A hidden leak rarely announces itself. It shows up as a municipal bill that has doubled for no reason, a warm patch on a tiled floor, a damp skirting board, or a garden bed that stays green through a dry August. By the time water is visible, it has usually been travelling through your structure for weeks.
We locate leaks without guesswork and without unnecessary demolition. Acoustic correlators listen for the signature of pressurised water escaping a pipe, thermal cameras show temperature differentials through screed and plaster, and tracer gas confirms the exact point on stubborn under-slab runs. You get a marked location, a photograph, and a quote for the repair — not a builder with a chisel and an educated guess.
Non-invasive first
We exhaust every non-destructive method before anything is opened, which routinely saves clients tens of thousands in making-good costs.
Bill verification
We can prove whether the loss is on your side of the meter, which is the evidence a municipality needs for a billing adjustment.
Insurance-grade reporting
Photographic reports with location, cause and recommended repair, formatted the way assessors expect to receive them.
Repair under one roof
The same team that finds the leak fixes it, so nobody gets to blame the other trade when something goes wrong.
How leak detection actually works
Most residential leaks in northern Johannesburg fall into three families. The first is under-slab supply leaks, common in homes built before the mid-1990s where copper was cast directly into concrete and has since corroded. The second is failed connections at geysers, mixers and isolating valves — the fittings age faster than the pipe. The third is irrigation, which quietly wastes more water than the other two combined because it runs at night on a timer.
Our survey starts at the meter. With every outlet closed, a spinning meter proves loss and gives us a leak rate in litres per hour. From there we section the property, isolating one circuit at a time to narrow the search area before any equipment comes off the vehicle. Only then do we bring in acoustics and thermal imaging to pinpoint the position, usually to within a few centimetres.
Where the leak sits under a slab, you generally have two options: a targeted break-and-repair, or a re-route that abandons the failed section entirely. We explain the cost and disruption of each honestly. On older galvanised or badly corroded copper systems, a re-route is often the cheaper decision over five years, and it pairs naturally with preventative maintenance so you are not repeating this every winter.
Common issues we see
- Municipal bill rising with no change in usage
- Warm or damp patches on tiled or wooden floors
- Persistent mould, peeling paint or bubbling plaster
- The sound of running water inside a wall
- Pressure dropping through the house over time
- Irrigation zones that stay wet between cycles
- Water pooling against foundations or boundary walls
When to call us immediately
- Your water meter turns with all taps closed
- Your account is significantly higher than the same month last year
- A damp patch keeps returning after being painted over
- You are buying a property and want a pre-purchase plumbing check
- Your insurer has requested a leak report
Our process
What happens after you call
- 1
Meter test
We confirm loss exists and measure the rate, which tells us how urgent and how large the leak is.
- 2
Circuit isolation
Sections of the property are shut off in sequence to narrow the leak to a specific run of pipe.
- 3
Pinpointing
Acoustic, thermal and tracer-gas equipment marks the exact location on the floor or wall.
- 4
Report and repair options
You receive a written report and a choice between targeted repair or re-route, each separately priced.
Frequently asked questions
Will you have to break my floors?
Only at the confirmed leak position, and only once non-invasive methods have located it. A typical repair opening is a small, patchable square rather than a room-wide excavation.
How long does a leak detection survey take?
Most residential surveys take two to three hours. Large properties, estates and commercial buildings with multiple circuits can take a full day.
Can you detect leaks in a swimming pool?
Yes. Pool shells, suction lines and return lines are pressure-tested individually so we can tell you whether you are losing water through the structure or the plumbing.
Is a high water bill always a leak?
Not always — a faulty meter, an estimated reading or a running toilet cistern can all cause it. The meter test at the start of our survey separates those causes quickly.
Do you provide reports for municipal rebates?
We do. The report documents the leak location, the repair carried out and the dates, which is what councils typically request when considering an adjustment.
Related services
Where we deliver this service
Sandton Emergency Plumbing
Africa's busiest business district, plumbed and protected around the clock.
Midrand Emergency Plumbing
The fastest-growing corridor in Gauteng, served by plumbers who live in it.
Randburg Emergency Plumbing
Established Johannesburg suburbs, ageing pipework, and plumbers who know both.
Centurion Emergency Plumbing
From Irene's smallholdings to Highveld's office parks, covered around the clock.
Need leak detection today?
We answer every call in person, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — including public holidays. Emergency plumber dispatched in as little as 20 minutes.