Hidden Water Leak? Warning Signs and the 30-Minute Meter Test
A hidden leak can waste thousands of litres before it shows itself. Here's how to catch one early, including the test you can run yourself tonight.
A hidden leak can quietly waste tens of thousands of litres a year, double a water bill, and damage a property's structure long before anyone notices a drop of water.
Six warning signs
- An unexplained jump in your water bill.
- Boiler pressure dropping and needing repeated top-ups.
- Warm patches on a tiled floor (a hot-feed leak).
- The sound of running water when everything's off.
- Musty smells in cupboards or under stairs.
- Bubbling paint or a soft patch of ceiling plaster.
The 30-minute meter test
Turn off every tap and appliance in the house. Read your water meter. Wait 30 minutes without using any water. Read it again. Any movement at all means water is escaping somewhere on your side of the stopcock — the single most useful five minutes any homeowner can spend.
How we find it without digging up your home
Acoustic listening equipment, thermal imaging and moisture mapping let us pinpoint a leak to within a few centimetres, usually in 60-90 minutes, without speculative floor-lifting. Most home insurance includes trace-and-access cover — the cost of finding the leak, even where the repair itself isn't covered — so it's worth checking your policy before calling.