When the Owners Corporation of a bustling industrial complex noticed unusually high water bills, they knew something was off. Located across a 2,000 square metre area and housing multiple large-scale units, the estate was a hive of commercial activity — and any disruption could cost businesses dearly.
That’s when Thoroughgood Professional Plumbing Services was called in. With a reputation for resolving complex plumbing issues efficiently and without unnecessary disruption, our team – led by senior plumbing technician Dean (affectionately nicknamed “The Leak Whisperer”) and plumber Luke – got to work.
The Challenge
Water was being consumed — a lot of it — but no visible leak could be found. A simple test confirmed the suspicion: we shut off the isolation valves for the water supply to each of the warehouse units, but the main meter to the complex kept ticking. Somewhere beneath the expansive concrete carpark and driveway, water was escaping.
With half a dozen industrial units and several hundred metres of underground piping, locating the exact fault the traditional way would have meant large-scale excavation, downtime for businesses, and significant costs.
But this is where our Three-Point Precision Leak Tracking system came into play — a cutting-edge combination of pipe location, gas tracing, and acoustic pinpointing that locates even the most elusive leaks with minimal disruption to the site or operations.
Step 1: Mapping the Underground Network with Copper Pipe Detection
To begin, our team deployed advanced equipment for detecting copper pipes within a region of the car park where they suspected the leak. This technology allowed us to accurately trace the plumbing network running underneath the concrete car park without lifting a single slab. Knowing the exact layout was crucial to narrowing down the potential leak zones.
Step 2: Introducing Gas into the System for Leak Tracing
With the pipe network mapped, we turned off the water mains and introduced a non-toxic, inert tracer gas into the plumbing lines. Using highly sensitive gas detection devices, our team scanned the surface and surrounding areas for any sign of escaping gas.
The beauty of this technique? Gas is lighter than air and will escape from even the tiniest fracture in an underground pipe, rising to the surface through cracks and seams in concrete. Sure enough, near a faint crack in the central car park, our sensors picked up a telltale signal: gas had escaped.
Step 3: Zeroing In with Acoustic Leak Detection
To confirm the exact point of failure, we brought out our acoustic leak detection equipment — a sophisticated microphone system capable of hearing what the human ear cannot. We “listened” beneath the concrete, following the subtle hissing sound of escaping water.
The readings were clear: the acoustic signal peaked just one foot from the gas detection hotspot, precisely where a small seam in the concrete showed bubbling water rising to the surface. This was the leak! With an X marking the spot – just a foot from the concrete seam – we had found the fault in the pipe.
The Result: Precision Detection Without Destruction
Thanks to our advanced detection technology and the experience of our technicians, we efficiently pinpointed the underground leak without needing to excavate blindly or disrupt business operations.
At Thoroughgood Plumbing, our commitment is not just to fix the problem — but to do it smarter, faster, and with minimal impact on your site.
Whether it’s a complex industrial estate or a residential leak behind a bathroom wall, our investment in cutting-edge tools and continual technician training ensures you’re always in expert hands.
The next step for our team here is to fix the fault in the leaking pipe. Then problem solved… on to the next one!
Thoroughgood Plumbing – We Find What Others Can’t.
We love the leak hunt! Contact Us if you need help with any plumbing leak.
