Plumbing Leak Detection
Expert plumbing leak detection services for residential homes across Cornwall & Devon.
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Plumbing leak detection services in Cornwall & Devon
We pinpoint hidden plumbing leaks inside your home, behind walls, under baths and beneath floors, without opening anything up on a guess. Fixed prices and insurance approved reports from a local specialist.
📞 Call now: 07822 025 911DCI Leak Detection pinpoints hidden plumbing leaks inside homes across Cornwall and Devon: behind walls, under baths and sinks, in airing cupboards and beneath floors. Using moisture mapping, thermal imaging and acoustic listening, we locate the leak without opening up walls or lifting floors on a hunch. Fixed pricing, an insurance approved trace and access report and No Find, No Fee on residential work (subject to terms).
The plumbing inside your home is where most hidden leaks live. A push-fit joint that was never quite pushed home behind the kitchen units. A soldered fitting weeping inside a wall void. A bath waste that lets go a little more each time the plug is pulled. None of it is visible, and all of it is doing damage. The Association of British Insurers has reported that escape of water claims cost insurers around £1.8 million every day, and a large share of those claims trace back to ordinary internal pipework.
After more than 30 years finding leaks across Cornwall and Devon, we know the difference between a plumber’s educated guess and a precise location. We pinpoint the leak first, so any repair opens one small, exact spot instead of half a bathroom. No call-out fees, a fixed price agreed up front, and No Find, No Fee on residential plumbing leak detection (subject to terms).
🚿 Signs of an internal plumbing leak
Internal plumbing leaks rarely announce themselves with a puddle. The water tracks along pipe runs, joists and cable routes, then shows up somewhere that looks nothing like the source. These are the signs we hear about most:
- Damp patches or staining on walls, ceilings or skirting that come back after redecorating
- A musty smell in one room, cupboard or corner that never quite clears
- Lifting, cupping or darkening flooring near a bathroom, kitchen or airing cupboard
- The sound of water running or hissing when every tap and appliance is off
- A water meter that keeps creeping overnight with nothing in use
- Low pressure at certain taps while the rest of the house is fine
- A toilet that refills on its own. Waterwise, the UK water efficiency body, estimates a leaking toilet can waste 215 to 400 litres a day, and on a meter that is your money
One sign on its own can have an innocent explanation. Two or more together usually means water is escaping somewhere it should not be, and the longer it runs, the bigger the repair.
🏠 Where internal plumbing leaks hide
Modern homes carry a surprising amount of pipework you never see. These are the places we find leaks week in, week out across Cornwall and Devon:
| Hiding place | What usually fails | What you tend to notice |
|---|---|---|
| Bathrooms | Bath and shower wastes, failed seals, pipework boxed in behind panels | Stains on the ceiling below, spongy floor by the bath |
| Kitchens | Push-fit and compression joints behind units, appliance hoses and valves | Swollen kickboards, damp at the back of cupboards |
| Airing cupboards | Cylinder fittings, gate valves, vent and overflow connections | Rusty fittings, a warm damp smell, drips you can hear but not see |
| Wall voids | Soldered joints, nails or screws through pipes, frost damage on cold runs | A damp patch part way up a wall, blistering paint or plaster |
| Under floors | Pipe runs notched into joists, joints buried in screed | Damp or warm spots underfoot, lifting boards, musty smells |
Waste pipes deserve a special mention. They are not under pressure, so they only leak when water is actually draining, which is why a ceiling stain that appears after a shower but not after a bath points straight at one specific waste run. That kind of detail is exactly what our survey is built to catch.
🔍 How we pinpoint plumbing leaks without opening walls
The old approach was to cut holes until you found water. Ours is closer to keyhole surgery: the equipment does the searching, and your walls, tiles and floors stay intact while it does.
Talk it through
You describe the symptoms over the phone: the stain, the smell, the meter reading. We give you a fixed price for the survey before we set off. No call-out fee.
Moisture mapping
Digital moisture meters read the damp levels across walls and floors, tracing the water’s path back towards its source rather than chasing the wet patch itself.
Thermal imaging
Our FLIR cameras show the temperature changes escaping water creates behind plaster and under flooring. See how thermal imaging leak detection works.
Acoustic listening
Pressurised water escaping a pipe makes a distinctive noise. Our acoustic leak detection equipment picks it up through walls, tiles and solid floors.
Tracer gas if needed
For the stubborn ones, we charge the pipe with the industry standard tracer gas, 5 per cent hydrogen in 95 per cent nitrogen, non flammable and safe in use. Details on our tracer gas leak detection page.
Mark, photograph, report
We mark the exact position, photograph the evidence and write up the findings in a report your insurer will recognise.
🚰 Stopcocks, isolation valves and stopping the water
While you wait for a survey, the most useful thing you can do is know how to stop the water. Your internal stop tap (the stopcock) is usually under the kitchen sink or close to where the supply pipe enters the property; South West Water and other water companies publish guidance on finding it. Turn it clockwise to shut off the whole house. Most modern bathrooms and kitchens also have small isolation valves on the pipes feeding each tap, toilet and appliance, so you can often cut off one fitting without losing water everywhere.
If the stop tap itself is the thing dripping, do not ignore it. Our guide to whether a leaking stopcock is an emergency explains when it can wait and when it cannot. And if you have hunted under the sink and found nothing, how to find the shut-off valve for your water walks through every common hiding place.
🧱 Leaks in walls and ceilings
A stain spreading across a ceiling or a damp patch climbing a wall is the classic internal plumbing leak, and the source is almost never directly behind the mark. Water runs along the back of plasterboard and the top of joists before it finally shows, so cutting into the visible patch usually finds nothing but wet plaster. Our guide on how to find a leak in walls or ceilings covers the checks you can safely make yourself before calling anyone.
Speed matters here. Guidance from the US Environmental Protection Agency notes that mould can begin growing on damp materials within 24 to 48 hours, so the sooner the leak is located and the area dried, the smaller the job becomes. One culprit worth ruling out early is the toilet: a faulty fill or flush valve can send water quietly through the system and into the fabric of the building. If yours never seems to stop refilling, read why your toilet is constantly running.
🛡️ Insurance claims and trace and access
Most UK buildings insurance policies include trace and access cover. In plain terms, it usually pays for professionally locating the leak and making good the damage caused by getting to it. It does not always cover repairing the faulty pipe itself, and policy limits vary, so check your own wording. Our plain-English guide to what trace and access cover is walks through it step by step.
Because we work to insurer requirements, every plumbing leak survey can come with a report built for the claim: photographs, thermal images, moisture readings and a description of the methods used. When you are ready to book, our trace and access service handles the detection and the documentation in one visit.
📋 What to expect from your survey
A plumbing leak survey is not disruptive, and a few minutes of preparation helps us work faster:
- Know where your stop tap is, and check it actually turns
- Clear access under sinks, behind bath panels and to the airing cupboard if those areas are suspects
- If you have a meter, note a reading last thing at night and first thing in the morning with no water used. Movement overnight points to a live leak
- Note when you first spotted the problem and anything that changed around that time, such as new appliances, building work or a cold snap
- Dig out a recent water bill if the first sign was a jump in usage
On the day, we map, scan and listen, then mark the leak position and talk you through exactly what we found and what should happen next. You are never left with a mystery invoice: the price is the one agreed before we arrived.
✅ Ready to pinpoint that plumbing leak?
Every day it runs, the damage spreads a little further behind your walls. One visit locates it precisely, with the evidence your insurer needs.
Call Dickie on 07822 025 911
No Find, No Fee on residential plumbing leak detection (subject to terms). No call-out fees, fixed prices, and a local team covering the whole of Cornwall and Devon. You can also email hello@dcileakdetection.co.uk or use the quote form above.
📞 07822 025 911📍 Find us in Cornwall & Devon
🔧 Plumbing leak detection services across Cornwall & Devon
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the warning signs that I might have a hidden plumbing leak?
Several clues suggest a concealed leak. A water meter that continues to spin when no taps are running, a persistent musty smell, unexplained increases in your water usage, damp patches or peeling paint on walls and ceilings, reduced water pressure at certain taps, the sound of running water when nothing is on and warm spots on floors are all common indicators . If you notice any of these signs, book a professional leak‑detection service promptly to avoid the health risks and structural damage that long‑term leaks can cause.
How does professional leak detection work and what equipment do you use?
Modern leak detection is non‑destructive. We combine three main methods – sensitive acoustic microphones that pick up the sound of pressurised water escaping, thermal imaging cameras to show temperature differences from leaking hot pipes and tracer‑gas detection for stubborn leaks. These techniques mirror the best practices outlined by leading companies, which carry thermal imaging, acoustic detectors, moisture mapping and tracer‑gas equipment to every job. With over 40 years’ experience, we select the right method (or combination) for your property and always explain our approach before we start.
Two everyday culprits to rule out first are a leak under the sink and a leaking outdoor tap.
How much does plumbing leak detection cost, and will my insurance cover it?
Costs vary because each leak is different. Some specialists charge in half‑hour increments and may add fees for tracer gas and materials . A typical domestic leak in a hot or cold water pipe may take a few hours to locate and report. The good news is that most UK home insurance policies include “Trace & Access” cover. When this cover is in place, your insurer usually reimburses the cost of locating and exposing the leak . You’ll still need to pay for the actual repair to the pipe, but the cost of finding and accessing it is normally covered . We always discuss pricing up front and can advise you on making a claim.
Do you do commercial plumbing leak detection?
Yes, we are both residential and commercial leak detection specialists.
Will leak detection damage my property?
Non‑invasive leak detection is designed to minimise damage. In most cases we locate leaks through floors and walls without any cutting at all. Occasionally a small access hole (for example, to remove a bath panel or insert a borescope camera) is necessary to confirm a leak, but our aim is always to avoid speculative destruction. Before any intrusive work, we’ll discuss it with you and explain how it affects your insurance claim – speculative damage is usually not covered.
Will you need to turn off my water or heating?
For heating‑system leaks, it’s rare that we’ll need to isolate the water. However, for mains water leaks, our engineer often needs to shut off the supply briefly during pressure tests. We ask that no water is used (including toilets, washing machines or outside taps) while these tests run. If tracer gas is used, using water could allow the gas to escape and affect the test results. We’ll guide you through this on the day.
How long does leak detection take and will you need more than one visit?
Every job is different, but most domestic investigations are completed in one visit. A straightforward hot/cold water leak typically takes about half a day to locate and report. Heating‑system leaks can be more complex and may require most of a day. Second visits are rare and usually only needed if access was restricted or the pipe system is badly obstructed. We always allocate sufficient time and keep you updated throughout.
Do you repair the leak once it’s found?
Leak detection and repair are two distinct tasks. Like many specialists, we focus on finding the leak and providing a detailed report. Permanent repairs are classed as maintenance and are not covered under most trace‑and‑access policies. To avoid conflicts of interest, reputable leak detectors prefer not to carry out the final repair themselves. We’ll make a temporary fix where possible and recommend trusted local plumbers for the final repair. We can also advise on drying and restoration.
How should I prepare for your visit and what should I do while I’m waiting?
If a leak is severe, turn off your stop tap (usually under the kitchen sink) to minimise damage. Move valuables away from affected areas, take photographs of any damage for insurance and check your policy for trace‑and‑access cover. When the engineer arrives they may need clear access to stopcocks both inside and outside the property. During pressure or tracer‑gas tests it’s important not to use any water, including toilets and appliances. If you’re unsure where your stop tap is, we’ll help you locate it.
How can I prevent plumbing leaks in the future?
Routine maintenance saves money. Carry out annual pressure tests on your plumbing and heating systems; insulate external pipes to prevent frost damage; install leak‑detection shut‑off valves; replace stop taps every 15 years before they seize; and regularly check under sinks and around appliances for small drips. These simple steps, combined with prompt attention when you notice any of the warning signs above, help reduce the risk of serious leaks.
What sets your leak detection service apart from a general plumber?
General plumbers are excellent at fitting taps and repairing visible pipework, but tracing a hidden leak requires specialist tools and experience. Even industry guides note that while plumbers can detect some leaks, they often lack the equipment needed to trace hidden leaks and access the affected area. We have invested in a full suite of leak‑detection equipment and devoted 30+ years to perfecting our techniques. Because leak detection is our sole focus, we arrive ready to detect leaks quickly and provide the insurance‑approved documentation you need.