Very little. We need clear access to the stopcock, the water meter and the boiler, a way into every room the pipes pass through, and someone with keys who can make decisions, in person or by phone. Leave carpets, furniture and the wet patch as they are. The water is usually off for an hour or two in stages.
Once a survey is booked, the next worry is practical. Do I have to take the day off? Should I empty the airing cupboard? Do the dogs need to go to my mother’s? Will the water be off all day? For a holiday let in St Ives with guests arriving on Saturday, the questions are sharper still. This guide sets out what a water leak detection visit needs from you, what it does not, and how to make the day go quickly.
Do you need to be there?
Ideally, yes, or someone who can speak for you. Not for the whole visit, but for the first twenty minutes and the last twenty. At the start we want to hear the history: when the damp appeared, what the bill did, whether a plumber has already been, where you think the pipes go. At the end we walk you round what we found and agree what happens next. Both conversations are far better in person.
If you cannot be there, a friend, a neighbour or a letting agent with keys is fine, as long as we can ring you when a decision is needed. The decisions are usually small: may we lift this corner of carpet, may we drain the heating, may we open the meter chamber. A tenant can let us in, but a landlord should be reachable, because the landlord owns the pipes and the insurance claim.
The five things we need to reach
- The internal stopcock. Usually under the kitchen sink or by the front door. Please clear the cupboard in front of it. If you do not know where it is, our guide to tracking down the stopcock in an older property will help, and if you still cannot find it, tell us and we will.
- The water meter. In the pavement, the verge or the drive, under a small plastic or metal lid. On rural plots it may be some way down the lane, so it helps to know roughly where.
- The boiler and its filling loop. We read the pressure gauge, and on a heating leak we may pressure test or gas test the system from here. A boiler in a cupboard full of coats slows this down.
- Hot water cylinder, header tanks and the loft hatch. Leaks from tanks and overflows are common in older Cornish houses. A clear route to the loft hatch and a working light up there help.
- Every room the pipes pass through. Water travels, so the leak is often not in the room with the symptom. We need to walk into bedrooms, bathrooms, the garage and the utility, even if they look dry.
Furniture, carpets and the wet patch
Please do not rearrange the house for us. A thermal camera reads through carpet, laminate and vinyl, a moisture meter reads through skirting, and acoustic equipment listens through floors. We carry what we need to move a sofa or a bed a metre or so and put it back. Heavy items like a piano, a range cooker or a fitted wardrobe only need moving if the survey narrows the leak to the floor directly beneath them, and we will tell you before we get to that point.
The one thing we do ask is that you leave the wet area alone. Do not run a heater or dehumidifier on it, do not lift the carpet to let it dry, and do not have the plumber cut a hole to have a look. A moisture map of an undisturbed floor is one of our most useful tools, and every intervention blurs it. Ventilate the room by all means, but leave the floor as it is.
How long the water is off
It depends on what we are testing, but rarely all day. A meter test needs everything off for an hour with nothing running, and you can still use the toilet once the reading is taken. A pressure test on the heating means the boiler is off for a while but the cold water still runs. Tracer gas on the supply pipe means the incoming water is off while the pipe is drained, filled with gas and swept, typically an hour or two, after which it is flushed and put back on.
Fill the kettle and a jug before we start and you will not notice. If you have livestock, a large family or guests in the property, tell us when you book and we will plan the isolation around it. Our guide to how long leak detection takes covers the whole visit, from arrival to report.
| What we are doing | What is off | For roughly how long |
|---|---|---|
| Meter test | Everything, by request | About an hour |
| Heating pressure or gas test | The boiler | An hour or two |
| Tracer gas on the supply pipe | Incoming cold water | An hour or two |
| Thermal imaging and moisture mapping | Nothing | None |
Holiday lets, second homes and empty properties
A lot of our work in Cornwall is in properties where the owner lives elsewhere. That is fine, and we do it every week, but a few things make it smoother. Give us the keysafe code or the agent’s number in advance. Put the heating on a day or two before we come if it is a heating leak, because a cold, empty house gives a thermal camera nothing to look at. Tell us if the water is turned off at the stopcock between lets, because the leak will only be running once it is back on, and we may want it running for a day beforehand to build up a moisture pattern.
Changeover days are not ideal. If guests leave at ten and the next arrive at four, we can work in that window, but a mid-week booking when the property is empty gives a better survey and no awkward conversations on the doorstep.
Pets, children and parking
Dogs are welcome, but a survey means doors left open, equipment on the floor and an engineer lying flat listening to a skirting board. A dog shut in one room with a bone is happiest, and so are we. Cats find their own solution. Small children are fine as long as they do not follow the ground microphone about. And a van parked as close to the house as possible saves a lot of carrying, so if you have a drive or a permit space, let us use it.
What to have ready
You do not need paperwork to have a survey, but if any of these exist, have them to hand. They shorten the day and they strengthen the report.
- Recent water bills or meter readings, so we can see when the usage changed.
- Boiler pressure readings, or just photos of the gauge over a few days.
- Your insurer’s claim reference if a claim is open, so the report is addressed properly.
- Any plumber’s notes from earlier visits, including what was checked and what was ruled out.
- Plans or photos of the plumbing from a renovation, even rough ones.
If you want to know what the day itself looks like, our guide to what to expect at your survey walks through it step by step. We run this leak detection service across Cornwall, and a little preparation on your side is the difference between a quick visit and a long one.
Frequently asked questions
What access is needed for leak detection?
Clear access to the internal stopcock, the water meter and the boiler, plus a way into every room the pipes pass through, including the loft where there are tanks. We also need someone with keys and the authority to approve small decisions, either on site or reachable by phone throughout the visit.
Do I need to be home for a leak detection survey?
It is best if you or someone who can speak for you is there at the start and the end. A neighbour, agent or tenant can let us in, but the owner should be reachable by phone to approve things like draining the heating or lifting a corner of carpet, and to hear the findings.
Should I move furniture or lift the carpet before the survey?
No. Our equipment reads through carpets, laminate and skirting, and we move light furniture ourselves. Heavy items only need moving if the leak is narrowed to the floor beneath them. Leave the wet area exactly as it is, without heaters or dehumidifiers, because an undisturbed moisture pattern is what we map.
How long will the water be off during leak detection?
Usually an hour or two in stages, not the whole day. A meter test needs everything off for about an hour, a heating test means the boiler is off for a while, and tracer gas on the supply pipe means the incoming water is off while the pipe is filled and swept. Fill a kettle beforehand.
Can you survey a holiday let while it is empty?
Yes, and it is often easier. Give us the keysafe code or the agent’s contact in advance, put the heating on a day or two before if it is a heating leak, and tell us if the water is normally turned off between lets so we can plan the test around it.
Book a survey that fits your day
Tell us about the property, who will be there and when the water can be off, and we will plan the visit around it. Every survey ends with a clear report you can pass straight to your insurer.
