Leak Detection in Kallangur
Leak detection in Kallangur means finding water that escapes without showing itself: under a lawn, inside a wall or beneath a slab. Every job is done by a licensed plumber, and we start with the one test that proves whether a leak exists at all.
If we're late, $100 comes off your bill
- Licensed and InsuredEvery job done by a licensed plumber. QBCC No: 15024607
- Fixed Quote FirstFlat-rate pricing, agreed before any work starts
- Lifetime Labour WarrantyBacked by our Fix-It-or-It's-Free guarantee (T&Cs apply)
- $0 Call-Out FeesNo extra charge for nights, weekends or public holidays
A hidden leak can waste thousands of litres a day while the house looks perfectly dry. The first sign is usually the bill, and by then the water has been running for weeks. This page shows you how to catch it earlier, what a concealed leak claim needs, and what we do on site once the meter says yes.
Signs of a Leak You Cannot See
The signs sit in three places: the meter, the house and the yard, and a higher water bill is the thread that ties them together. Check the meter dial with every tap off, watch the walls and ceilings, and look at the ground after a dry week.
Each place tells its own story:
At the meter
the dial or numbers move while nothing in the house is drawing water.
In the house
walls or ceilings going damp or stained, a stale musty odour, finishes swelling or peeling, or a floor patch that feels warm.
In the yard
soggy ground or a stretch of lawn that stays greener than the rest.
The meter is the honest one of the three. Damp walls can have other causes, but the meter only moves when water is actually drawn through it.
One reading at the meter box helps sort responsibility early. A box full of water points to trouble at or around the meter itself, which belongs to the water utility. Soggy ground nearby with the meter sitting still is likely the utility's pipe as well.
Water Bill Relief for a Hidden Leak
A concealed leak is water escaping where you cannot see it, past the meter on your side of the connection, and Unitywater may adjust the bill for one when the fix meets its rules. The utility decides whether a leak counts, and the fine print is specific.
Here is what the claim needs:
- The leak counts only where it is out of sight: buried, in concrete or under the building, and beyond what an owner would reasonably notice.
- Unitywater's deadline is 30 calendar days from the day you find out, and the fix needs to hold. A stopgap water service will not do.
- The account holder applies in writing, attaching an invoice from a licensed plumber, or a statutory declaration if the owner did the work, which a licensed plumber then checks.
- Unitywater needs the application within 12 months of the repair date, and adjusts a maximum of two billing quarters.
The exclusions matter as much as the rules. Water lost through leaking taps, toilet cisterns, hot water systems and other appliances never qualifies. Neither do sprinklers, irrigation, pools, spas, ponds or a rainwater tank filled through faulty plumbing.
You pay for all water the meter records, leak or no leak, so reading the meter yourself beats waiting for the utility to flag a spike. If the utility tells a tenant about a possible leak, the owner or agent is taken as informed from that point.
The Meter Test That Proves a Leak
- 1
Switch everything off
Close every tap, including the hose, and stop the washing machine, dishwasher, plumbed-in fridge and any irrigation. The meter tap stays open.
- 2
Photograph the numbers
Photograph or write down the reading, including the red numbers. Those red figures catch the small flows a big leak would obviously show anyway.
- 3
Wait and re-read
Come back after an hour or longer, with nothing in the house drawing water. A changed number, or a dial still creeping, suggests a leak for a licensed plumber to chase. The result also tells you which side of the meter the problem sits on. Movement puts the leak in your pipes, the ones running from the meter onto the block. A still meter with soggy ground or a flooded meter box points back to the utility's side.
Plumbing job in Kallangur?
$0 call-out fees, available 24/7, and same-day where we can.
Where Leaks Hide on Kallangur Blocks
Hilly ground shapes where a leak surfaces in Kallangur. Water escaping underground on a sloping block travels rather than pools, so the soggy patch in a Dohles Rocks Road backyard can sit well downhill of the failing pipe. Storm soakage can disguise the same green stretch after rain, and a meter reading cuts through both guesses.
How a Plumber Pinpoints a Hidden Leak
The method runs in order: confirm the leak with the meter, close off the supply line in stages, pressure-test each stage, and narrow the search before anything is opened up. No guesswork, and no digging first.
The steps look like this:
Only then does anything get opened, and only where the evidence points. A leak that has already split a line wide open is a different job, and our burst pipe repairs page covers that response. Weaker points like a braided connector under a basin fail their own way, and the flexi hose replacement page carries that detail.
Both sit within our wider water pipe repairs service.
- 1
Confirm
the leak at the meter before touching a thing.
- 2
Isolate
stages of the supply line, one at a time.
- 3
Pressure-test
each one; whichever stage drops holds the leak.
- 4
Narrow
the search by listening along the pipe and taking moisture readings across walls, floors and timber under the house.
How a Leak Detection Visit Runs
- 1
Describe the problem
Phone (07) 3520 4094 or fill in the form with what you're seeing in Kallangur. The more we know, the better we can prepare.
- 2
We confirm and trace
We run the meter test with you first, then work along the line isolating sections and taking moisture readings until the leak is pinned to one stretch. You see each result as we get it.
- 3
Agree on the price
A fixed quote comes before any work starts: flat-rate pricing, no hidden fees, and your go-ahead first.
- 4
Pay on completion
Card or EFTPOS on site when everything's working, or ask us about Fix now, pay later.
Leak Questions From Kallangur Homes
Call (07) 3520 4094How do I test for a hidden water leak at home?
Turn off every tap and water-using appliance, photograph the meter including the red numbers, and leave the meter tap on. Check it again after an hour or longer with nothing running. A changed reading points to a leak worth a licensed plumber's visit.
Will Unitywater reduce my bill for a hidden leak?
Yes, when the leak meets the concealed leak rules. It has to be out of sight on your side of the meter, fixed within 30 calendar days of discovery, and backed by an invoice from a licensed plumber. Unitywater adjusts a maximum of two billing quarters.
Do leaking taps or toilets count as concealed leaks?
No. Drips from taps, cisterns, hot water systems and similar appliances are excluded by the rules, as are sprinklers, irrigation and pools. Only a leak under the ground, within concrete or beneath the building can qualify.
How long do I have to fix a hidden leak in Kallangur?
Unitywater's deadline is 30 calendar days from the day you find out about the leak. The fix also needs to hold rather than serve as a stopgap, and your claim should reach Unitywater within 12 months of the repair date.
Why is my water bill so high in Kallangur?
One common cause is a hidden leak, because it runs day and night while you notice nothing. Run the meter test to separate a leak from normal household use. If the reading moves with everything off, call us.
Call Us About the Hidden LeakWe'll call you back.
Phone (07) 3520 4094 for a licensed plumber in Kallangur. We work under QBCC No: 15024607, with flat-rate pricing, no hidden fees and same-day where we can.
To claim your $0 call-out fee, call (07) 3520 4094 today.