Leak Detection

Plumbdog leak detection specialist James is back on the tools in Ballajura, WA — this time called out for a suspected underground water leak.

🧪 Diagnosing the Leak

James starts with the water meter, confirming it’s spinning despite no taps running. This indicates a leak and lets us calculate the water loss per minute — useful not just for our detection process but also for the Water Corporation lost water claim after the repair.

🔎 Acoustic Leak Detection in Action

Armed with his Fuji acoustic detection gear, James checks around the front yard and gets a clear signal near the front hose tap. He uses his ground spike/listening stick, which comes out wet — confirmation that we’re right on top of the burst pipe.

🔧 Repair & Confirmation

After carefully digging down, James finds a split in the pipe. He provides a cost estimate on the spot, which the customer approves. The repair is done using Auspex pipe, which connects easily to most pipe types.

Final tests show the water meter is no longer spinning, and everything is watertight. James backfills, cleans up, and heads off to the next job.

🐾 Real Leak Detection by Real Plumbers

Forget guesswork — Plumbdog uses specialised acoustic equipment to accurately locate leaks without unnecessary digging. All repairs are completed by fully licensed plumbers, and we even help customers apply for lost water rebates.

✅ Fully licensed & insured
✅ Acoustic leak detection gear
✅ Same-day emergency service available
✅ Friendly, dog-loving team 🐶

📍 Need leak detection in Ballajura or nearby suburbs?
Contact us today and one of our leak detection specialists will be on their way — ears up and tools ready!

When Other Plumbers Miss the Problem, We Sniff It Out… (best Perth leak detection)

In his very first on-camera job, new Plumbdog Evan is out in Canning Vale tackling a frustrating roof leak situation that had left the homeowners soaked (and over it).

Several plumbers had come out before — and none of them figured out what was actually causing the issue. Enter Evan. Calm. Clear. Confident. And bang on the money.

🔍 What Evan Found:
1️⃣ Leaking Internal Corner:
Previous plumbers slapped silicone over the old stuff, which never works. Why? Moisture was still present underneath, so the seal never took.

2️⃣ Downpipe Pot Installed Poorly:
It sat too far into the gutter, creating a blockage that guaranteed pooling water — which always means future leaks.

💬 “If you don’t strip it back and dry it out properly, it’ll just keep leaking. Half a job doesn’t cut it — that’s not how we do things at Plumbdog.” – Evan

🛠️ Here’s What Evan Did Right:
• Stripped out the dodgy, old silicone
• Fully dried the internal corner and resealed it properly
• Adjusted the downpipe pot so it sits correctly
• Reassembled the lot with extra fall for better flow
✅ Fixed properly. No bandaids. Just good plumbing.

Darius Follows the Water Trail and Uncovers Hidden Time Bombs in the Roof

You’d think 30ml per minute wouldn’t be a big deal — but give it enough time, and you’ve got a collapsed ceiling, soaked timber flooring, and a very stressed customer.

This job was one for the books. Darius was called out to inspect ongoing water damage with no obvious source. What he found was a classic Perth plumbing nightmare.

🔍 What Darius Found
• Ceiling collapsed with a bucket catching the steady drip
• Water bubbling up through timber flooring around the waste
• Shower above looked fine — but it wasn’t the real culprit
• External plumbing sealed poorly (not the issue, but yikes)
• Dodgy PEX piping up the wall and into the roof

💬 “This was the plumbing equivalent of ‘Where’s Wally’ — but with water.” Classic signs where water leak detection is required. 

🔧 How He Solved It
• Pressure tested the upstairs plumbing
• Found a puddle sitting in the roof space
• Cut and capped two suspicious water feeds
• Then found kinked PEX pipes with no elbows — dangerously installed and likely to fail
• Identified the root issue and recommended future-proofing the rest

✅ Pro tip: Poor installation = guaranteed future disaster. Don’t wait for the pipes to let go!

It’s not uncommon for us to receive a call shortly after a hot water system installation — especially when a customer notices water around the unit. At Plumbdog, we always take those calls seriously and act quickly to investigate.

In this case, James returned to a Perth home where our team had recently installed a heat pump hot water system. The customer had reported:

• Concerns that the system may not have been installed level
• Water pooling around the base of the unit

🔧 Step 1: Inspecting the Hot Water System Installation

The heat pump system was originally quoted by James and installed by Chris, one of our Plumbdog pups, under supervision. On reinspection, James found that:

• The unit was firmly secured and correctly positioned
• It was level and neatly installed
• The installation followed all manufacturer and plumbing code requirements

💬 “It’s important to check the install with fresh eyes — and it’s just as important to reassure the customer when everything looks spot on.”

💧 Step 2: Investigating the Source of the Water

Next, James turned his attention to the reported leak. What initially looked like water escaping from the system turned out to be:

• A below-ground leak from a deteriorated copper pipe
• Located just beside the hot water system, inside the customer’s reticulation box

These types of leaks are often mistaken for an issue with a newly installed system — especially when they show up in the same area.

📞 Communicating with the Customer

James made every effort to explain the findings to the customer, including:

• The difference between the system’s installation and the unrelated underground leak
• Offering a quote for a proper repair of the copper pipe
• Providing clarity around how these things can happen, especially in older homes or with ageing plumbing

While the customer chose not to proceed with the repair through us, our approach stayed the same: assess thoroughly, explain clearly, and offer a solution.

🧠 What You Can Learn from This Job

• Not all water around your system means a faulty install — it could be an existing issue nearby
• Heat pump systems are highly efficient and reliable when installed correctly
• Professional inspections include checking all surrounding plumbing, not just the unit
• Customer presence during install can be helpful, but clear post-install communication is just as important

📺 Watch the Video

Join James on site as he walks through the system check, investigates the nearby leak, and explains the entire situation clearly and professionally:

🐾 Need Help With a Hot Water System or Suspected Leak?

Whether it’s a new install, a leaking pipe, or just something that doesn’t feel quite right — we’re here to help.

📞 Call Perth’s real plumbers with all the gear and every idea.
🐶 No callout fee | ✅ Upfront pricing | 🔎 Leak Detection Experts | 🔥 Heat Pump Installers