Hidden water leaks are insidious because they cause cumulative damage long before they reveal themselves. A pinhole leak in a copper line behind a wall can run for months, soaking through framing and insulation, before a stain appears on the drywall. By then, the framing is wet, the insulation is compromised, and there may be early mould growth.
Modern leak detection is a combination of meter analysis (confirming the leak exists and ruling out fixture-side causes), acoustic listening (hearing the water through wall material), and thermal imaging (finding temperature anomalies caused by water travel). With the right equipment, we can typically pinpoint a leak to within a few inches without opening anything.
Common signs you need this service
- Water bill has jumped with no change in usage
- Water meter spins when no fixtures are in use
- Damp patch on a wall, ceiling, or floor that isn't near an obvious source
- Musty smell in a room or basement area
- Warm spot on a floor (hot water line leak under slab)
- Hearing water running inside the wall when everything is off
Confirming the leak before you panic
Before assuming there's a hidden leak, run a simple test. Shut off every fixture in the house — every tap, every toilet supply, the dishwasher, the washer, the fridge water. Find your water meter (usually in the basement near the main shut-off). Wait two minutes. Look at the meter. If the leak indicator (the small triangle, star, or dial on the meter face) is moving, you have a leak. If it's still, you don't — the symptom you noticed has another cause. This 5-minute test eliminates many false alarms.
Acoustic vs thermal vs both
Acoustic leak detection uses a sensitive microphone with frequency filtering to hear the sound of pressurized water escaping through a small opening — even through several inches of drywall. It works best on supply-side (pressurized) leaks. Thermal imaging uses an infrared camera to detect temperature differences on surfaces — a leaking hot water line shows up as a warm streak; a leaking cold water line shows up as a cool streak through evaporation. Used together, they usually pinpoint a hidden leak to within 6 inches.
Underground service line leaks
If your meter shows continuous flow even with the main shut-off valve closed inside the house, the leak is upstream of the main valve — usually in the underground service line between the city stop (at the property line) and where the line enters the house. These are expensive to repair because they require excavation, but we can detect them with acoustic and ground-microphone equipment before digging. Most Kanata underground services are copper or copper-on-the-house-side with PE on the city side, and the most common failure is at the transition point or where ground heave has stressed the line.
When the leak isn't a leak
Sometimes what looks like a leak is actually something else: condensation on a cold-water line in a humid basement, an HVAC condensate line that's draining wrong, an exterior wall water intrusion (rain getting in around a window) that has nothing to do with plumbing, or a roof leak that travels down a wall cavity. Part of our diagnostic process is ruling out plumbing as the cause when it isn't — saves you from chasing the wrong problem.
Our process
- 1
Isolate the source
Shut off everything, watch the meter. Confirm there's a leak and narrow whether it's supply-side or appliance-side.
- 2
Acoustic and thermal survey
We use acoustic listening equipment to hear the leak through wall material, and thermal imaging to find temperature anomalies indicating water travel.
- 3
Pinpoint and mark
We mark the location on the wall surface to within a few inches.
- 4
Open and repair
We open a small access cut at the marked location, expose the leak, repair it, pressure-test, and document.
What's included
- Meter analysis and leak confirmation
- Acoustic and thermal leak survey
- Pinpoint location to within 6 inches typical
- Single access cut at the marked location
- Repair of the failure
- Pressure test of the repaired branch
- Written report with photos for insurance
What affects the price
Survey complexity
A leak in an exposed basement run is fast. A leak inside a tiled wall, under a slab, or in an underground supply requires more equipment and time.
Repair scope
Detection is one fee. Repair is quoted based on what we find — a single fitting replacement is fast; a long-run failure is more.
Number of locations
Sometimes the survey reveals more than one leak — each is quoted separately.
Why Kanata homeowners choose us
- We have actual acoustic and thermal equipment — not just a flashlight and intuition
- We pinpoint before we cut — most calls have one small access cut, not exploratory demolition
- We document with photos and a written report ready for your insurance file
- We can also detect underground supply leaks between the city service and your home
Hidden leak calls in Kanata cluster around three causes: Poly B fitting failures in 1985-1997 homes (the most common, usually appearing as a wet ceiling), copper pinholes in older homes (slower, usually appearing as a damp wall), and underground supply line breaks between the city stop and the home (rare but expensive when they happen — usually in older homes with original copper service).
Materials & brands we trust
- Trotec acoustic leak detection
Professional acoustic equipment with frequency filtering.
- FLIR thermal imaging
Thermal cameras for temperature-differential leak finding.
Detection is non-invasive — we don't open anything until we know what's behind it. All access cuts and repairs follow OBC. Reports prepared for insurance claims include the leak location, the failure mode, the repair performed, and date-stamped photos.
DIY leak detection is largely a meter-and-guess exercise. You can confirm there's a leak (shut everything off, watch the meter, isolate by closing zones) but pinpointing without equipment is hit-or-miss. Most homeowners who try end up opening multiple walls before finding it — usually more expensive than calling someone with the right tools.