Want it found and fixed? See our leak detection page or call 0451 001 503.
Quick answer: To check for a hidden leak, turn off every tap and watch the water meter. If it is still moving, water is escaping somewhere. Look for damp walls, musty smells, a higher bill or wet ground.
Hidden leaks are the ones that cost you the most, because by the time you notice them the damage is already done. In older homes around Sydney they’re common, especially with old galvanised or copper pipes.
The two-minute meter test
Turn off every tap in the house, including the washing machine and any irrigation. Go to the water meter and note the reading, or watch the small dial. If it’s moving with everything off, you’ve got a leak somewhere.
Other signs
- Water bill noticeably higher than the same time last year
- Damp patches, bubbling paint or a musty smell
- Cracked tiles or a soft floor near the shower
- Wet ground or unusually green grass in one spot
- The sound of running water when nothing’s on
Where leaks hide
- Under the shower, from failed waterproofing or a leaking mixer
- Behind toilets: cisterns that run constantly into the pan
- Inside walls, at joints in old pipework
- Underground, between the meter and the house
If the meter’s moving and you can’t find why, call me on 0451 001 503. We’ll narrow it down and only open up what we need to.
Quick questions
Turn off all taps and appliances and check whether the water meter dial is still moving.
Under showers, behind toilets, inside walls at old pipe joints and underground between the meter and the house.
