Hidden water leak detection in Traralgon

A hidden water leak in Traralgon usually shows up first as a water bill that is higher than usual, a meter that keeps turning when nothing is running, or a damp patch on a wall, floor or lawn that never dries. You can confirm a leak yourself with a simple meter test. A licensed plumber then uses listening equipment, thermal imaging, pressure tests or dye to find exactly where it is before opening anything up.

Traralgon Plumber does not carry out leak detection. It refers your enquiry to an independent licensed plumber in the area, who prices the search, finds the leak and quotes the repair. See the about page for how referrals are handled.

What are the signs of a hidden leak?

Look for any of these:

• a water bill noticeably higher than the same period last year, with no change in how the house uses water
• the water meter dial moving with every tap and appliance off
• a section of lawn or garden that stays green or soggy in dry weather
• damp, stained or bubbling paint on a wall, often low down near a bathroom or kitchen
• a musty smell or mould in a cupboard or behind a vanity
• warm spots on a tiled or concrete floor, which can point to a leak on a hot water pipe
• lower water pressure than usual at several taps
• cracked paving or a slight sinking of ground over where a pipe runs

A dripping tap or a toilet that keeps running is a visible fault, not a hidden one. Those are covered on the tap and toilet repairs page. If water is spraying or pouring from a pipe you can see, go to the burst pipes service page instead.

How do you test for a leak at the meter?

This test takes about half an hour and needs nothing but a phone camera:

1. Turn off every tap, the washing machine, the dishwasher, any irrigation timers and the toilet refills. Make sure nobody uses water during the test.
2. Find the water meter, usually near the front boundary, and take a clear photo of the dials.
3. Wait at least 30 minutes, longer if you can.
4. Take a second photo of the dials without turning anything on.
5. Compare the two readings. If the numbers or the small leak indicator have moved, water is being lost somewhere after the meter.

To narrow it down, you can repeat the test with the isolation valves to the toilets turned off. If the meter stops moving, a toilet cistern is the likely leak. If it keeps moving, the leak is probably in a pipe. Send both photos with your enquiry.

How do plumbers find a hidden leak?

The hipages guide to leak detection costs lists the methods used by leak detection professionals. A plumber will choose based on where the leak is likely to be.

Method	How it works	Suited to
Visual inspection	Checking fittings, cupboards, subfloor and meter	A first look; misses slow or buried leaks
Acoustic listening	Microphones pick up the sound of water escaping a pressurised pipe	Pipes under slabs, paths and lawns
Thermal imaging	A camera shows temperature differences behind walls and floors	Hot water pipes and damp patches in walls
Electronic detection	Electronic equipment traces the pipe and the leak point	Following a pipe route before digging
Pressure testing	A section of pipe is isolated and pressurised to see if it holds	Proving which section is leaking
Dye testing	Coloured dye is added to show where water escapes	Toilet cisterns, showers and drains
Ground penetrating radar	Radar scans below ground for pipes and voids	Deep or long buried lines

A good leak search ends with a marked spot and an explanation of what failed, so the repair only opens up what is needed.

What does leak detection cost?

hipages gives a national average of $168 to $400 for a leak detection visit. That figure covers finding the leak only. The repair is a separate cost, and it can be small, such as a failed fitting under a vanity, or larger, such as a pipe under a slab that has to be rerouted through the wall or ceiling. For repair labour, The Quote Yard’s Gippsland tables list a licensed plumber at $90 to $148 per hour in normal hours. These are published guides, not quotes. More local price ranges are in the Traralgon plumbing cost guide.

What happens once the leak is found?

The fix depends on where it is:

• A fitting or tap connector under a sink, behind a toilet or at the hot water unit is usually replaced on the same visit if the plumber has the part.
• A pipe in a wall may need a small hole cut in the plaster to reach it, then a new section joined in.
• A pipe under a concrete slab is often abandoned and a new line run through the roof or wall, because breaking up the slab is costly.
• A buried supply line in the yard is dug up at the marked spot, repaired and backfilled.
• A shower base or waterproofing failure may need a waterproofer or tiler as well as a plumber.

Ask the plumber to write down where the leak was, what failed and what was replaced. You will need that for the next step.

How does the Gippsland Water leak allowance work?

Gippsland Water has an online leak allowance application for customers whose bill has gone up because of a leak. The form asks for the plumber’s business name and for supporting documents showing the leak has been repaired, such as the plumber’s invoice. Eligibility and how any allowance is worked out are set by Gippsland Water, so read their guidelines on that page. Whatever happens, keep the invoice and photos of the repair.

Remember too that the split of responsibility follows the boundary. Pipes on your side of the meter and boundary are yours to repair. A leak in the street or nature strip belongs to Gippsland Water, as its trees and your pipes page explains, so report that one directly to them.

What a careful plumber will do on a leak search

• run their own meter test to confirm the loss before setting up equipment
• check toilets and the hot water relief valve first, because both are common hidden water users
• mark the leak point before cutting or digging
• explain the repair options if the pipe is under a slab
• give you an invoice that names the business and the repair, ready for the leak allowance form

They will also say plainly if the meter test shows no leak, so you do not pay for a search that is not needed.

A local note for valley homes

Older brick veneer houses on stumps and newer homes on concrete slabs leak in different ways. A raised house lets a plumber crawl underneath and see most pipes. A slab hides them, so acoustic and thermal methods matter more. On larger blocks in and around Moe and the other valley towns, a pool, a rainwater tank with a pump or a long line to a shed each adds another place a leak can hide. If you have already done the meter test and it moved, you can book a hidden leak search and attach your two meter photos.

Next step: what to put in your leak detection enquiry

To help a plumber judge the job and bring the right gear, include:

• your last two water bills, or the usage figures from them
• photos of the meter before and after your meter test, with the times
• where you can see damp, staining or a wet patch
• whether the house is on a concrete slab or on stumps
• any pool, spa, rainwater tank, pump or irrigation system on the property
• roughly how old the house and its plumbing are

Then send a leak detection enquiry with your suburb, and an independent licensed plumber can tell you how they would find it.

Send a job enquiry