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Mr Leak

East Sussex · BN3

Leak detection in Hove

Non-invasive water leak detection, repair and insurance reporting across Hove and the surrounding area. Thermal imaging, acoustic correlation and tracer gas find the source precisely — before anyone lifts a floor or opens a wall.

Ten minutes from our Brighton base.

Local knowledge

What actually leaks in Hove

Hove is dominated by large Victorian and Edwardian villas and by 1930s mansion blocks along the seafront, both of which concentrate risk in the same places: long horizontal pipe runs above communal ceilings, and flat roofs over bay windows and rear additions. In the mansion blocks a single failure upstairs routinely appears three floors down, which is why so much of our Hove work involves establishing which flat the water actually came from.

That is not trivia. It changes where we start. Knowing that a Hove property is likely to be on Southern Water mains, built the way most of the stock around it was built, and sitting on the ground it sits on, means we can rule out whole categories of fault before we unpack the van — which is time you are not paying for.

The faults we are called to most often here

  • Escape of water between flats in seafront mansion blocks
  • Flat roof failures over bays and rear extensions
  • Communal riser and soil stack leaks
  • Original cast iron and lead pipework reaching end of life
  • Shower tray and wet room failures in newer conversions

Neighbourhoods we cover in Hove

  • Brunswick
  • Hove Park
  • Aldrington
  • Poets Corner
  • Goldstone Valley
  • West Blatchington
  • Hangleton

Plus every street in BN3. If you are just outside, call and ask.

Equipment

How we survey a property in Hove

Every van carries the full range. Which instrument leads depends on the pipe, the pressure and the ground it is buried in.

  • Thermal imaging camera survey

    A radiometric camera reads surface temperature through plaster, screed and tile to reveal the cold plume of an escaping supply pipe or the warm track of a heating leak.

  • Acoustic leak correlation

    Ground microphones and digital correlators listen for the specific hiss of pressurised water forcing its way out of a pipe, then triangulate the exact point.

  • Tracer gas testing

    A harmless hydrogen and nitrogen mix is introduced into drained pipework, escapes at the fault, and is picked up at the surface by a gas sensor.

  • Moisture mapping and salts analysis

    Pin and pinless meters chart how wet a structure is, and a salts test tells us whether the water arrived from a pipe, from the ground, or from the weather.

  • Pressure and flow testing

    Isolating and pressurising each circuit in turn proves which one is losing water, and how fast, before anything is opened up.

  • CCTV drainage survey

    A self-levelling camera crawls the drain run and records exactly what is broken, where it is, and how deep.

  • Borescope inspection

    A camera on a flexible probe goes through a hole the size of a pencil to look inside a void, wall or ceiling.

  • Tracer dye testing

    Non-staining fluorescent dye is added to one water source at a time so the escaping water carries a colour-coded label.

  • Pipe and cable tracing

    A signal generator puts a tone on the pipe and a receiver follows it, so we map the route and depth before anyone digs.

  • Roof integrity and voltage testing

    Low-voltage electronic testing finds breaches in a flat-roof membrane that are invisible from the surface.

Questions

Leak detection in Hove: your questions

How quickly can you get to Hove?

Ten minutes from our Brighton base. We answer the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and target a 1 hour response across our coverage area, with no surcharge for an emergency call-out.

Which parts of Hove do you cover?

All of it. We work across BN3, including Brunswick, Hove Park, Aldrington, Poets Corner, Goldstone Valley, West Blatchington and Hangleton. If your postcode sits just outside that list, call and ask — we regularly work on the boundary.

What causes most leaks in Hove?

Hove is dominated by large Victorian and Edwardian villas and by 1930s mansion blocks along the seafront, both of which concentrate risk in the same places: long horizontal pipe runs above communal ceilings, and flat roofs over bay windows and rear additions. In the mansion blocks a single failure upstairs routinely appears three floors down, which is why so much of our Hove work involves establishing which flat the water actually came from. In practice that means the faults we are called to most often here are escape of water between flats in seafront mansion blocks, flat roof failures over bays and rear extensions, communal riser and soil stack leaks.

Who is responsible for a leak on my supply pipe in Hove?

Mains water in Hove is supplied by Southern Water. As a general rule the supply pipe from the boundary stop tap into your property is yours to maintain, and everything on the street side belongs to the water company. Our report states which side of that boundary the fault sits on, which matters because many water companies will repair a first leak on a customer supply pipe at no charge.

How much does leak detection cost in Hove?

The same as everywhere else we work — there is no Hove premium. Weekday surveys start at £54.00 + VAT with a half-hour minimum and no call-out fee, evenings and weekends from £69.75 + VAT, and late nights from £90.00 + VAT.

Will my insurer accept a leak detection report from you?

Our reports are written to the evidence standard loss adjusters work to: calibrated moisture readings, dated photographs, a stated methodology and a clear causation finding. Trace and access cover in your buildings policy will usually pay for the survey itself as well as the damage caused by getting to the leak.

Leak in Hove? We can be with you today.

Call 01273 123 5050 for free advice over the phone, or book a survey online. No call-out fee and no emergency surcharge.