Three leaks beneath the utility-room floor
A meter kept recording water use with all outlets off. Isolation and pressure tests narrowed the loss to the hot supply; moisture readings and tracer gas led to three buried leaks.
Signs of the leak in March
The water meter recorded approximately 5–7 litres per hour with no water being used inside. There was no obvious burst pipe or surface water.
How the hidden leak was located
Closing the internal stopcock stopped meter movement. The cold circuit held pressure, while the hot circuit lost pressure. High moisture readings behind the washing machine and tracer gas escaping through the adjacent floor identified where to open. Further testing after the first two finds revealed a third leak.
Why this area was opened
Separate circuit tests placed the loss on the hot side. Moisture and tracer gas beside the washing machine supported opening that section of the utility floor.
The investigation, step by step
- 01Observed meter movement and isolated the internal supply.
- 02Tested hot and cold circuits separately and confirmed loss on the hot side.
- 03Mapped high moisture readings around the utility floor and low wall.
- 04Cleared the hot pipes and introduced tracer gas, detecting it beside the washing machine.
- 05Opened the floor and located three leaks close together.
- 06Replaced approximately two feet of pipe and tested at 3.2 bar for 30 minutes with no measurable loss.
What was found
- Found
- Three leaks on the hot water pipe beneath the washing machine: the first two about six inches apart, with a third roughly ten inches away.
- Repair
- All three leak points were removed and the section replaced with copper tube and soldered fittings. The final 3.2 bar test held for 30 minutes.
- Recommended afterwards
- Seek professional drying advice for the affected floor and wall before reinstatement.
- Worth knowing
- Drying and floor reinstatement are not recorded as completed. The source lists acoustic equipment but does not establish that it located any of the leaks.
What this investigation shows
Finding two nearby defects was not the end. Further testing revealed a third, and the final pressure test was recorded separately from the need for drying.
Read about agreeing access and repair work and understanding the recorded outcome.
