What the method does
Water escaping from a pressurised pipe can create sound that travels through the pipe and surrounding material. Specialist listening equipment makes suitable signals easier to compare. The pipe material, depth and background noise all affect what can be heard.
Listen at useful points along the route
The engineer considers suitable contact points and the likely pipe route before interpreting the readings. Traffic, machinery and ordinary water use can create competing noise. A consistent pattern may help focus further checks, especially when it agrees with other evidence about the supply.
Where it may be useful
- Private incoming water pipes
- Suitable buried supplies
- Comparing likely leak areas before access
What it cannot establish on its own
A quiet result does not rule out a leak. Low pressure, plastic pipework and some ground conditions can reduce useful sound.
Before the visit
Identify accessible stop valves and any noisy equipment that normally operates nearby. The engineer can advise whether a change in conditions would make a check more useful.
An investigation, not an equipment checklist
The most useful method is the one that answers the next question about your plumbing. A visit may combine observations and tests, or find that another specialist is needed. We explain the findings and proposed access before the agreed repair. Our package is defined by its scope, not by using every instrument.
Read how the investigation works and the £1,345 residential package, including exclusions.