Articles
Leaking Stopcock: Is It an Emergency?
A dripping stopcock is usually a worn gland nut, not a crisis. This guide explains why stopcocks leak, when to tighten rather than replace, and why testing yours now matters before you ever need it in an emergency. Written for Scottish homes by Scotland Leak Detection.
Should You Turn the Water Off When You Go on Holiday?
Heading away for the summer and wondering whether to shut off the stopcock first? This guide covers the case for and against turning off your water, how to do it properly if you decide to, what your insurer expects of an empty home, and where smart shut-off devices fit in. Written for Scottish homes by Scotland Leak Detection.
Buying a Home in Scotland? Why a Leak Survey Beats a Surprise
A Home Report tells you a lot about a Scottish property, but it is a visual check, not a leak survey. This guide explains what a pre-purchase leak survey adds, why older stone and tenement stock needs extra care, and when to book one before the missives are concluded.
Mould After a Water Leak: What to Do (and What It Means)
Mould after a water leak keeps coming back if the moisture behind it is still there. This guide explains why mould appears, how to tell a hidden leak from ordinary condensation, and how thermal imaging and moisture mapping find the source without opening up walls.
Commercial Leak Detection: Protecting Business Premises
Commercial leak detection covers shops, offices and industrial units, where pipe networks are bigger and every hour of downtime costs money. This guide explains how commercial surveys work, why speed matters and what happens with metered billing and insurance. Written for Scottish businesses by Scotland Leak Detection.
Making a Water Leak Insurance Claim: Step by Step
A water leak insurance claim moves faster when you follow the right order: stop the water, notify your insurer, document the damage, then get a proper leak detection report. This guide walks through each stage and explains what loss adjusters actually want to see. Written for Scottish homeowners by Scotland Leak Detection.
Wet Patch in Your Garden That Won’t Dry? It Could Be a Leak
A patch of garden that stays wet or grows greener than the rest, even in dry weather, is often a sign of a supply pipe leak underground. This guide explains what to look for and how to confirm it without digging up the lawn.
Washing Machine or Dishwasher Leaking? Common Causes
A leaking washing machine or dishwasher is usually down to a hose, a valve or a door seal, not the pipework itself. This guide explains the common causes, how to tell an appliance leak from a pipe leak, and when a slow drip has already caused hidden damage.
Non-Invasive Leak Detection: Find Leaks Without Ripping Up Floors
Non-invasive leak detection finds hidden water leaks without breaking into walls, floors or driveways. This guide compares thermal imaging, acoustic listening and tracer gas, and explains which method suits which job.
How to Locate Underground Water Pipes on Your Property
Before you dig, plant a tree or lay a new patio, you need to know where your underground water pipes run. This guide covers the stopcock-to-house line, tracing technology, and why guessing at pipe locations damages gardens.
Hearing Water Running When Everything’s Off?
A running water sound with every tap closed usually means a pressurised leak, a refilling tank, or a fault at the meter. This guide explains what to check first and how acoustic listening finds the exact spot.
High Water Bill at Your Scottish Business? How to Check for Leaks
A sudden jump in your business water bill usually means a leak somewhere on your pipework. This guide explains the overnight meter test, how the Business Stream leak allowance process works, and when to call in a specialist.
Water Hammer: Why Your Pipes Knock (And How to Stop It)
That bang or knock in your pipes when a tap shuts off is usually water hammer, not a leak. Here is what causes it, the checks you can do yourself, and the point at which banging pipes are worth a proper leak survey.
What Happens During a Leak Detection Survey?
A leak detection survey follows a set sequence: a chat about the history of the problem, meter and pressure checks, then thermal imaging, acoustic listening and tracer gas if needed. Every stage is non-invasive, and you get the confirmed location marked plus a written report by the end of the visit.
Shower Leaking Through the Ceiling? Causes and What to Do
A shower leaking through the ceiling below usually comes down to one of three sources: failed sealant around the tray or screen, a waste pipe joint, or a supply pipe. The timing of the drip tells you which. This guide explains how to read that pattern and what happens next, including who pays in a Scottish tenement.
Leak Detection Specialist vs Plumber: Which Do You Need?
A plumber and a leak detection specialist solve different problems. This guide explains when each is the right call, what equipment a specialist uses that a plumber usually doesn’t carry, and why an insurance claim often depends on which one you choose first.
Underfloor Heating Losing Pressure? Here’s What It Means
A falling pressure gauge on your underfloor heating is a warning worth acting on. This guide explains what causes pressure loss, how to narrow the fault down at the manifold, and when a non-invasive leak survey is the sensible next step.
Moisture Meter Readings Explained: What’s Normal, What’s Not
Moisture meters are a starting point, not a verdict. This guide explains pin versus pinless meters, why every reading is relative rather than absolute, and how professionals map moisture gradients across a wall or floor to trace damp back to its source.
How to Find a Leak in a Central Heating System (DIY Checks First)
Before you call anyone out, most central heating leaks can be narrowed down with a torch, a dry cloth and twenty minutes. Here is how to check radiator valves, pipe runs and the boiler yourself, and how to tell when the leak has moved somewhere DIY checks cannot reach.
Water Leak Between the Meter and Your House: Who Fixes It?
A leak between the meter and your house sits on your side of the boundary, which means the repair bill lands with you. This guide covers the boundary rule, what it means for businesses on a meter, and how moling can fix it without digging up the whole run.
Why Leak Sealer Rarely Fixes a Central Heating Leak
Bottled leak sealer promises a quick fix for a dripping radiator or losing boiler pressure, but it usually just hides the problem. This guide explains how sealants work, why they can cause bigger problems, and the proper way to find and fix a heating leak.
How Much Does Leak Detection Cost in Scotland?
Leak detection cost in Scotland varies by property, pipe location and method needed. This guide covers the published UK market range, what actually drives the price up or down, and how trace and access insurance cover can offset it.
Landlord or Tenant: Who Handles a Water Leak in Scotland?
A water leak in a rented Scottish home raises an obvious question: whose job is it to fix? This guide covers landlord repair duties, tenant reporting responsibilities, the Right to Repair scheme, and what happens if nobody acts.
How to Find a Water Leak Underground
An underground water leak rarely shows itself the way an indoor leak does. This guide covers the DIY checks worth doing first, then how acoustic listening, tracer gas and correlation methods pinpoint the exact spot without digging up your whole garden.
Musty Smell but No Visible Damp? You Might Have a Hidden Leak
A musty smell with no damp patch in sight is one of the earliest signs of a hidden water leak, especially in Scottish solum spaces and suspended floors. Here’s how to tell the difference between a smell worth ignoring and one worth a survey.
5 Signs Your Underfloor Heating Is Leaking
An underfloor heating leak is easy to miss until the floor feels wrong or the system will not hold pressure. Here are the five signs to watch for, why screed and joisted floors behave differently, and how a leak is found without lifting the floor.
Does Home Insurance Cover Water Leaks?
Most buildings insurance policies cover sudden escape of water as standard, but gradual leaks and the cost of finding a hidden leak work differently. Here is what a typical policy covers, what trace and access pays for, and how to document a claim properly.
How to Find a Water Leak Under a Concrete Floor
A leak under a concrete floor rarely announces itself until damage is already done. Here is how to spot the early warning signs, how thermal imaging and tracer gas pinpoint a slab leak without digging, and what happens once the leak is found.
Tracer Gas Leak Detection: How the Hydrogen Method Works
Tracer gas leak detection sends a safe hydrogen and nitrogen mix through empty pipework to find leaks that acoustic methods can miss. Here is how the method works, when it beats other techniques, and why it is safe to use inside an occupied home.
Why Is My Toilet Constantly Running? (And How to Stop It)
A running toilet is almost always the flapper, the fill valve, or the overflow, and it wastes water every hour it runs. Here is how to diagnose which part has failed and when a running cistern actually points to a bigger leak.