ALD
1300 884 401 Get A Free Quote

Complete Leak Detection Guide

Everything you need to know about detecting leaks before they cost you thousands.

View the Guide
Complete Leak Detection Guide guide image

  • Water Mains & Main Line Leaks

    Your water service line runs from the street meter into your home. These pipes are usually copper or PVC and can corrode, crack, or fail after 40-60 years. A main line leak is often invisible: water escapes underground before it reaches your house, so you might only notice the water bill climbing.

  • Underground Leaks (Beneath Concrete)

    These are hot water or cold water pipes buried beneath concrete slabs, driveways, or paths. Corrosion, tree root intrusion, or ground movement can cause failure. You might notice soft spots in the concrete, damp patches on carpets, or a rising bill, but no visible water pooling.

  • Bathroom & Shower Leaks

    Water escaping from shower screens, bathtub surrounds, or behind tiles. These leaks often run down into ceilings or walls, causing mould, soft timber, and ceiling damage. They can be slow and hard to spot until the damage is visible.

  • Pool & Spa Leaks

    Your pool might be losing water through the shell, the underground return lines, or the equipment pad. Not all water loss is evaporation, and pressure testing can tell you which.

  • Roof & Gutter Leaks

    Water entering through the roof, running along beams, or pooling in ceiling cavities. These leaks often appear some distance from where the water actually entered, making them tricky to trace.

  • Balcony & External Wall Leaks

    Failed waterproofing membranes, blocked drains, or failed sealants allow water to run into building cavities. In strata buildings, this often affects multiple units and can cause significant structural damage if not addressed.

  • Mystery Leaks

    Sometimes the meter shows a leak, but visual inspection reveals nothing. These are often slow underground leaks or leaks in enclosed pipe cavities. This is where professional detection technology earns its keep.

  • Rising Water Bill

    A bill that's climbed 20%, 50%, or more with no change in household size or usage is the most common indicator. Even a 10% jump over a few months warrants checking.

  • The Meter Test

    Turn off all water inside and outside the house. Check the water meter. If the numbers are still moving, water is escaping somewhere. If the meter does not move but your bill is high, the leak might be intermittent or the previous bill might reflect a temporary spike.

  • Visual Signs

    Damp patches on walls or ceilings. Soft spots in concrete. Mould or mildew in bathrooms or carpets. Wet carpet that does not improve after drying. Unexplained pooling in yards or driveways. Rust stains on concrete. Any of these can signal a leak.

  • Acoustic Correlation

    Water escaping from a pressurised pipe makes a distinctive hissing or whistling sound. Acoustic equipment detects this noise signature at different points along the pipe run, triangulates the data, and pinpoints the exact location of the leak. Works brilliantly on main lines and underground pipes.

  • Thermal Imaging

    A thermal infrared camera sees temperature differences invisible to the human eye. Water escaping from a pipe cools the surrounding material. Thermal imaging reveals these cold spots, helping us locate leaks in walls, ceilings, and building envelopes without invasive inspection.

  • Pressure Testing

    The water supply system, or a section of it, is isolated and pressurised with air or water. If pressure drops, there is a leak. Pressure testing can isolate which section of pipe is leaking, helping narrow the search zone before acoustic or other methods pinpoint the exact location.

  • Tracer Gas Detection

    For difficult-to-locate leaks, we inject an inert tracer gas into the pipe. The gas escapes at the leak point and can be detected with a sensitive probe, pinpointing the location without water damage or digging.

  • CCTV Inspection

    A small camera is sent through the pipe to visually inspect the interior for cracks, breaks, corrosion, or damage. Useful for understanding the condition of the pipe and confirming what detection has found.

  • Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR)

    Radio waves penetrate soil and concrete to map what is beneath the surface. GPR can reveal pipe locations, soil density changes, and subsurface voids, useful for locating underground pipes before acoustic or pressure testing.

Your report includes property details and bill history, an inspection summary, what we checked, what we found, the detection methods used, leak location and GPS coordinates, photos and diagrams, and repair recommendations.

Use the report to give your plumber the precise location and context needed to quote accurately and avoid exploratory digging.

You now have the information your plumber needs: the exact location and what is wrong. Share the report so your plumber can give you an accurate quote without exploratory digging or guesswork.

Confirm whether they will excavate exactly at the marked location, whether they will charge to locate the leak again, and whether they need any additional information.

Many Australian water authorities offer rebates for found and repaired leaks. Gather your account number, bill history, detection report, and plumber invoice.

Check the policy with your water authority, submit the application with the required documents, and allow processing time. Rebates are usually credited to the account or paid as a one-time amount.

Soft spots expanding in concrete or timber, structural cracks forming or widening, rapidly spreading mould, sagging ceilings with water weight, visible pooling in new locations daily, or water actively entering occupied spaces are all reasons to call a plumber today.

Acoustic correlation detects water escaping from pressurised pipes using sound signatures and triangulation. Hydrostatic pressure testing pressurises pipes to identify leaks via pressure drop. A main line is the water service line from the street meter into a property. Non-invasive detection means locating the leak without breaking walls, digging, or causing property damage.

Tracer gas is inert gas used to trace water escape paths. Thermal imaging uses an infrared camera to visualise temperature differences. CCTV is a camera sent through pipes to inspect damage. Ground penetrating radar uses radio waves to map subsurface features. Non-revenue water is commercial water lost to leaks but still billed. A membrane is a waterproof layer on balconies or showers.

More guides

Ready to find your leak?

When you're ready to book a detection, we'll use our decades of experience to pinpoint the problem and get you the information your plumber needs.

Get a Free Quote Call Now