Leak Detection in Deception Bay
A bill that climbs with nothing to explain it is usually the first sign of a leak nobody can see. Leak detection in Deception Bay is our way of pinning that leak down. We check the meter first, then search the line section by section, and only the faulty stretch gets opened.
If we're late, $100 comes off your bill
- Licensed and InsuredEvery job done by a licensed plumber. QBCC No: 15024607
- Fixed Quote FirstFlat-rate pricing, agreed before any work starts
- Lifetime Labour WarrantyBacked by our Fix-It-or-It's-Free guarantee (T&Cs apply)
- $0 Call-Out FeesNo extra charge for nights, weekends or public holidays
We're Deception Bay plumbers who trace hidden leaks every week. Every job is done by a licensed plumber. If your meter says water is going somewhere it shouldn't, call (07) 3524 7137 and we'll sort it with you.
Signs of a Leak You Cannot See
Three places give a hidden leak away: the meter dial turning while every tap is closed, damp or stained plaster indoors, and soggy ground outside. A musty smell indoors and usage charges you can't explain tie the signs together.
At the meter
the figures only advance when water passes through. Movement while nothing draws water means escape.
Indoors
stains, swollen or peeling paint, a musty smell, or a warm patch underfoot.
In the yard
ground that stays wet through dry spells, or one strip of grass greener than the rest.
On the bill
unexplained usage usually shows up well before anything looks wet.
A leak buried in a wall or under a slab can shed thousands of litres every day. The leak stays silent until damage or the bill forces the question.
What Happens After the Meter Says Leak
Our method runs in order: confirm at the meter, divide the line into lengths, pressure-check each length, then close in on the fault before anything is opened. A pressure test seals a length of pipe and watches for a pressure drop.
Isolate
valves shut so the leak sits within a single known length of pipe.
Pressure-check
the length that loses pressure holds the leak.
Listen
we work along an exposed run or a wall for the noise of water on the move.
Read moisture
readings in walls, floors and subfloor timber map where the water travels.
Open once
only the guilty length gets opened, so the repair stays small.
A split rather than a seep becomes a burst pipe repairs job. Worn flexi hoses cause plenty of the leaks we chase, and the wider list of water pipe repairs covers the rest.
Is the Leak on Your Side of the Meter
With the whole house shut down, note the meter reading, wait an hour or longer, then look again. Moved figures mean a leak. The same test tells you whose problem it is.
The dial turns
water is moving onto your side. Every pipe and fitting from the meter inwards is yours to maintain. That's when a licensed plumber gets called.
The dial holds
the escape sits before the meter, in Unitywater's main. Report it to them.
The meter box is flooded
that points to a leak at or around the meter, and it goes to the utility as well.
Soggy ground, dial frozen
likely the utility's pipe again. Wet soil with the dial turning means your side.
The meter settles the question in both directions, so we start there before touching the house.
Water Bill Relief for a Hidden Leak
Unitywater's concealed leak policy can trim the usage charges on a bill, and four things decide a claim: what qualifies, the repair deadline, the evidence, and the limits. A concealed leak is a leak hidden from view, underground or inside a structure, on the owner's side of the meter.
What qualifies
water escaping underground, within concrete or beneath a building, where the owner couldn't reasonably have known about it.
The deadline
repair inside 30 calendar days of discovery, and the repair has to be a lasting one.
The evidence
the account holder writes to Unitywater with the invoice from the licensed plumber who did the work. A self-done repair needs a statutory declaration, checked by a licensed plumber.
The limits
the claim must reach Unitywater within 12 months of the repair. No more than two billing quarters get adjusted. The usage part is claimable once per property.
What never qualifies
taps, cisterns, hot water systems and other appliances, plus irrigation, pools, spas and outdoor water features. A rainwater tank filled through faulty plumbing is excluded as well.
Where Leaks Hide in Older Bay Homes
The 1970s and 1980s brick and fibro houses here hide their supply lines in wall cavities and under slabs. A slow weep can run for months behind render before a stain shows.
Single-storey layouts help: shorter runs mean fewer joints to test. The ground doesn't help. Much of the suburb sits on low, wet coastal ground, so a damp patch in the yard proves nothing by itself.
The meter settles it: if the figures move while every outlet is closed, the wet ground is your leak, not the water table.
How a Leak Detection Visit Runs
- 1
Get in touch
Call (07) 3524 7137 or send a quick message about the job in Deception Bay, and we'll ask what we need to know.
- 2
Test and trace
We run the meter check with you, then divide the line and pressure-check each length until the fault sits inside one known stretch. You see what we found before anything gets opened.
- 3
Sign off the quote
You'll see a fixed quote before any work starts, with flat-rate pricing and no hidden fees. The job starts when you're happy with it.
- 4
Pay once it's done
Pay by card or EFTPOS on site after the work's finished, or choose Fix now, pay later.
Plumbing job in Deception Bay?
$0 call-out fees, available 24/7, and same-day where we can.
Leak Detection Questions From Deception Bay
Call (07) 3524 7137How long does the water meter test need to run?
The wait is a minimum of one hour, with nothing on the property using water, and longer does no harm. Note the reading first, red digits too, then compare. Shifted figures mean escape, and a licensed plumber should take it from there.
Is a leak at my meter my problem or the water utility's?
Soggy soil with a still dial points to Unitywater's pipe, so report it, and a flooded meter box goes to them as well. If the dial creeps while the whole house is shut down, the escape is on your side, and the pipes past the meter are yours to repair.
Do leaking taps or toilets count as concealed leaks?
No. Leaking taps, cisterns, hot water systems and other appliances sit outside the policy, along with irrigation, pools, spas and outdoor features. Only a leak buried underground or inside a structure, one you couldn't reasonably have known about, gets a look-in.
Does a hidden leak claim work differently for tenants and units?
Yes, the rules shift a little. A tenant told of a possible leak counts as the owner being told too. In a community titles scheme, an owner claims for a leak within the lot they own, while common land goes to the body corporate, unless the lots aren't separately metered.
Who pays for a hidden leak on my property in Deception Bay?
The owner does. Whatever the meter records is yours to pay for, leak included, and so is the repair. A reduction in the usage charges only comes through the utility's concealed leak rules, which need the plumber's invoice and a repair inside the deadline.
Call Us About a Hidden LeakWe'll call you back.
Book on (07) 3524 7137 for plumbing anywhere in Deception Bay. We're available 24/7, there's no extra charge for nights, weekends or public holidays, and every job comes with $0 call-out fees.
To claim your $0 call-out fee, call (07) 3524 7137 today.