Water & Pipe
Pool & External
A mystery leak can raise your water bill or move your meter even when nothing is running, with no visible signs to guide you. These leaks may be inside walls, under concrete or gardens, crossing into neighbouring land, or appearing only under certain conditions. ALD uses multiple leak detection technologies to find the source, mark the location, and give your plumber clear information for a targeted repair.
For hidden, intermittent, cross-boundary, or hard-to-explain leaks.
A mystery leak is a water loss that cannot be located through standard visual inspection or basic diagnostic methods. The leak is real - the meter proves it - but its source and location remain unknown despite investigation. Mystery leak detection is a specialist service that combines acoustic listening, thermal imaging, tracer gas, correlation technology, and systematic interrogation of the entire water supply system to find what others have missed.
The reasons leaks become mysteries are varied: pipes routed unexpectedly, internal damage, structural settlement that fractured a hidden line, cross-boundary leakage, or damage from previous tradespeople whose work caused the problem but isn't obvious. Some leaks only appear under certain conditions - like overnight, during rain, or when specific appliances run.
Water meter runs but you can't find any visible wet areas or sound of running water
Water bill has increased significantly with no explanation
You've already had two or more plumbers look and they couldn't find anything
Damp patches appear intermittently or only in certain weather conditions
Water loss continues even after main shut-off valve is partially closed
You suspect water is escaping under the house or into a neighbour's property
Water pressure drops only at certain times of day or when specific appliances run
Mystery leaks exist at the edge of standard plumbing diagnosis. They require patience, multiple technologies, and a mindset of 'we'll try everything until we find it'. That's our speciality.
$495
For a full mystery leak investigation
Mystery leak investigations typically take 2–4 hours because we're starting from scratch. We don't have visible clues to guide us, so we need to check everything systematically. Some properties take longer if the leak is intermittent or cross-boundary. We'll give you a time estimate during your booking call, and we'll call you before starting if the investigation is likely to take longer than expected.
No. Every method we use is non-invasive. We listen, we scan, we inject tracer gas, we image with thermal cameras — but we do not drill, dig, break, or cut anything to find your leak. The whole point of our investigation is to give your plumber an exact location so they can do minimal invasive work.
It happens. Water has no property boundary — it flows to the lowest point. If our investigation confirms the leak is on the neighbour's side or at the shared boundary, we'll document that clearly in our report. Your insurer or local council may need to be notified depending on the circumstances, and your neighbour's homeowner insurance may be responsible. We'll advise on next steps.
A regular water leak detection usually starts with visible signs: damp walls, soft ground, mould. We follow those clues backwards to the leak source. A mystery leak has no visible signs. The meter is the only proof. So we use a broader range of technologies and more time to find it. It's more detective work and less following breadcrumbs.
We find and report it. For the actual repair, you'll work with a licensed plumber. Once we've marked the exact location, the repair becomes straightforward — they're not guessing anymore. In some cases (like internal pipe damage), we can advise on the most cost-effective repair approach based on what we found.
High water bill? Mysterious damp spot? Slow drip inside the walls? We use acoustic listening and tracer gas technology to locate water leaks precisely, without breaking concrete, tiles, or drywall. Full written report included, with repair guidance for your plumber.
View Service
High water bill? Mysterious damp spot? Slow drip inside the walls? We use acoustic listening and tracer gas technology to locate water leaks precisely, without breaking concrete, tiles, or drywall. Full written report included, with repair guidance for your plumber.
View Service Infrared cameras reveal hidden moisture, heat loss, and structural issues invisible to the eye. We use this technology alongside acoustic and tracer gas methods to build a complete picture of what's happening in your property.
View ServiceLet us do the assessment. We'll give you a clear, documented answer — and if there is a leak, we'll tell you exactly where it is.
