Leak detection questions to ask before booking

A whole working day is booked for every pipework investigation. Some leaks turn up within a couple of hours, but leaks are unpredictable, so the day is kept clear for yours.

If there is time left once the leak is found, the engineer can often repair it the same day.

Yes, free of charge with more than one working day's notice (two working days for swimming pools). With less notice the full charge is due, because each engineer takes one job a day and that day can't be offered to anyone else.

For a Monday appointment, that means cancelling by 9:30am on the Friday before.

Not as a blanket promise. Every leak is different, and some can't be reached without access that isn't available.

On mains-fed water pipes in a home there is a no find, no fee arrangement when certain conditions are met, including booking the repair with the same company. The conditions are listed on the cost page.

Yes, as long as access is arranged and you can be reached on the phone throughout the day. Let properties are a regular job.

The engineer may need to get into the flat above or below to run some of the tests, so it helps to speak to the neighbours in advance.

Where flats share a water main, finding which one is leaking can be harder. Mention it when you call.

A boiler that needs topping up again and again is often the first sign of a leak in the heating system. And while there may be an innocent explanation, such as a faulty pressure relief valve or air bled from a radiator, it usually means water is escaping from a pipe you can't see.

Leak detection covers leaks in and around the boiler, not other boiler faults. If water is dripping from the boiler itself, call a Gas Safe registered engineer.

Yes. Thermal imaging and tracer gas find leaks under concrete, screed and floorboards, and only the spot over the leak is opened. How each method works.

Often, if the pipe is yours. The supply pipe running from your boundary to the house is usually the owner's responsibility, and many buildings policies cover accidental damage to underground pipes. Check your wording for "underground services".

It depends which side of the boundary the leak is on. The water company normally looks after the pipe in the street up to your boundary. From there to the house, the pipe usually belongs to you.