Detecting water leaks

[StevieAus]

I have a water leak somewhere outside of the house ( I think) that  is continually

Has anyone had any experience with the leak detectors advertised? 

Or recommendations

Thanks

[StevieAus]

Just now, StevieAus said:

I have a water leak somewhere outside of the house ( I think) that  is continually

Has anyone had any experience with the leak detectors advertised? 

Or recommendations

Thanks

Meant to add causing the pump to run then stop

[CharlieH]

If the pump is "cycling" it doesn't always mean a leak. It could be the pump. There is a video on that in the DIY forum.

 

MOVED to DIY

 

Topic that may be of interest

 

[mogandave]

Check your water meter. If you have a leak, the meter will be moving. 

 

Slow leaks are often toilets. Get some blue toilet tank biscuits, (or food coloring) drop them in the tank and don’t flush them for a couple hours and see if the water in the bowl is blue. If it is, the toilet is leaking. 

 

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

6 minutes ago, mogandave said:

Check your water meter. If you have a leak, the meter will be moving. 

 

Slow leaks are often toilets. Get some blue toilet tank biscuits, (or food coloring) drop them in the tank and don’t flush them for a couple hours and see if the water in the bowl is blue. If it is, the toilet is leaking. 

 

 

He has a pump which is cycling due to the leak so the leak is between pump and the house and not affecting the meter, if the meter is running and pump not cycling then the leak will be between meter and pump.

 

 

[Andrew Dwyer]

I had a leak under my house.

Started with the pump cycling briefly one night and then became more frequent over a period of months until it was almost constant and we would shut off the pump when not in use.

 

I would recommend to isolate the pump with a stop valve before and after to check if holding pressure, closing individual valves and both together. ( many pumps have a built in non return valve which could allow you pressure loss back to the tank if faulty ).If pump holding pressure then concentrate on the pipework and hardware.

 

As said above, toilets can be a source of leaks if water is draining into the bowl or taps dripping.

Check initially for any visible leaks, dry off the shower and check after a few hours for any seeping through the wall.

Outside taps or sinks are a likely cause of small leaks.

 

In my case i took several months to search for the leak inside the house but found nothing. Dug up the concrete outside the back door to fit a temporary stop valve just before where the pvc pipe disappeared under the house.

The pump held pressure right up to the house but was leaking somewhere after.

After convincing myself that the leak was not visible in the house therefore must be under the tiled concrete floor.

I did some searching for leak detection but was not convinced that it could detect a small leak under a concrete floor so repiped the whole house externally !!

Not a job I would wish on anyone although I did kind of enjoy the project.

 

To the OP:

Narrow down where your leak might be.

Eliminate the pump first.

Eliminate whether outside the house or somewhere inside.

 

I didn’t try any leak detection service but maybe others have tried with success.

Good luck.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

A friend just told me about a water leak in his apartment. He knew where the water came out of the wall, but not where the leak is.

He hired a plumber and what that plumber did was that he listened (I think with a device) on the wall and floor. Listen here, listen there, ah, there is the leak.

After he detected the leak in that way, he removed the tiles, and the leak was exactly there.

I guess something like that might also work outdoors. 

[mogandave]

6 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

He has a pump which is cycling due to the leak so the leak is between pump and the house and not affecting the meter, if the meter is running and pump not cycling then the leak will be between meter and pump.

 

 

I there is a leak after the meter, before or after the pump, the meter will run, unless he has a storage tank. 

 

He said he thinks the leak is outside, and did not say he had a tank. 

[mogandave]

6 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

A friend just told me about a water leak in his apartment. He knew where the water came out of the wall, but not where the leak is.

He hired a plumber and what that plumber did was that he listened (I think with a device) on the wall and floor. Listen here, listen there, ah, there is the leak.

After he detected the leak in that way, he removed the tiles, and the leak was exactly there.

I guess something like that might also work outdoors. 

MWA has listening devices they will bring out if say you think the leak is before the meter. 

[StevieAus]

21 hours ago, mogandave said:

MWA has listening devices they will bring out if say you think the leak is before the meter. 

Thanks

 

On 9/23/2024 at 11:10 AM, Andrew Dwyer said:

I had a leak under my house.

Started with the pump cycling briefly one night and then became more frequent over a period of months until it was almost constant and we would shut off the pump when not in use.

 

I would recommend to isolate the pump with a stop valve before and after to check if holding pressure, closing individual valves and both together. ( many pumps have a built in non return valve which could allow you pressure loss back to the tank if faulty ).If pump holding pressure then concentrate on the pipework and hardware.

 

As said above, toilets can be a source of leaks if water is draining into the bowl or taps dripping.

Check initially for any visible leaks, dry off the shower and check after a few hours for any seeping through the wall.

Outside taps or sinks are a likely cause of small leaks.

 

In my case i took several months to search for the leak inside the house but found nothing. Dug up the concrete outside the back door to fit a temporary stop valve just before where the pvc pipe disappeared under the house.

The pump held pressure right up to the house but was leaking somewhere after.

After convincing myself that the leak was not visible in the house therefore must be under the tiled concrete floor.

I did some searching for leak detection but was not convinced that it could detect a small leak under a concrete floor so repiped the whole house externally !!

Not a job I would wish on anyone although I did kind of enjoy the project.

 

To the OP:

Narrow down where your leak might be.

Eliminate the pump first.

Eliminate whether outside the house or somewhere inside.

 

I didn’t try any leak detection service but maybe others have tried with success.

Good luck.

 

Thanks for all the Info since found the leak it was in a line outside that I used to use to water the fruit trees had forgotten about the guy who cuts the grass had nicked it. 

[Will B Good]

 

 

We had to dig up a fair stretch in order to find our leak. Plastic pipes and a joint hadn't been glued properly. We only knew where to dig roughly because the ground was soaked.

 

Water bill went from 90 baht to 450 baht.