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Mr Leak

East Sussex · BN41 · BN42

Leak detection in Portslade

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

Around fifteen minutes from our Brighton base.

Local knowledge

What actually leaks in Portslade

Portslade splits neatly into the old village up the hill and the industrial and interwar housing down by the harbour, and the two have different problems. The steep chalk slopes at Mile Oak send surface water toward properties rather than away from them, while the low-lying streets near the canal sit close enough to the water table that any escape of water spreads sideways through the ground rather than draining away.

That is not trivia. It changes where we start. Knowing that a Portslade 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

  • Surface water ingress on the chalk slopes at Mile Oak
  • Interwar galvanised and lead supply pipes corroding
  • Solid floor leaks spreading laterally near the harbour
  • Cavity wall penetrating damp on exposed elevations
  • Drain defects in older terraced runs

Neighbourhoods we cover in Portslade

  • Portslade Village
  • Portslade-by-Sea
  • Mile Oak
  • Fishersgate
  • Southern Cross

Plus every street in BN41, BN42. If you are just outside, call and ask.

Equipment

How we survey a property in Portslade

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 Portslade: your questions

How quickly can you get to Portslade?

Around fifteen 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 Portslade do you cover?

All of it. We work across BN41, BN42, including Portslade Village, Portslade-by-Sea, Mile Oak, Fishersgate and Southern Cross. If your postcode sits just outside that list, call and ask — we regularly work on the boundary.

What causes most leaks in Portslade?

Portslade splits neatly into the old village up the hill and the industrial and interwar housing down by the harbour, and the two have different problems. The steep chalk slopes at Mile Oak send surface water toward properties rather than away from them, while the low-lying streets near the canal sit close enough to the water table that any escape of water spreads sideways through the ground rather than draining away. In practice that means the faults we are called to most often here are surface water ingress on the chalk slopes at mile oak, interwar galvanised and lead supply pipes corroding, solid floor leaks spreading laterally near the harbour.

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

Mains water in Portslade 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 Portslade?

The same as everywhere else we work — there is no Portslade 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 Portslade? 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.