Electronic Leak Detection in Orange County

What is electronic leak detection?

Electronic leak detection uses sensitive listening equipment to hear water escaping from pipes behind walls, under floors or inside a concrete slab, without opening up the house. Done-Rite Plumbing & Rooter offers it across Orange County.

Is your water bill climbing, or do you hear water running when everything's off? Are you noticing damp spots on your walls or a musty smell you can't place? Those can be signs of a hidden water leak, and it's worth finding it before it causes more damage. Done-Rite is ready to pinpoint and fix these hidden leaks for homes across Orange County.

How can you tell there's a hidden water leak?

The five most common signs of a hidden water leak are an unexplained jump in the water bill, running-water sounds when nothing is on, damp spots or mildew odors, warm or cold floor spots, and lower water pressure.

Why did my water bill suddenly go up?

A big, lasting jump in the water bill when your routine hasn't changed is one of the clearest signs of a hidden leak. Plumbing is under pressure all the time, so even a small leak runs day and night.

Ignoring it means paying for water you never use, while the leak keeps soaking into your home and can lead to mold and repairs. Our guide to a spinning water meter or high water bill shows how to check for a leak at the meter.

Why do I hear water running when everything is off?

A faint hiss, trickle or drip behind a wall, under the floor or from the concrete slab is often water escaping a pipe through a small crack, a loose joint or a pinhole.

You've checked every faucet, toilet and appliance, and they're all off. Over time, a steady leak can break down building materials, lead to mold and draw pests.

What do damp spots and musty smells mean?

Stains on walls, ceilings or floors, warping baseboards, or a musty smell near a bathroom, kitchen or laundry room are signs water is seeping into the walls or floors.

The smell can show up even with no water in sight. The longer the seepage goes, the more damage it can do to flooring and finishes, and the more likely mold becomes.

Why is one spot on my floor warm?

A patch of floor that feels warmer or colder than the area around it is a classic sign of a slab leak in a home on a concrete slab. A warm spot usually means a hot water line in the slab is leaking.

The leaking hot water heats the concrete above it. A slab leak left alone can soak the soil under your home and lead to cracking and settling.

Can a hidden leak lower water pressure?

Yes. A leak in the main water line or a major supply line can send water out of the pipe before it ever reaches your fixtures, leaving a weak shower or slow-filling tub.

Low pressure can have other causes too, but when it shows up with other signs on this list, a leak is a strong possibility.

What causes hidden water leaks?

The four most common causes of hidden water leaks are aging or corroded pipes, shifting slab foundations, tree root intrusion and water pressure that stays too high.

Do old pipes cause pinhole leaks?

Yes. Older galvanized steel can rust from the inside, and copper can develop tiny pinhole leaks as it corrodes. Leaks like these often mean the pipes are near the end of their useful life.

Pipes wear out over time. The fix may be repairing the damaged section, or repiping part or all of the home if leaks keep showing up.

How does a shifting slab damage pipes?

Concrete slabs can shift slightly as soil settles, swells or shrinks. Even a small shift can make a pipe rub against the concrete or another pipe until it wears through.

The rubbing eventually causes a crack or break. Slab shifting is a common cause of warm and cold spots on floors, and electronic leak detection is especially helpful for finding these leaks.

Can tree roots cause a water leak?

Yes. Tree roots push into tiny cracks or loose joints in underground water and sewer lines, then keep growing until they crush or break the pipe.

Root damage can cause both water leaks and sewer backups. Leak detection helps Done-Rite tell whether the problem is in a water line or a sewer line.

Can high water pressure cause leaks?

Yes. Water pressure that stays too high, generally above about 80 PSI, strains every pipe, joint and fixture in the house, and over time that strain can cause leaks.

A strong shower feels nice, but the long-term fix often includes installing or adjusting a pressure reducing valve at the main water supply along with fixing the leak.

What happens during an electronic leak detection visit?

A Done-Rite leak detection visit follows five steps: check the water meter, isolate parts of the plumbing, listen for the leak with electronic equipment, mark the spot, then go over the repair options.

1. Talk and check the meter: We start by talking about what you've noticed and checking your water meter for signs of water flowing when everything is off.
2. Narrow it down: We may shut off or isolate parts of your plumbing to narrow down where the leak is.
3. Listen for the leak: Sensitive listening equipment picks up the faint sound of water escaping from pipes. Other methods can help too, like checking surface temperatures for hot water leaks. The tools let us focus on the right spot instead of opening up walls or floors to search.
4. Mark and explain: Once we've found the leak, we mark the spot, explain what we found in plain language and talk about what likely caused it.
5. Go over the repair: We go over your repair options, whether that's a spot repair, a reroute that moves the line out of the slab or a larger fix. You get a clear price for the repair before any work starts.

Leak detection is its own service, and Done-Rite can handle the repair that follows, too. Labor is covered by a 1 year minimum warranty. Our guide to how electronic leak detection works explains the equipment in more detail.

What if the leak is under the slab?

If the equipment points to a problem under the concrete foundation, slab leak detection confirms the exact location and extent of the leak. A hidden leak often turns out to be a slab leak.

After that, Done-Rite can handle slab leak repair, whether that's a spot repair, a pipe reroute or a larger fix to protect your plumbing and your foundation.

When is Done-Rite available for leak detection?

Done-Rite aims for a 1-hour response, charges no trip charge, and offers 24/7 emergency service when water is actively leaking. The company is family-owned, licensed, bonded and insured.

A mystery drip, a rising water bill or unexplained dampness is a sign that water may be getting where it shouldn't. We know a hidden leak is stressful, and we offer honest, low-pressure help. Contact Done-Rite Plumbing & Rooter today to schedule your electronic leak detection service.