Ask about a leak

Notes that help us place a leak

Nothing here is compulsory, but a few observations narrow down where a survey should start. Say where the stain, drip or damp patch sits and which floor it is on. Say whether it appeared suddenly or crept up over weeks, and whether it grows when a particular tap, shower or the heating is running.

Note where your stop tap is, and mention it if the water meter keeps turning while everything is switched off. If a neighbour below or beside you has marks on their ceiling or wall, that is worth a line too, because it can show which side the water comes from.

Why ask for the postcode at all? It tells the team whether the property sits inside the area we cover, and it is the only location detail the form needs. A full street address is not requested here, and anything you add in the free-text box is read by people, not published.

While the form is on its way, a dated photograph of the damage and a note of the meter reading give a later survey something to compare against. Leave ceilings, boxed-in pipework and anything electrical untouched; opening them yourself can make a small leak into a large one.

Renting, or in a flat? Say so. Whether the pipe belongs to the building, the landlord or the occupier decides who can authorise a survey, and knowing that early saves a round of back-and-forth. The same goes for access: a note about keys, a concierge or the best hours to be at the property helps a visit run smoothly.

Ten minutes of checking before you send

A few quick observations can separate a leak inside the property from one outside it. Read the water meter, wait an hour with every tap and appliance off, and read it again. A moving dial points to a loss somewhere on the supply; a still dial suggests the water is coming from elsewhere, such as the heating circuit, a waste pipe or rain finding a way in.

Check whether the heating system pressure gauge has been dropping and whether the boiler needs topping up more often than it used to. Repeated top-ups are a clue that a sealed circuit is losing water, which is a different search from a leak on a mains pipe.

Look at the pattern of the damp, not only its position. A ring that expands after showers suggests a bathroom source. A patch that appears after heavy rain and fades in dry spells points outward, towards the roof, a gutter or the brickwork. Water that is present every day, whatever the weather, is more likely to come from a pipe.

What a visit is for

A visit is meant to establish where the water is escaping and how it is travelling, using non-invasive methods such as moisture readings, thermal imaging, acoustic listening, pressure testing, tracer gas and dye. The aim is to avoid lifting floors or cutting plaster on a guess. Once the leak is found, a small repair can be done on the same visit, agreed first. A larger repair is quoted before any work starts, and the leak is stopped in the meantime.

Once the source is located, you receive the findings so that whoever carries out any larger repair, whether the team, a landlord's contractor or a building manager, knows exactly where to work. A precise location usually means a smaller opening and a shorter job.

If you are claiming on home insurance, tell your insurer before arranging anything and ask what evidence they want. A written record of where the leak was found, with dated photographs, is the kind of material a claims handler tends to ask for.

Sensible steps while you wait

While water is still escaping, shut the stop tap, lift belongings clear of the wet patch and catch drips in a bucket or towels. Stay away from sockets, light fittings and appliances close to the water, and leave anything electrical to a qualified electrician.

A bulging ceiling holding water, any sign of electrics getting wet, or the smell of gas needs a different response: keep clear and contact the relevant emergency service or a qualified tradesperson rather than waiting for a survey. Detection finds the source of a leak; it is not an emergency repair service.