Have a Leak? We Can Help!

Two Types of Leak Problems

There are two types of problems associated with leaks: you received an abnormally large water bill, or you have a leak (seen or unseen). A visible leak is when you can actually see water coming out of a pipe, pooling somewhere, dripping down a wall, etc. However, many leaks are not visible and are within your walls and your pipes. This is why you need a leak detection service like the one we provide to locate leaks in homes and businesses from Delray Beach to Davie, Boca Raton to Jupiter. In your plumbing system you have two types of pipes — pressurized water-service lines and periodic sewer lines. Pressurized water service lines bring hot and cold potable (drinkable) water to your faucets and fixtures. These lines always have water pressure in them, so if there is a leak, they will leak continuously with fresh, clean water. Sewer lines carry waste water away. They are 'periodic' as they only have water in them when waste water needs to be removed — when you flush the toilet, run the sink or shower, etc. If one of these pipes is leaking, you will only see water leak out when a fixture is used, and it will consist of dirty, sewer water.

Large Water Bill? How to Check for a Leak

• Turn off all the fixtures in your house to make sure no water is being used.
• Locate your water meter box — usually in a covered box near the front of the house, next to the property line.
• Open the meter and see if any of the needles are spinning. Watch the 'leak indicator,' usually shaped like a triangle. If it's moving, water is flowing through the meter and you have a leak.
• If the needles aren't spinning, they still might be — just too slowly to tell. We call this a pin-hole leak. Write down the meter reading and go back inside.
• Wait 30-60 minutes and do not use any water (don't flush the toilet, turn on a faucet, etc.).
• Go back out to the meter and check the reading. If it has changed, you have a slow leak.
• Contact the plumber — E-Schedule online or call the Experts.

Visible Water Leak

• If you can see water pooling somewhere — running down the wall, coming out of the floor or toilet — we need to find the location of the leak.
• Water travels through the path of least resistance via the force of gravity, so a leak may appear to come from one spot but actually originate from another source.
• Frequently the forces that cause one leak can cause multiple leaks.
• Our leak specialists can use a number of methods to locate a leak.

How Our Methods Work

Acoustic: When water leaks in a pressurized pipe, it flows through the surrounding soil very quickly, causing the pipes to vibrate at the leak. This vibration flows throughout the entire pipe — using our sophisticated leak detection equipment, we can localize the source of the leak. Line Locator + Sewer Video Camera: Many times a leak occurs in the sewer pipe system. Causes include tree roots that find their way into the pipes and separate fittings as they grow; collapse from earth settlement causing pressure that deforms and breaks the pipe; and mis-alignment from a bad installation that gives way to leaks over time. To determine the cause and location, we insert a sewer video camera into the plumbing line through a clean-out and view the inside of the pipe on a TV screen. Once we find the problem, a line locator tells us exactly how many feet into the sewer pipe it is. Smoke Test: We force a large quantity of harmless special-effects smoke into the sewer system, then find the leak by seeing where the smoke exits the pipe system. Thermal Imaging: This state-of-the-art technology finds temperature differences in materials. Since hot and cold water differ in temperature from the ambient air, we can 'see through' walls to locate the source of the water leak.

What to Do If You Have a Leak

• Stop using water! If it's a sewer line leak, don't use any fixtures or put water down any drains.
• Shut off the water: Locate your main shut-off valve outside and disable the water. If the leak is at a specific fixture with an emergency shut-off valve, you can disable the water at that location only.
• Clamp & Blanket: If you see the leak, try putting a water barrier (plastic or rubber) over it, then lay a blanket on top and tighten with any type of clamp (a belt can work too).
• Epoxy, Putty or Pencil: Try putting epoxy or putty over the source. For a small circular leak, try wedging a pencil point inside. These are TEMPORARY fixes only to mitigate damage.
• E-Schedule online or call the Experts.

Call the Experts

• Palm Beach County (Boca Raton, Delray Beach north to West Palm Beach and Jupiter): 561-368-5111
• Broward County (Davie to Fort Lauderdale to Parkland and Deerfield Beach): 954-786-0477
• Broward & Dade: 954-786-0477
• Your satisfaction is guaranteed!