We find the leak. Then we fix it.
Hidden water leaks under slabs, behind walls and across yards in Ballarat, located with acoustic, thermal and pressure testing instead of guesswork and jackhammers. Because we’re licensed plumbers, the repair happens on the same visit.
Ballarat and surrounds · Licensed plumbers · Written location report with every job
Think you’ve got a leak?
Most leaks we find have been running for months before anyone notices. If any of these sound familiar, a leak test will tell you for certain.
- Water bill has jumped Same household, no new usage, bill up noticeably. The most common first sign.
- Meter spins with everything off Turn off every tap and appliance. If the meter still moves, water is going somewhere.
- Warm patch on the floor A hot water line leaking under a slab warms the tiles or carpet above it.
- Damp or soft patch in the lawn A green strip that never dries out, or ground that stays spongy in summer.
- Hissing or running water sound Especially at night when the house is quiet, with nothing turned on.
- Low pressure that came on gradually Pressure dropping over weeks usually means water is escaping before it reaches the tap.
- Mould, bubbling paint or stained plaster Moisture coming through walls or ceilings from a pipe behind them.
- Pool or spa needs topping up constantly Evaporation is normal; losing more than a couple of centimetres a week is not.
What we find
Water, hot water, pool and gas. Residential, commercial and body corporate.
Concealed water leaks
Pipes inside walls, under floors and in ceilings. Located to within centimetres so the repair opening stays small.
Slab leaks
Water or hot water lines under concrete slabs. We pinpoint the spot before any concrete is cut, and often reroute instead.
Underground mains and yard lines
From the meter to the house, and the lines out to sheds, troughs and irrigation. Traced and marked on the surface.
Pool and spa leaks
Shell, plumbing or fittings. Pressure testing of each line tells us which one is losing water, and where.
Hot water system and line leaks
Units, relief valves and the hot lines feeding the house. Thermal imaging makes hot leaks easy to see.
Gas leaks
Licensed gasfitters. Pressure testing and tracing of gas lines to appliances, with the repair and recommissioning done the same day.
How a leak test works
Most jobs take two to three hours on site. You get a marked location and a written report either way.
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You call, we ask a few questions
Bill history, what you’ve noticed, pool or house, slab or stumps. It tells us what gear to bring.
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Confirm there is a leak
Meter check and a pressure test on each section of pipe. If nothing’s leaking, we tell you and stop there.
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Locate it
Acoustic listening along the line, thermal imaging for hot water, moisture mapping on walls and floors, tracer gas where the ground is noisy.
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Mark it, report it, fix it
Spot marked on the surface and a report with photos for you or your insurer. We can repair on the spot, or you can take the report to your own plumber.
- Acoustic ground microphone
- Pulse wave pipe locator
- Thermal imaging camera
- Pressure and tracer gas testing
- Moisture meter and mapping
- Pipe tracing and depth
Why call a plumber who does leak detection
Plenty of leak detection outfits find the leak and hand you a report. Then you ring a plumber, wait for a quote, and dig it up twice.
One visit, one invoice
We’re VBA-licensed plumbers and gasfitters. Once the leak is located we can cut, repair, reroute or reline it right there.
We fix what we find
A detection-only company has no stake in the repair. We do, so the location has to be right.
Local, and local to the ground
Ballarat clay, old galv mains, frost-cracked poly. We’ve been plumbing this area for years and know where the lines usually run.
Where we go
Based just south of Ballarat. Same-day in town, next-day across the wider region.
- Ballarat Central
- Alfredton
- Bakery Hill
- Ballarat East
- Black Hill
- Brown Hill
- Buninyong
- Canadian
- Delacombe
- Golden Point
- Invermay
- Lake Wendouree
- Lucas
- Miners Rest
- Mount Clear
- Mount Helen
- Napoleons
- Redan
- Sebastopol
- Smythesdale
- Soldiers Hill
- Wendouree
- Winter Valley
- Creswick
- Daylesford
- Bacchus Marsh
- Ararat
- Stawell
Plumbers: refer your leaks to us
If you’ve got a customer with a mystery leak and you don’t carry the gear, send them our way. We locate it, send you the report and the marked spot, and the repair stays yours unless you’d rather we do it. No poaching. Same-day where we can.
Common questions
What does leak detection cost?
A standard house leak test is a fixed call-out that covers the pressure testing and location. We confirm the price on the phone before anyone comes out. Repairs are quoted once we know what’s involved; most are done on the same visit.
Do you have to dig up my yard or cut the slab?
Not to find the leak. Acoustic and pressure testing locate it from the surface. For the repair we open the smallest area we can, and with slab leaks we’ll often reroute the line through the wall or ceiling instead of cutting concrete.
What if you don’t find anything?
Sometimes the meter is faulty, or the usage is real. If the pressure tests all hold, we’ll tell you that and you pay the test fee only. You still get the written results.
Will the report work for my insurer or water authority?
Yes. The report includes the test results, the located position with photos and the licence number of the plumber who did the work. Central Highlands Water will usually consider a leak allowance on the bill once a repair is documented.
How quickly can you come?
Usually within one to two days around Ballarat. If water is actively pouring out, turn it off at the meter and call; we’ll get someone there sooner.