Moisture-meter and thermal survey to find a leak inside a wall, under a floor or behind a cabinet before the damage spreads in Salt Lake City.
Fastest: call (833) 490-5225. Or send this and we call you back.
Hidden water leak detection is the process of finding a leak that is not visible, such as one inside a wall, under a floor or behind a cabinet. Technicians use moisture meters, a thermal camera and careful opening of small areas. Salt Lake City Water Damage Restoration answers leak-detection calls 24/7 in Salt Lake City and sends a crew as soon as one is free.
Most water leaks are found by their damage rather than by sight. A stain on a ceiling, a soft floor or a musty corner is the first sign of water that has been moving for some time behind a finished surface. The longer the leak runs unseen, the wider the damage, so the aim of a detection visit is to find the source quickly and with as little opening as possible.
A detection call is answered 24/7, and the crew sent is the nearest one that is free. The technician begins with the readings and the history: where the sign of water appears, when it was first noticed, and whether any fixture in the room has been used recently. Those clues guide where the meter is run and where, if anywhere, a small opening is needed.
If you suspect a leak inside a wall or floor, call (833) 490-5225 and describe the sign you have seen. Do not start breaking into drywall or lifting flooring on your own, because an opening in the wrong place can add to the damage and make the real source harder to find.
Do not break into a wall, ceiling or floor to look for a leak without first checking for wires, gas lines and other pipes in the area. Do not use a metal probe or a drill near a wall that may contain wiring. Shut off the power to any room where you suspect a leak near electrical equipment. Do not try to repair a supply line under pressure, and turn off the water before any fitting is touched.
The technician asks when the sign first appeared, whether it grows, and which fixtures in the area have been used. A leak that appears only when the shower runs points to a different line than one that is always wet. Those answers narrow the search before any tool is used.
The house water is turned off at the main or at a local valve, and the water meter is checked for movement. A meter that keeps turning with every fixture closed shows a leak somewhere in the system. The crew uses the meter and the valves to decide whether the leak is inside the house or outside it.
Moisture meters are run across the wall, floor or ceiling in a grid, and the readings are recorded. A thermal camera can show a cool or damp zone that the meter has not reached yet. Where both tools point to the same area, the crew has a likely location for the leak.
An access opening is made where the readings are highest, and only as large as the search requires. The pipe, fitting or drain is checked from inside the opening. The technician explains the opening before it is made and agrees the size with you.
The leak is confirmed with the source in view or with a pressure test where that is the right method. The technician writes down where the leak is, what it is coming from and what repair it needs. The opening is covered or sealed to the owner's wishes, and the record goes with the property.
A technician uses moisture meters, a thermal camera and the water meter to narrow the search, and opens only the small area that the readings point to. Most of the house stays closed, and the opening is as small as the search allows.
The readings are taken on a grid, so the crew can see the spread of moisture and the point where it is highest. A thermal camera can help by showing a cool damp zone that the meter has not reached. Combined, the tools point to a likely location, and that location is tested before any wall is opened.
The crew explains each step, so you can see why an opening is needed and where. If the leak is not where the readings suggested, the crew says so and widens the search in a planned way.
A leak search is priced by how hard the leak is to reach, how many areas must be tested and whether an opening and a repair are needed. The price is explained and approved before work starts, and this page gives no figure.
A leak that shows at a visible fitting is a short visit. A leak inside a wall, under a tile floor or behind built-in cabinets takes longer, because each area has to be checked and the opening has to be made and closed. The technician records the areas tested so you can see the scope.
The repair is a separate job that is done by a plumber or a suitable trade. The crew's search and the repair are priced apart, so you can decide on the repair after you know where the leak is.
A rising water bill can be a sign of a leak, but it can also come from changes in use. Read the meter while every fixture is off. A meter that keeps moving points to a leak, and a crew can check the rest of the system from there.
Write down the meter reading at a time when nothing in the house is running, and read it again a few hours later. Keep the reading and the date with your bill, because it helps the crew and your plumber track the problem.
A running toilet is a common cause of a rising bill, and it is often easy to hear. Check the toilet tank for a flapper that does not seal, and call a crew if the meter still moves with every fixture closed.
Shut off the water to the line, keep the power off in the room if there is any electrical equipment nearby, and call a plumber for the repair. The crew records the leak's location and marks the opening for the plumber to use.
The opening in the wall is covered or sealed according to the owner's wishes, and the crew can leave it open for the plumber to finish the repair. A wall that is open for a long time should be covered to keep dust and debris out.
Moisture in the wall after the leak is repaired is dried by the crew, and the readings are logged until the cavity is dry. That step is important, because a wall that is closed while still wet can hold moisture and grow mold.
A repeat leak is usually from a second fitting, a joint that was not checked or a line that has been damaged by the same stress. The technician looks at the whole run of the line rather than only the spot where the water appeared.
Pipes that have been repaired at one joint can fail at the next joint along the same run. Water pressure, temperature changes and movement in the building can each stress a line, and the crew notes the condition of the line where it can see it.
If a leak returns, call again and describe the sign and where it appears. A returning leak is recorded as a new finding, and the crew tests the line again rather than assuming the repair held.
A supply line that leaks inside a wall can run for a long time before it shows. The sign is usually a damp patch, a soft baseboard or a faint stain. The crew shuts the line, runs a pressure test if the readings call for one, and opens the wall only where the line is likely to be. The repair is made by a plumber, and the crew records the location for the plumber.
A drain that leaks slowly under a sink or a floor can soak the subfloor without showing at the surface. The crew runs the drain and watches for a change in the readings. Cabinet bases and the floor beneath them are checked, because they often hide the first signs of a slow leak.
A water heater or an appliance that leaks at its connection can wet the floor beneath it before anyone sees the water. The crew checks the connection, the pan and the floor around the unit, and it takes readings to see how far the water reached. The technician notes whether the leak is at a fitting, a valve or the unit itself.
A stain on a ceiling can come from a leak above it that is not a pipe. The crew looks at the ceiling from the room and, where access is possible, at the cavity above. The readings and the stain's shape help separate a pipe leak from a roof or flashing leak, which is then recorded for the right trade.
Magna, Midvale and North Salt Lake are on the list of towns the business serves, and a wall leak in those towns is found with a moisture meter and a thermal camera, not guessed at. The first readings tell the crew where the damp zone is, and the opening is made only where the readings point.
Leaks in Salt Lake City homes can be found in the same way as in any other place in the service area. The crew uses the house's own layout, the water meter and the fixtures in use, and it does not assume a leak sits in a particular room based on the neighborhood.
Whether a leak is inside the house or outside it is the first question the crew answers. A line that enters the building from the street can leak before it reaches the meter, and a leak there is the utility's or the owner's repair, depending on where the line runs. The technician explains which side of the meter the leak is on, and who is responsible for it.
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Air movers, dehumidifiers and daily moisture readings that bring wet walls, subfloors and framing back to a dry standard in Salt Lake City.
Assessment and removal of mold that grows on wet materials after a water loss, with drying and readings done first in Salt Lake City.
Water removal and drying for the floor, cabinets and walls around a leaking water heater, answered 24/7 across Salt Lake City.
Removal of wet ceiling drywall and insulation, followed by drying of the cavity, for ceilings damaged by a leak or storm water in Salt Lake City.
A water damage claim file is built from photographs taken before anything is moved, a dated timeline, the crew's moisture log and written scope, and receipts for emergency and repair work.
A technician takes moisture readings and uses a thermal camera to find the damp zone behind the surface. The water meter tells the crew whether the leak is in the house or outside it. An opening is made only where the readings point, and it is kept as small as the search allows.
The search makes an opening only when the readings require one, and the opening is sized and agreed with you before it is made. The technician covers or seals the opening once the search is finished, or leaves it open for the plumber to finish the repair.
The crew confirms the leak and records where it is, and it can dry the area around it. The repair itself is done by a plumber or a suitable trade. The technician will tell you what the repair involves before you decide on it.
It depends on where the line sits and who owns it, which is usually set by the utility's rules and the owner's agreement. The crew identifies which side of the meter the leak is on and tells you who to call, but it does not decide responsibility.
Call again and say what you have checked. The crew will look at the whole system, including fixtures that might not be obvious, such as an irrigation line or an appliance. A meter that keeps moving is worth investigating, even if no wet spot is visible.
No. A hidden leak keeps soaking the materials around it while it runs, and waiting can turn a small search into a larger repair. Calls are answered 24/7, and a crew is sent as soon as one is free.