How do you find a leak you cannot see?
By elimination rather than guesswork. We start at the meter, isolate sections of the property one at a time to work out which side of the house is losing water, then use acoustic gear to pinpoint the spot — escaping water under pressure makes a noise that carries through the ground. The point of all of it is to open one small hole in the right place rather than several in hopeful ones.
What does a visit cost?
Nothing to come out. There is no call-out fee, and that includes the time spent locating the leak. You get a free written quote for the repair before any work starts, and if you decide not to go ahead you owe nothing.
How do I know I have a leak and not something else?
That is the first thing we establish, and it is the reason the visit is free. A supply leak keeps the water meter turning with everything in the house shut off. Storm water does not touch the meter — it is rain with nowhere to go. A damaged drain does not either, because that water has already been paid for. Three different problems, three different repairs.
Why does a new suburb like Harrisdale get leaks at all?
Because age is not the only cause of failure. Harrisdale was gazetted in 2007 and the main estate started construction in July 2010, so nothing here has been replaced yet — every pipe and joint is the original. What fails on original pipework is workmanship rather than corrosion: a joint that was a fraction under-tightened, a pipe nicked by another trade during the build, or a fitting that has sat under constant mains pressure for a decade and finally given up.
My water bill has doubled. Where is the water going?
Water Corporation says leaks are the most common reason for a high bill. In Harrisdale the usual suspects are a retic line weeping into sand, a joint under the slab, or the buried service run between your front-boundary meter and the house — none of which show anything on the surface. That is why the bill is so often the first sign anybody gets.
Will Water Corporation pay for the repair?
No. The main in the street is theirs; everything from the meter into your property is the owner's. A leak allowance may refund part of the water you lost in some circumstances, but it has never covered the cost of fixing the pipe and it will not here.
Do you have to dig up my yard?
Only where the leak is, and only after we have found it. The entire reason for doing the detection properly first is to keep that opening small. On a slab leak it may be a single section of floor rather than the yard at all.
Can you find a leak under concrete or paving?
Yes. Slabs, driveways, paving and alfresco areas are the normal case on newer Harrisdale blocks, where the landscaping went in over the plumbing. Acoustic location is what turns "somewhere in this area" into a mark you can dig to.
Do you do gas leaks as well?
Yes, under gas licence 13098 — a separate ticket from the plumbing licence, and one plenty of plumbers do not hold. If you can smell gas, leave the house, do not touch light switches or anything that could spark, and ring from outside.
Are you available after hours or on weekends?
No. We work Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 4:00pm, and we do not run after-hours or weekend callouts. If water is pouring out and you cannot reach us, turn it off at the meter on your front boundary — that stops the damage until we can get to you.
How quickly can you come out?
Quick response is one of the things this business promises, and being based in Leeming — roughly fifteen minutes from Harrisdale — is what makes it possible. We will tell you honestly when you ring rather than after you have booked.
Who actually turns up?
Tim, who holds plumbing licence 8396 and gas licence 13098 and does the work himself. The person who quotes the job is the person who carries it out.