How to find a water leak inside a wall

This short guide will inform you how to find a leak that you think might be coming from your wall.

Signs of a water leak inside your wall

Pay close attention, if leaks are left, they can cause thousands worth of damage.

• Discolouration can appear in spots due to a leak.
• Mould in unlikely areas can be a sign of a leaky pipe, somewhere that isn’t usually damp or wet.
• Wet areas can be a sign that there is a leak elsewhere as water can travel down the pipe before meeting your wall.
• Dripping sounds when a tap is turned off.
• High water bill due to wasted water.

You’ve found you have a leak? Here’s what you should do:

Firstly, turn off all water dependent appliances around your home; these could be the root cause of your leak.

Next, you want to try and find exactly where the leak is coming from. There are many ways you could go about this. If your home has a water meter, locate it. They are round and the size of a tin can. They will be found connected to your water piping. They can be found inside or outside. In a shared living space, such as apartments, they will often be found indoors. Indoor meters will often be found in your garage, under your kitchen sink or in a utility room. Find the stop valve and they will often be close.

 However, if the supply is shared, the preference is for the meter to be outdoors. These can be found often near your footpath. Look for a small metal or plastic cover. This must be removed with a screwdriver. Once removed a plastic cover will be found, remove this and your water meter should be seen.

If you have a water meter, you must know how to read it. Standard Water Meters display 4-5 black digits and 2 red digits. That’s the meter reading. It will also have a unique serial number on the outer rim.

Smart Water Meters are slightly larger and have a digital screen that shows multiple numbers and up to 3 decimal points after the comma. The serial number can be found above the barcode, on the inner portion of the meter.

To read the meter, read the black numbers and ignore the red ones. They are decimal points for your usage. Record the number you read.

You will want to wait at least 3 hours and do not use any water. This means that your water usage shouldn’t increase on your meter. If after 3+ hours it has increase, you have a leak within your plumbing system. If not, the water could be coming from your walls or roof.

In this case, make sure your gutters are clear of things like leaves and twigs as they can block water and it can start seeping into your house.

If the leak continues, call a professional to check for leaks in your foundation or foundation walls.

Now, you must test to pinpoint the leak

 Moisture meter- You can buy or rent one of these to find your leak. Point it at areas around your house you think may be where the leak is or shows signs of one. When you find the area that produces the highest reading, you’ve found the most likely source of your leak. A plumber can also carry this out as they often carry these devices with them.

Infrared camera- Using one of these can detect cold areas in your walls. The wettest part of your wall will be the coldest and will show up as blue or purple on your camera.

Once you find the leak, or need extra help looking for it, contact us and we can help take care of the problem and prevent further damage.