DCI Field Services LTD offers the following different types of Leak Detection:
These are offered as separate services because the skill sets and equipment required for each type of investigation are not the same. For the majority of customers, it will be obvious which type of Leak Detection service you require. However, if you are unsure which of the above categories your leak pertains to, our Technical Advisers will discuss with you to determine which service will be best suited to your problem. It may be necessary to go through a process of elimination until the source of the leak is diagnosed. In such cases, more than one appointment may be required to discover the root cause of the issue, and any additional appointments will be fully chargeable. Equally, we will advise you if we do not think our services are suited to your problem.
Please note, we are not builders, roofers, damp-proof specialists, window fitters, bathroom or kitchen fitters, flooring contractors, etc. As a result, we do not offer repairs in these fields.
For pipework, drainage, and swimming pool leak detections, we may be able to quote you for repairs. We do not carry out repairs to roofs or buildings. Repairs carry an additional charge on top of the Leak Detection. Please see Section 10 for further details.
It is possible for a problem that seems like a leak to actually be caused by something other than a leak. The following is a non-exhaustive list of things that can falsely indicate a leak: faulty water meter, faulty boiler, bad ventilation, condensation, rising damp, failed damp-proof course, one-off spillages. Investigations which prove there is no leak are fully chargeable, and you may need to engage a different trade or contractor to fully resolve the problem. If you realise at any point after the free cancellation period has passed that you did not actually require a leak detection, we will not be able to waive or refund any charges.
Our services are often described by insurance companies as ‘Trace and Access’, which reflects the ‘Trace and Access’ cover provided under many policies. Please be advised that a quote for Leak Detection does not include making access to the leak because we would not expose a leak without also having the intention of repairing it. The access fee would normally fall into the price you have been quoted for a ‘Repair’, and this can be broken down on your quote or invoice document upon request.
Please ensure that access to the relevant properties is arranged in advance. The engineers will need access to the inside of the property for all types of leak detection appointments. It sounds obvious, but this is often overlooked! The most common examples of situations where this can go wrong are listed here:
Our Engineers’ equipment is bulky and heavy. Lift access will be required to access any property situated more than two storeys high, as carrying the equipment up multiple flights of stairs poses a risk to our Engineers’ health and safety, as well as to their equipment.
We also ask you to ensure there is adequate parking for the Engineer to offload their equipment immediately outside the property. Free parking for the duration of the appointment will be required within 100 metres of the property. Please be advised that any parking charges (in the form of metered parking, permits, or penalties incurred by DCI Field Services LTD if there is no allocated parking) will be payable by the customer at cost plus VAT. The same applies to toll charges or any other charges incurred in transit, such as the Congestion Charge. Any jobs which have to be aborted on the day due to lack of access and/or available parking will still be fully chargeable.
Our ‘No find, no fee’ guarantee applies to our domestic customers for one Pipework Leak Detection appointment investigating a single leak at one individual property, for leaks of at least half a litre per minute, on water mains up to 30 metres, and hot and cold feeds only. Our ‘No find, no fee’ only applies in cases where we are also instructed to carry out the access and repair. Leak detection is considered successful when the leak is narrowed down to a room and/or an area of 5m x 5m.
The ‘No find, no fee’ guarantee does not apply to the following:
When an enquiry is made over the telephone or via email, we will attempt to obtain certain information about the suspected problem and certain site-specific details. As well as helping us to work out which type of leak detection investigation you require, this is to ensure that the job is quoted accurately and the right number of engineers are allocated to the job. You may be asked to provide information such as the number of radiators on a central heating system, the approximate length of an incoming mains supply, the number of properties a water mains pipe is serving, whether the site is domestic/commercial/industrial, how often a boiler is losing pressure, whether any leak seal chemical has been used, the size of a swimming pool and its current water level, etc. It is important that you answer these questions as accurately as possible and to the best of your knowledge. If a leak is not found because we are misinformed about any of these details and consequently underprepared for the investigation, the ‘No find, no fee’ guarantee (if applicable) will be withdrawn, and the appointment and any additional necessary appointments will be chargeable.
In order to carry out effective pressure testing of pipework, our Engineers will require access to all rooms and/or parts of the building associated with the pipework being tested, and all existing relevant meters and isolation points. These areas will need to be cleared as much as reasonably possible. Testing will also require all relevant stopcocks and points of isolation to be fully operational. We cannot be held responsible for faulty isolation valves. If testing cannot be carried out successfully due to inaccessibility or failed isolation points, the appointment will still be chargeable at the full quoted price for Leak Detection. A quote will then be provided for our Engineers to return to carry out testing at our next earliest availability, once all problems have been rectified. Please be advised that our service is aimed at finding leaks on hidden pipework; therefore, all testing, including pressure testing, will be made up to the point at which any appliance is isolated, e.g., washing machine and dishwasher isolation valves, and shower thermostatic mixers. This is to avoid causing damage to appliances which are designed to work at standard water pressure. We will, of course, inform you of any appliance/surface leaks as they are discovered; however, this is not a guaranteed service. To be sure an appliance is not leaking during use, an appliance specialist would be required to attend and inspect, and it is the customer’s responsibility to arrange this.
Please turn ON the heating on the morning of your appointment. If your central heating system is still capable of heating up, please turn the heating on a couple of hours before the start of the appointment to aid with the thermal imaging process.
Exception – Underfloor heating: Please leave this OFF. Please ensure any underfloor heating circuits are isolated (switched off) from early morning on the day of the appointment, as these tend to generate so much heat that thermal imaging is rendered ineffective.
Leak Sealant: Please bear in mind that the presence of leak sealant in a central heating system can significantly impede the Leak Detection process. It is your responsibility to inform our telephone staff at the point of booking if leak sealant has been installed into the system. We advise that leak sealant is removed from the central heating system using a cleaning chemical or by power flushing prior to testing. This, however, still does not guarantee effective testing, as it has been known for sealant residues to remain in a central heating system even after cleaning procedures have been carried out. Please remember that central heating system leaks are not covered under our ‘No find, no fee’ guarantee.
For roof leak detections, engineers will require access to the loft via a usable loft hatch. Please bear in mind that if the loft hatch is in a different property (for example, in the case of some apartment blocks), we will require access to the property containing the loft hatch as well as the one receiving the leak.
For effective leak detection on a flat roof, on-foot access will need to be gained to the flat roof. If this is not possible via a window or access ladder, our engineers carry step ladders which they can use to gain access to a flat roof on a single-storey building. Please advise the office if the flat roof is two or more storeys high and not accessible via a window or purpose-built access ladder.
Tracer gases can be used on properties with a single-storey flat roof and a ceiling void into which the tracer gases can be inserted. The flat roof will need to be accessed in order to detect the tracer gas rising up with the gas sensing unit. Tracer gases can also be used on properties with accessible pitched roofs (generally single-storey properties). They cannot be used on inaccessible pitched roofs.
Where a pitched or flat roof is not accessible, and/or it is not possible to use tracer gases, a drone may be used to identify roof defects. The same goes for any structural leaks on any other inaccessible parts of buildings that we may investigate. Please be advised that while a drone is capable of identifying a defect, it cannot prove a leak—a leak can only be proven by the use of tracer gases. In summary, leaks can only be proven on roofs which are accessible and allow the use of tracer gases. Please also be advised that drones cannot be used in busy built-up areas or where flying restrictions are in place. The suitability of drone use will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
For a successful drainage survey, access to the relevant manhole will be required. If this is not possible (for example, because it has been built over), the engineer will need to gain access by removing a toilet. Please be advised that damage may be caused to the toilet during the process of removing it, and DCI Field Services LTD is not responsible for replacing any parts damaged during removal. After the survey has been carried out, it may be possible to refit a toilet which has been removed, time permitting and at an additional cost.
Please ensure that the pool water is clean, clear of debris, and swimmable. If the water is unclean, our divers may refuse to enter the water for Health and Safety reasons.
Please ensure that the water is not colder than 18 degrees Celsius, as our Engineers may need to spend significant amounts of time underwater. Cold water will reduce the amount of time that divers can spend underwater.
Please ensure that the pool is filled to its maximum capacity, as it will not be possible to identify a leak in the structure or liner if the water is below the leak level.
If the pool is empty, we will still be able to test all the filtration system pipework, but not the structure or liner.
If your pool has multiple leaks, we will aim to identify all leaks in the first day of testing. In some cases, this may not be possible because smaller leaks may be disguised by the main leak, and further chargeable appointments may be required.
Our Engineers carry a vast array of fittings, pipework, bungs, and other tools and materials relevant to the task at hand. However, due to the huge diversity of pool/spa/fountain fittings, it may not be possible to supply or obtain certain less common or unusual fittings required for testing on the day. In this case, special parts may have to be ordered and further chargeable works scheduled at a later date.
All Engineers arrive on site for a Pipework Leak Detection appointment with the following equipment as standard:
In addition, for a Structural Leak Detection:
The equipment used during a structural leak detection will depend on the specifics of the property. Please be advised, tracer gases can only be used in cases where the roof is accessible. Drones can only be used in cases where there are no flying restrictions and the property is not situated in a built-up area. An individual risk assessment will be carried out for each job, and the engineer reserves the right not to use any equipment or carry out any task which is deemed to be unsafe. Electronic Leak Detection equipment can be quoted for on special request.
In addition, for a Drainage Survey:
In addition, for a Swimming Pool Leak Detection:
Please note: Different methods/equipment are suited to different problems. It may not be possible or necessary to use every piece of equipment on every job. The Engineer will determine in their professional opinion which of the above methods and equipment are best suited to the problem on the day of testing.
For pipework and swimming pool leak detections, we allocate up to one whole day. For structural leak detections and drainage surveys, we allocate half-day slots. Full-day appointments and morning slots start at approximately 9:30 am unless otherwise arranged. Afternoon appointments start at approximately 1:30 pm. The start time of an afternoon appointment may deviate slightly depending on the finish time of the Engineer’s morning appointment. Engineers allocated to afternoon slots will keep the customer informed of any significant changes to the ETA. We do not give specific finish times for our appointments because all leaks are different, and it is never possible to predict exactly how long it will take to detect a leak. We do not give pro-rata refunds if the entire duration of the appointment slot is not required. If there are multiple leaks to be detected, or if repair works require an additional appointment in order to be completed, quotations for further works will be provided at the end of the first appointment.
Quoted prices for Leak Detection vary depending on the type of leak detection service required, whether the enquiry is domestic/commercial, the size of the problem, and the location of the property in question. You will have been quoted for your Leak Detection over the phone and/or via email. Your quoted price for Leak Detection is for up to either a half day or a full day of Leak Detection using the methods and equipment listed in Section 6. Please note, our prices are not per hour and will not be reduced if it takes less time than expected to locate the leak. Please be advised that it is not possible to predict materials/sundries costs in advance. If any additional materials/sundries are required to complete the leak detection process and/or repair the leak, these will be added to the final bill. Please note this also applies to parking charges.
We will do our utmost to localise a leak to the closest degree of accuracy that is physically possible using the non-invasive methods listed in Section 6. Usually, we will be able to narrow it down to an area such as several floor tiles, a particular corner or section of a room or driveway, or behind a specified fixture. However, to accurately confirm the location of a leak, there is no substitute for physically exposing the leak area.
There are certain factors which will make it harder to locate a leak, for example, suspended flooring and non-porous floor materials such as, but not limited to, ducting, vinyl, insulation, Celotex, and DPCs. In these cases, our equipment may enable us to narrow down the location of a leak to a room or larger area only.
Our Engineers are usually able to carry out repairs to leaks on pipework and leaks on swimming pools. If, in your initial enquiry, you have also been provided with a quoted price for the repair, this quoted price will only be applicable if the repair can be carried out on the same day as the Leak Detection. If a quote has been provided for a repair, the Engineer will endeavour to carry out the repair on the same day as the Leak Detection; however, this is not always possible.
Our Engineers will usually carry out repairs in situations which meet the following criteria:
Our Engineers reserve the right to refuse to carry out a repair for any reason they deem valid in their professional opinion.
Repairs carried out by our Engineers are guaranteed for 3 months from the date the repair is carried out. The guarantee applies to pipework and fittings installed by our Engineers only, not the entire pipework system the repair was carried out on. If a repair should fail within this timescale, upon request we will arrange for one of our Engineers to return to the property to rectify the repair free of charge. If, upon returning, it is discovered that the problem is in fact unrelated to the repair previously carried out by our Engineer, the appointment will be chargeable depending on the amount of time spent on site and the extent of the works carried out to establish the source of the problem. In these cases, the payment terms are exactly the same as any other Leak Detection appointment; see Section 15.
If a repair should fail outside of this timescale, upon request we will arrange for one of our Engineers to return to the property to repeat the Leak Detection investigation and/or carry out a repair at an agreed price.
If you have multiple leaks, our Engineers will endeavour to locate and rectify (if applicable) all of them within your allocated appointment slot and within the specified quoted prices. However, this is not always possible because any secondary leaks will only be detectable after the main leak has been repaired, and we may have to provide you with a quote for another appointment. Unless our Engineers are informed about the possibility of the presence of multiple leaks, they will focus their attention on locating and rectifying the main suspect leak which you reported in your initial enquiry only.
Please be advised that carrying out a repair to a pipe, or even pressure testing a pipe that is already in poor condition, may cause leaks to develop at other weak spots along the pipe run. We accept no liability for additional leaks that arise following a leak detection and/or repair, and any further works required to rectify any additional leaks will be chargeable.
Please be advised that any surface plumbing leaks and/or faults identified during testing will need to be rectified as discovered (if not isolatable) in order to continue testing for an underground/hidden leak. Our Engineers will endeavour to rectify these on the day in order to continue testing. Surface plumbing repairs which are carried out to enable testing to continue come with no guarantee. Please also be advised that pressure testing on pipework can sometimes bring to light existing plumbing faults which we cannot be held responsible for.
Please be advised that our Engineers do not carry commercial waste licences and it will not be possible for them to remove any waste that results from your leak detection from the premises. The removal/disposal of such waste will need to be arranged by yourself.
Valid credit or debit card details must be provided to secure an appointment. Card details are stored securely on our system and not used until payment is processed via our virtual payment terminal on the day of the booking. The same card details will be used to secure any appointments for further works that you may book with us. Card details will be automatically deleted from our system 30 days after your last appointment date.
For commercial customers and in situations where the bill payer is not going to be on site for the appointment (for example, jobs booked by landlords, managing agents or on behalf of others), we may require payment upfront before we can confirm your booking.
Payments for all jobs which are not paid in advance are due on the day the works are carried out, at the end of the appointment, by credit card, debit card, or BACS. We do not accept cash or cheques. If you wish to use a different payment card to the one that was used to secure the job, you must inform our office or your Engineer before the Engineer contacts the office to close down the job.
Engineers will not be given authorisation to leave site until payment has been settled. Any unpaid invoices may incur interest charges in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. Please be advised that reports will not be released until payment has been received in full.
Once your appointment has been secured either with card details or an upfront payment, you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of these Terms and Conditions. Starting from the time your confirmation email is sent, DCI Field Services LTD offers a 30-minute grace period* to read the Terms and Conditions, during which you may cancel your appointment free of charge. After this time, if you have not contacted us and you proceed with the appointment, you confirm that the Terms and Conditions have been read and accepted in their entirety and the appointment will become subject to the following cancellation policy:
Should you wish to cancel an appointment, we require 1 working day/24 working hours’ notice by direct telephone call to DCI Field Services LTD Head Office (07822 025 911). For example, if you wish to cancel a job booked for a Monday, you must inform a member of the team in the office by 9:30 am on the Friday before. For swimming pool Leak Detections we require 2 working days/48 working hours’ notice. Appointments cancelled after these specified time frames will be fully chargeable at the price you were quoted for Leak Detection, and payment will be taken from the card that was used to secure the booking. The same applies to jobs which have to be aborted or are cancelled on the same day that they are due to take place (for example, due to lack of access to property/parking, uninformed tenants, unknown stopcock or meter location, forgotten appointments, etc). If you realise at any point after the free cancellation period has passed that you did not actually require a leak detection, we will not be able to waive or refund any charges.
Please be advised we are unable to offer the 30-minute grace period to customers who book a job for the following working day after 5:00 pm, because our office closes at 5:30 pm and any cancellation requests will not be received after this time.
Where bookings are made on behalf of other individuals/businesses, or involve multiple individuals/businesses (e.g., landlords, tenants, managing agents, plumbers, other contractors, letting agents, pool maintenance companies, builders, etc.), it is the responsibility of the person making the booking to ensure that all other parties involved, including the bill payer, are informed of the arrangements and the requirements for the appointment on the day. We will not be held responsible for any claims by any party of being uninformed or misinformed about our services and requirements for the appointment to take place.
We endeavour to ensure the accuracy and reliability of our findings and reports. Information is presented as we find it, with no warranty as to accuracy, and is intended for guidance only. DCI Field Services LTD cannot be held responsible for the way in which the customer may interpret or act upon our findings and/or report. We accept no liability for the following:
We would like to emphasise that in situations where we do not access and repair a leak, if our Engineer indicates a leak location to you verbally or in their report, this is based on evidence picked up by our non-invasive equipment only and does not represent a definitive claim as to the location of a leak. The location of a leak can only be proven by exposing a leak; hence the ‘No find, no fee’ guarantee is only applicable if we are also accessing and repairing the leak. The location indicated should be used as a starting point for exposing, and further, chargeable leak detection may be required to pinpoint the location of the leak once exposing of the leak area has commenced.
All inbound and outbound telephone calls to/from our Head Office are recorded for training and monitoring purposes. Call recordings are retained for 30 days, and after this, they are automatically deleted and not retrievable. We reserve the right to use telephone call recordings as evidence in the process of handling a complaint or legal claim.
Please direct any questions about our services or Terms and Conditions to our Head Office.
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday, 08:30 am–5:30 pm (excluding Bank Holidays)
Tel: 07822 025 911
Email: hello@dcileakdetection.co.uk
Copyright © 2024 DCI Field Services LTD
Company Registered in England and Wales: 099405567
Registered Office Address:
Trehurst Farm, Tideford, Saltash, Cornwall, England, PL12 5JB
If we don’t detect the leak, YOU DON’T PAY!
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Company Number: 099405567 | DCI Field Services LTD TA DCI Leak Detection
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