Plumber or Leak Detection Team? Who to Call for a Hidden Leak in London

Most plumbing problems announce themselves. A tap drips, a joint weeps, a radiator valve sprays. You can see the water, so the fix is a matter of getting an engineer to it. Hidden leaks are different. The water appears in the wrong place, a long way from where it starts, and nobody can say which pipe is responsible. Opening up floors and walls to look is slow, expensive and often wrong the first time.

That second kind of job needs different equipment, different habits and a lot of patience, so we gave it to its own team. This guide explains what changed, how to tell which kind of problem you have, and what happens when the leak team comes out.

Why Leak Detection Now Has Its Own Team

Emergency Repairs London has always attended burst pipes and leaks across the capital. Tracing a concealed leak is a different job from an emergency call-out. An emergency rota pulls an engineer from job to job, which is exactly what you want when water is pouring through a ceiling. A concealed leak needs the opposite: time to isolate sections, test, listen and compare readings.

So we assigned a team to leaks only. It works under its own name, Leak Experts London, and it is a subdivision of Emergency Repairs London Ltd specialised in leak detection. The team does not take on other plumbing work, which means its kit, its training and its reports are built around one question: where exactly is the water coming from?

The equipment reflects that. The team works with tracer gas, acoustic detection, thermal imaging and moisture mapping, and chooses between them according to what the leak is doing, as explained on the equipment page. That is a different approach from guessing where the pipe runs and opening the most likely spot.

Plumber or Leak Team: Which Problem Needs Which

A simple test: can you point at the place where the water is escaping? If you can, you need a repair. If you cannot, you need the source found first.

What you are seeing	Who to call
A tap, valve or visible joint dripping or spraying	A plumber. The leak is visible and needs fixing.
Water pouring from a pipe, or a burst you can see	Turn the water off at the stop tap, then call a plumber.
A damp or stained ceiling or wall with no pipe obviously above or behind it	The leak team. The source is hidden.
A water meter that keeps moving with every tap and appliance off	The leak team. Something is losing water you cannot see.
A boiler pressure gauge that keeps falling with no visible drip	A heating engineer for the boiler itself; the leak team if the circuit is losing water somewhere unseen.
A wet floor, warped boards or a musty smell that returns after drying	The leak team. Drying out without finding the source only delays the problem.

If you are not sure which side of the line your problem falls on, the signs of a hidden water leak is a good checklist, and water leak but you cannot find it covers the most common frustrating case.

What the Leak Team Does on a Visit

The order of work is designed to avoid opening anything until the position is known.

1. Questions and a quick look. When the problem started, what changes it (showers, heating, rain, time of day) and where the water shows. These answers shape which test goes first.
2. Pressure and meter checks. Isolating sections of the supply and watching what holds shows whether the loss is on the supply, the heating or the waste. How pressure testing finds a leak explains the logic.
3. The method the leak needs. Tracer gas finds slow leaks in pipework under floors and in walls. Acoustic detection listens for the sound of pressurised water escaping. Thermal imaging and moisture mapping show where water has travelled. Several are often combined, because each sees a different effect of the same leak.
4. Marking the position. The leak is marked on the surface, so that any opening is small and in the right place. The approach is described in non-invasive leak detection methods.
5. A written report. Every visit ends with a report with at least 10 photographs showing what was found and where.

Small repairs that can be done safely on the same visit are agreed first. Larger repairs are quoted separately, with the leak stopped in the meantime, and damage to walls and ceilings is quoted through a partner team of builders and decorators. The leak team does the finding; it does not push you into work you did not ask for.

Why the Report Matters for Insurance

Many home insurance policies include trace and access cover, which may pay for locating a hidden leak after any excess, and in some cases for repairs that follow. Whether yours does depends on the policy, and the insurer decides. What an insurer usually wants to see is evidence: where the leak was, how it was found and what it has damaged.

That is why the report is written with the insurer in mind, with at least 10 photographs and a plain description of the method and the finding. If you plan to claim, tell your insurer before opening up anything yourself, and keep the report with your claim paperwork. Our guide to burst pipe insurance claim photos covers what loss adjusters look for, and the leak team's own how a visit works page shows what the report contains.

Prices and How to Book

The leak team publishes what it charges, and there are two ways to pay. The £580 fixed price covers one detection visit to one property with whichever methods the leak needs, tracer gas included, and a written report with at least 10 photographs. When one method is enough, the rate is £180 an hour, with £80 charged once if tracer gas is used. No VAT is charged on either. The what is included page lists what is and is not covered, and the no find, no fee terms set out exactly when the detection fee is waived.

The team covers all of Greater London, 24 hours a day. To book, use the contact details on Leak Experts London or call the leak team directly on 020 4634 6789. For a repair you can already see, our emergency plumbers are still the quickest route, and you can read more about how the two fit together on our dedicated leak team page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Leak Experts London the same company as Emergency Repairs London?

Yes. Leak Experts London is the name our leak team works under. It is part of Emergency Repairs London Ltd, set up to specialise in leak detection, and the team assigned to it works on leaks only.

When should I call the leak team instead of a plumber?

When you cannot see where the water is coming from: a ceiling stain with no pipe above it, a water meter that moves with every tap off, or pressure that keeps falling. If the leak is visible and just needs fixing, a plumber is the quicker route.

Does the leak team dig up floors and walls to find a leak?

The aim is to locate the leak without opening floors or walls first. Tracer gas, acoustic detection, thermal imaging and moisture mapping narrow the position, so any opening that is needed is small and in the right place.

Will my insurer pay for finding the leak?

Many home insurance policies include trace and access cover, which may pay for locating a hidden leak after any excess. Whether yours does depends on the policy, and the insurer decides. The written report from the visit is set out so you can pass it on.