How we narrow it down
- Watch the meter's leak indicator with all fixtures off.
- Isolate toilets, the water heater and outdoor lines one by one.
- Use moisture meters on drywall, baseboards and subfloors.
- Scan with a thermal camera to see the cool trace of a cold leak or warm trace of a hot one.
- Pressure test individual branches where needed.
The usual suspects
- Toilet flappers letting water slip into the bowl
- Pinhole leaks in copper above ceilings
- Failed shower pan or drain gaskets
- Fridge water lines behind cabinets
- Outdoor taps cracked by frost, leaking inside the wall
Opening walls only where needed
Pinpointing a leak first means one small opening instead of several exploratory holes. Once found, we repair the leak and leave the opening clean and square for patching.
Related
Learn the clues in signs of a hidden leak and reading your water meter. If a line has split, see burst pipe repair.
The short version
Tell-tale signs
- Turquoise crust building on a copper joint
- Faint hiss in a wall late at night
- Damp joist or rust drip below a bathroom
- Meter dial creeps with every tap in the house closed
Kit on the van
- Drywall saw and a shop vac for wet cavities
- Pin moisture meter and a thermal imager
- Tube cutters, propane torch, lead-free solder
- PEX crimp rings and a ratchet crimper
How we go about it
- Bring the line back up to pressure and watch it dry
- Leave the hole open a day if the cavity is soaked
- Close the closest valve, or the main if none holds
- Cut a tidy access hole right at the wet spot
Your questions, answered plainly
Can you find leaks under concrete?
We can often narrow them to a zone with pressure and acoustic checks before any concrete is cut.
Is a constantly running toilet a leak?
Yes, and it is one of the most frequent causes of high bills.