restoration.  So if you suspect you have a problem give us a call and we’ll quickly dispatch a leak detection specialist, anytime 24/7.  You’ll sleep better knowing that everything has been taken care of.  It’s a wise investment to protect against bigger expenses later.