Most leaks announce themselves with a water bill, not a puddle. The meter spins with every fixture off, the bill climbs two or three cycles in a row, and there is no visible water anywhere. That gap between the meter reading and what you can see is exactly where leak detection equipment earns its keep.
We locate leaks with acoustic listening equipment, thermal imaging cameras, video pipe inspection, and static pressure testing. Each tool reads a different signal. Acoustic sensors pick up the hiss or thud of pressurized water escaping through a pipe wall or fitting. Thermal cameras show temperature differences in a floor or wall where water is migrating through concrete or framing. A pipe camera shows the inside of the line itself, so we can see corrosion pitting, joint separation, or root intrusion without digging. Pressure testing isolates which section of line is losing volume. On a typical Phoenix slab home, we combine two or three of those methods to narrow the location to within a few inches before anyone touches a saw.
Phoenix makes this work harder than most cities. The Valley is almost entirely slab-on-grade construction, many of those slabs are post-tensioned, and the water lines run through or under the concrete. Hard water at 12 to 20 grains per gallon corrodes copper from the inside, and the clay soil beneath the slab expands when a leak saturates it and contracts when it dries, which stresses both the pipe and the foundation. The longer a slab leak runs undetected, the more soil movement you get, and soil movement is what cracks tile, shifts door frames, and eventually threatens the slab itself.
We give you a flat-rate price for the detection visit, and a free estimate if the repair turns out to be bigger than a simple fitting or joint. Call 602-560-8989 and we will tell you honestly what the meter and the equipment are saying.
What We Handle
Our Process
Read the Meter
We read the water meter, check the pressure, and walk through the symptoms with you. A meter that moves with everything off tells us water is leaving the system. Where it is leaving, and how fast, narrows the search before we pull out the electronics.
Isolate the System
We isolate the hot side and cold side of the supply, then test the drain lines separately. Pressure testing tells us which line is losing volume. On a post-tensioned slab, knowing whether the leak is on the hot side, cold side, or drain side determines everything about the repair approach.
Pinpoint the Location
Acoustic sensors, thermal cameras, and pipe cameras each read a different signal. We use the combination that fits the situation. Acoustic listening finds pressurized leaks through concrete. Thermal imaging maps water migration paths. Video inspection shows what the pipe wall looks like from the inside. Together they put us within inches of the failure.
Show You What We Found
You see the thermal image, the camera footage, and the marked location before we talk about next steps. If the leak is a single joint or fitting, we can often repair it the same visit. If the pipe is corroded through a longer section, or if a post-tensioned slab rules out a point repair, we lay out the options, spot repair versus reroute versus a full repipe, and give you a free estimate on each.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most reliable one is your water meter. Turn off every fixture and appliance that uses water, including the ice maker and irrigation timer, and watch the meter for ten minutes. If the dial or the low-flow indicator is still moving, water is leaving the system somewhere. Other signs include a water bill that climbs without a change in usage, warm or damp spots on a tile or concrete floor, the sound of water running inside a wall when nothing is on, and a musty smell in a room that should be dry. There is a more detailed breakdown on our slab leak warning signs page.
That is the whole point of electronic detection. Acoustic sensors and thermal cameras locate the leak through the concrete, so we only cut or dig at the exact spot. On a post-tensioned slab, which is common in Phoenix, cutting in the wrong place can sever a tension cable and compromise the foundation. The equipment takes the guesswork out and protects the slab.
Very common. Phoenix water runs 12 to 20 grains per gallon depending on the utility district, and that mineral load corrodes copper pipe from the inside over time. The exterior of the pipe faces alkaline soil and chlorides in the ground. Meanwhile the clay beneath the slab expands and contracts with moisture changes, and that shifting stresses joints and fittings. Most of the slab leaks we locate are on homes 15 years or older with original copper lines.
Many homeowner policies cover the resulting water damage but not the cost to locate or access the pipe. Coverage varies by carrier and by how long the leak went undetected. We provide documentation, photos, and thermal images you can submit with your claim. If your adjuster needs to speak with us directly, we are available for that.
It depends on what the detection finds. If a single joint or fitting failed in an accessible location, we can often handle the repair on the same visit. If the pipe is corroded through a longer section, or if a post-tensioned slab means we need to reroute rather than cut into the concrete, we write up the options with a free estimate so you can decide. More detail on repair approaches is on our slab leak repair page.
If the pipe that failed is copper and the home is 15 to 25 years old, other sections of the same line are often in similar condition. We show you what the camera sees inside the pipe so you can judge the wall thickness for yourself. Sometimes a single repair is the right call. Sometimes the corrosion is widespread enough that a partial or full repipe makes more sense than fixing leaks one at a time. We lay out both paths and let you decide.