Leak detection

Water leak detection, before anything gets dug up

Acoustic and camera detection finds it first. Then you decide what gets opened, rather than guessing and hoping.

$0 call out fee & free quotes
24 hours, 7 days, public holidays
Price agreed before we start
5.0 stars from over 50 Google reviews
Licensed plumber, drainer & gasfitter
Angelo answers the phone himself

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60 minTypical arrival

5.0 ★50+ Google reviews

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What we get called for

What we fix, and how?

A water bill that jumped The most common sign, and usually a leak you cannot see or hear. We start at the meter.

Damp patch on a wall or ceiling Traced back to the pipe rather than cutting the wall open where the stain is.

Leak under the slab Acoustic gear finds it through concrete, so one small opening instead of a floor.

Hissing or running in a wall You can hear it and cannot find it. That sound is the easiest kind to locate.

Pool losing water Pool, plumbing or evaporation. We tell you which before anyone quotes a repair.

Meter ticking with everything off A definite leak somewhere on your side. Narrowed down section by section.

Call 0434 410 612

Where they hide

The leaks people cannot find

A leak you can see is a repair. A leak you cannot see is a detection job first, and these are the nine we are called to most.

Under the slabA pipe failing beneath concrete. Symptoms are a warm patch on the floor, a water bill that climbed, or a meter that will not stop ticking. Acoustic gear finds it through the slab so one small opening is enough.

Inside a wallUsually audible if you stand still in a quiet house. Every hour it runs goes into plaster and framing, so this is the one worth ringing about the same day.

Under the houseSubfloor leaks that nobody notices until the floor moves or the smell arrives. Common in older Inner West houses on piers.

In the backyardThe giveaway is one patch of lawn greener than the rest, or ground that stays soft after a dry fortnight.

Behind a showerFailed waterproofing rather than a pipe, in a lot of cases. The fix is different and so is who pays, so finding out which it is matters.

A pool losing waterPool shell, pool plumbing or simple evaporation. We establish which before anyone quotes a repair.

The meter ticking with everything offProof of a leak somewhere on your side. Narrowing it down section by section is the job.

Irrigation and garden linesEasy to forget, often buried, and usually the explanation for a bill that jumped in spring.

A leaking toilet cisternThe cheapest leak on this list and the most overlooked. A failed outlet seal sends water straight from the cistern into the pan continuously. Nothing to see, nothing to mop, and it can waste more than the rest of the house uses.

How you know

Signs you have a leak you cannot see

Any two of these together is worth a phone call. The bill is usually the first one people notice and the last one they act on.

A water bill noticeably higher than the same quarter last year
The meter still moving with every tap in the house turned off
A warm or damp patch on a floor
Water pressure that has dropped for no reason
A musty smell in one room that will not go away
Paint bubbling or plaster staining on a wall
One patch of lawn greener than everything around it
The sound of running water when nothing is running

How we do it

Found before anything is opened up

The whole point of detection is that it replaces guessing. Every step here happens before a single thing is cut, dug or lifted.

Isolate and watch the meterEverything off, meter observed. This alone tells us whether the leak is yours or the street side, and it costs nothing.

Section by sectionIsolating valves used to shut off parts of the property in turn until the meter stops. Narrows it from a house to a run of pipe.

Acoustic listening gearAmplifies the sound a pressurised leak makes through concrete, tile and soil. This is what finds a slab leak without a jackhammer.

Pressure testingConfirms a suspected run is actually losing water, rather than opening a wall on a hunch.

Camera where there is a line to run one downDrains and sewers get inspected directly, and you keep the footage.

One opening, not tenYou are told where the leak is and what the repair costs before anything is cut. That is the whole value of the exercise.

What to expect

How the job runs

1 Meter test firstBefore anything else, we establish there is a leak and whether it is on your side of the meter at all.
2 Located, then pricedThe detection finds it. Then you get the repair price, and the two are separate decisions.
3 Opened in one placeWhere a wall or a slab has to be opened, it is opened where the leak is rather than where the stain is.
4 Written upWhat was found and where, in a form you can give an insurer. Many policies cover the cost of locating a leak.

What it costs

How leak detection gets priced

Detection is priced on how hard the leak is to find, not on how expensive the repair turns out to be.

How much of the property has to be eliminatedA single bathroom is quick. A whole house with irrigation and a pool takes longer.

What it is hiding underExposed pipework is simple. Under a slab, behind tile or beneath a driveway takes acoustic work.

Whether it is pressurisedA leak on a pressurised water line makes noise and can be heard. A drain or waste leak does not, and is found differently.

The repair itselfQuoted separately once we know where it is, so finding it never commits you to fixing it with us.

Our pricing promise

No call out fee to come out and look at the job
Meter test and quote free, whether you proceed or not
Located before anything is cut, dug or lifted
Written up for your insurer at no extra cost

Call 0434 410 612

Before you ring

The test you can do yourself in twenty minutes

This narrows it down for free, and it makes the call shorter and the job cheaper. Worth doing before you ring anyone.

Worth twenty minutes

Turn off every tap and appliance that uses water, including the dishwasher and the washing machine
Find the water meter, usually in a box at the front boundary
Note the exact reading, including the small red dial
Leave it for twenty minutes with nobody using water
Read it again. If it has moved, you have a leak on your side
Check whether the hot water system, the toilet cisterns and the irrigation are the obvious culprits

Stop and ring instead

There is water near anything electrical
A ceiling is staining, sagging or dripping
You can hear running water inside a wall
A floor is warm, damp or lifting
The meter is spinning rather than creeping
You are about to cut into a wall to look

Call 0434 410 612

The money

Your bill, your insurer, and Sydney Water

Three things are worth knowing before you spend anything. The first is that a leak on your side of the meter is billed to you at the usual rate, and a slow leak running for a quarter can add hundreds without ever showing itself.

The second is that Sydney Water has a concession for exactly this. If a concealed leak on your property is found and repaired by a licensed plumber, you can apply to have part of the excess water charge written off. It is not automatic, it has conditions and time limits, and it requires the plumber’s details and the repair date. We give you that paperwork without being asked, because most people never find out the concession exists.

The third is insurance. Many home policies cover the damage a hidden leak causes and the reasonable cost of locating it, while not covering the failed pipe itself. Which means the detection, the opened wall and the ceiling are often claimable even where the repair is not. Again, it depends on the policy, and again it depends on having it written up properly.

So the order matters. Find it, document it, then fix it. Fixing it first and asking questions afterwards is how people end up paying for all three.

While we are there

Other things we get called for

Emergency plumbing Ring and Angelo answers, whatever the hour. He will tell you what to turn… Taps and toilets Washers, cartridges, mixers, cisterns and seals. Small jobs done properly, and still no call… General plumbing Taps, toilets, leaks, hot water, gas and drainage. One licensed plumber, drainer and gasfitter,… CCTV drain inspection Camera down the line, the recording sent to you, and a written report. Not…

What Sydney says

Every review below is on our Google Business Profile. None of them are edited.

5.0 ★★★★★ from over 50 Google reviews

Lance RedgraveLocal Guide, 19 reviews · 5 months ago

★★★★★ Google review

Can't recommend Angelo at Cesco Plumbing highly enough. We'd been dealing with a leaking basin tap for ages, and other plumbers had quoted us thousands to fix it. Angelo came in and provided a super cost-effective repair that solved the problem properly. He also organised a leak detection service to help us pinpoint the source of another tricky leak we couldn't track down. His service, expertise, and pricing are hard to beat. Absolutely would recommend to anyone looking for an honest, skilled plumber.

TawlaLocal Guide, 104 reviews · 10 months ago

★★★★★ Google review

We hired Cesco plumbing recently to do some repair works at our warehouse. Apart from doing a great job, the three things that really impressed me were: 1) they arrived on time 2) they cleaned up after themselves 3) they quoted honestly saving my business thousands compared to our other quotes. Thanks Cesco. Highly recommended!!

Rachel Bulmer6 reviews · 9 months ago

★★★★★ Google review

Absolutely fantastic service! Angelo and his Apprentice were prompt, professional, and completed the gas compliance thoroughly and quickly for my new home. I highly recommend Cesco for any plumbing or gas needs!

Read all reviews on Google

Questions

Before you call

My water bill tripled and I cannot see a leak. What now?

Turn every tap off and watch the meter. If it still moves, there is a leak on your side of it. Ring and we will find where.

Do you have to dig to find it?

No. That is the entire point of detection gear. We find it first, then open one spot rather than chasing it across the backyard.

How much does leak detection cost?

It is priced on how hard the leak is to find rather than on what the repair turns out to be. Quoted before we start, with no call out fee, and the repair is a separate decision.

Will my insurer cover it?

Many policies cover the damage and the cost of locating the leak, but not the pipe itself. We write up what we found so you have something to lodge.

Is the leak my responsibility?

Everything from the meter into the house is yours. Before the meter is Sydney Water. The meter test tells us which it is.

How do I know if I have a leak?

Turn every tap and appliance off, read the meter, wait twenty minutes and read it again. If it has moved, there is a leak on your side. It is the one test worth doing before you ring anyone.

Can I claim the extra water on my bill?

Often, yes. Sydney Water has a concession for concealed leaks found and repaired by a licensed plumber, which can write off part of the excess charge. It has conditions and time limits, and it needs the plumber details and the repair date. We give you that paperwork without being asked.

Will you have to break the floor or the wall?

Only where the leak actually is, and only once we know. That is the whole point of detection. Without it you are opening things up and hoping.

How long does it take to find one?

Most domestic leaks are located in a couple of hours. A whole property with irrigation, a pool and multiple bathrooms takes longer because there is more to eliminate.

Can you find a leak under concrete?

Yes. Acoustic gear picks up the sound a pressurised leak makes through a slab, which is how a slab leak gets found without a jackhammer.

My pool is losing water. Is that a leak?

Sometimes. It can be the shell, the plumbing, or ordinary evaporation, and those are three very different bills. We establish which before anyone quotes a repair.

Does my insurance cover it?

Many policies cover the damage a hidden leak causes and the reasonable cost of locating it, while not covering the failed pipe itself. We write it up properly so you can put the question to your insurer.

Worth knowing

Things worth knowing before you need us

How to turn your water off at the meter Two minutes now saves a ceiling later. Find it, test it, and show whoever… How to read your water meter and check for a leak Twenty minutes, costs nothing, and it settles the question. Do this before you pay…

Where we work

All of Sydney, based in the Inner West

Every corner of the city, from the beaches to the west. Ring and we will tell you straight away how long we will be.

Inner West
Sydney CBD & Inner City
Eastern Suburbs
North Shore
Northern Beaches
Northern Suburbs & Hills
Western Sydney
St George & Sutherland
South West Sydney

Suburb by suburb

Plumber in Marrickville What we get called to, and how long we will be Plumber in Balmain & Rozelle What we get called to, and how long we will be

Want to speak to Angelo?

He answers his own phone, day or night. No call centre, no message bank, no waiting until Monday. If it can hold until the morning, send the form instead and he will ring you back.

0434 410 612

Text Angelo

Hours 24 hours, 7 days, public holidays included
Email [email protected]
Areas All of Sydney, based Inner West

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For anything urgent, call. The form is for jobs that can wait until the morning.