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Water Leak Detection — Forster and the NSW North Coast
Where general water leak detection fits in
Water leak detection is the broad service that covers any hidden water leak that isn't a specialty case like a slab leak, pool leak, or gas leak.
Most of what we do day-to-day falls under this heading: hidden leaks behind walls, under floors, in roof spaces, in the yard, in irrigation systems, in connections to pools and outbuildings.
What causes hidden water leaks
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Aged pipes failing at joints — particularly common in older Forster-region homes
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Pipes damaged by ground movement, settling, or nearby tree roots
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Corroded fittings on hot water systems and connections
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Poorly installed connections from previous DIY or rushed work
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Pipes punctured by nails, screws, or fixings driven into walls
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Pinhole leaks from electrolysis or pipe material degradation
Equipment we use
There's no single piece of equipment that finds every leak. The right call depends on where the leak is and how it's behaving. A typical water leak detection visit uses a combination of:
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Thermal imaging cameras — show temperature differences caused by water in or behind building materials
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Acoustic leak detectors — pick up the sound of pressurised water escaping
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Pressure testing — isolates which section of plumbing has the leak
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Tracer gas — for the hardest cases, an inert gas is introduced into the pipe and detected at the surface where it escapes
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Visual inspection — sometimes the simplest tool is the right one
What the visit looks like
We start with the symptoms and the meter check. From there, equipment selection is based on what we're most likely dealing with. For a wall leak we lead with thermal and acoustic. For a yard leak we lead with acoustic and tracer gas. The whole process is non-invasive — no demolition until we know exactly where the leak is.
Common water leak detection questions
Q: How long does it take to find a hidden leak?
A: Most jobs are 60 to 90 minutes. The trickier cases — leaks in long pipe runs, multiple potential sources, complex buildings — can take longer. We'll give you a sense on the call.
Q: Is there any risk of damage to my home from the detection process?
A: No — that's the whole point of using proper detection equipment instead of exploratory demolition. The detection itself is completely non-invasive.
Q: Can you detect leaks in pipes I can't see, like inside walls?
A: Yes. That's the entire purpose of thermal imaging and acoustic equipment — they detect leaks through wall, floor and ceiling materials without needing direct line of sight.