Leak detection in the Portland metro

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A leak doesn't always announce itself with a puddle. Often the first clue is a water bill that won't come down, a musty smell in a basement, or a stain that creeps across a ceiling. By the time water shows, it's usually been moving for a while, and that's why finding the source early matters.

Signs of a hidden leak

• A water bill that rose and stayed up with no change in use
• Damp patches, bubbling paint, or a warped floor or baseboard
• A musty or earthy smell with no visible water
• The sound of running water when everything is shut off
• Warm spots on a slab floor, usually a hot-water line leaking under it

How it's found

The goal is to locate the leak without tearing the house apart to look. Plumbers use a combination of methods, including acoustic listening, pressure and flow testing, and thermal imaging, to narrow the point down before anything gets opened. Rainy-season moisture in damp crawlspaces around Portland can confuse a casual look, so a method that separates groundwater from a supply leak matters.

Where Portland homes tend to leak

• Supply lines inside walls in older homes, often near a corroded joint
• Slab-on-grade supply lines in the newer suburban builds
• Drain lines under floors, where a leak soaks a crawlspace
• Hose bibs and exterior lines that split during a hard freeze

What it costs

Detection is a diagnostic visit, and it's priced to the time and methods the job needs. A hard-to-find leak takes longer than an obvious one, and most plumbers credit the inspection toward the repair if you have them fix it.