Close every tap and water appliance, then watch the water meter. If it keeps moving, there is a leak or a use you cannot see. A technician then pins down the leaking line with a pressure test, before anything is broken.
How to confirm a hidden leak before you break anything
A hidden leak usually leaves signs before water appears: damp patches, peeling paint, tiles lifting, a musty smell, the sound of running water with every tap closed, or a water bill higher than usual.
To confirm it, make the house use no water: close every tap and appliance and watch the meter. If the meter moves while no water is being used, there is a leak, or a tank float valve that does not shut. If it does not move, the dampness may not be coming from a pressurised supply line; it may be from drainage, air-conditioning or waterproofing. In villas with both a ground tank and a roof tank, the meter normally moves only when the ground-tank float valve opens, so it can take a while for a leak to show on it. A very slow leak may not show on the meter, so if the signs continue, call a technician.
To find the leaking line, the technician isolates the network in sections and pressure-tests each section to see which one loses pressure. Once the spot is found, it is opened over the smallest area possible instead of breaking a wide stretch of wall or floor.
Do not break a wall or floor because of a damp patch alone: water travels away from the point of the leak. And do not confuse a leak with dampness from air-conditioner condensation or roof waterproofing.
Suppose a villa shows a damp patch on the living-room wall and the water bill has gone up. The owner closes every tap and the meter keeps moving. The technician isolates the supply line that runs behind that wall and opens a small area around it. He finds a leaking joint, repairs it and re-tests before the wall is patched.
Practical step-by-step
- Note the signs, photograph them, and record where and when they appeared.
- Close every tap and appliance, read the meter and write the reading down, then read it again after a while.
- Check the roof tank float valve and make sure it shuts when the tank is full.
- If the meter moves, call a technician who will isolate the network and pressure-test it to find the leaking section.
- Do not break anything before the spot is found, and re-test after the repair before patching.
Tick what you've done
Need help with plumbing?
We serve Dammam, Khobar, Dhahran and Qatif. Send us your question or photos of the site and we'll reply.
Plumbing
- Rough-in before the concrete pour
- Water supply and drainage lines
- Manholes, tanks and pumps