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Mr Leak

Drain and sewer leak detection in Sussex, Surrey & London

Not every leak is clean water. A cracked or displaced drain run releases waste water into the ground under a building, and because it only flows when something upstairs is used, it can undermine foundations for years without producing a single visible drip.

A CCTV survey puts a camera through the run and records what is actually there: fractures, displaced joints, root ingress, collapses and standing water. The camera carries a sonde, so we can locate the defect from the surface and mark it, which is what makes a targeted repair possible instead of an exploratory dig.

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Our approach

How we find drain and sewer leaks

These are the methods we would normally work through on this kind of job, in this order, stopping as soon as the evidence agrees on one point.

  1. 1

    CCTV drainage survey

    Where waste water is escaping rather than supply water, the fault is usually a cracked, displaced or root-invaded drain. The camera carries a sonde so we can mark the position of the defect on the surface above, and the footage doubles as evidence for an insurer or a neighbour dispute.

  2. 2

    Tracer dye testing

    Ideal where several possible sources share the same wet patch. A shower tray, a waste trap and a heating pipe can all end up on the same ceiling; dosing them one at a time and watching where the dye emerges answers the question definitively rather than by elimination.

  3. 3

    Moisture mapping and salts analysis

    Damp on its own does not tell you where water came from. Rising ground moisture leaves nitrate and chloride salts behind; a burst pipe does not. Testing the salt content of a plaster sample separates a plumbing leak from rising damp or condensation, which is often the difference between a valid insurance claim and a rejected one.

  4. 4

    Pipe and cable tracing

    Knowing where a pipe actually runs, as opposed to where the drawings say it runs, prevents the two most expensive mistakes on any leak job: digging in the wrong place, and putting a spade through a live service. We mark the route on the surface and record the depth.

What happens

Trace, access, repair, prove

The same four stages on every job, whether it is a weeping joint or a mains supply pipe under a driveway.

  1. 1

    Trace

    Non-invasive survey of the whole affected area. We rule systems out as well as in, because knowing what is not leaking is half the evidence.

  2. 2

    Access

    One opening, in the right place, as small as the job allows. Usually a borescope hole first, and a larger opening only if the repair needs it.

  3. 3

    Repair

    The fault fixed on the same visit wherever it can be, guaranteed for 12 months. Anything larger is quoted at a fixed price before we start.

  4. 4

    Prove

    The circuit re-pressurised and held, moisture readings taken again, and the whole job written up with dated photographs and calibrated readings.

Pricing

Published rates, no call-out fee

Charged by the half hour with a half an hour minimum, and no premium for an emergency. All prices exclude VAT at 20%.

  • Weekdays7am – 6pm, Monday to Friday£54.00+ VAT
  • Evenings & weekends6pm – 9pm weekdays, plus all day Saturday and Sunday£69.75+ VAT
  • Late night9pm – 7am, every day£90.00+ VAT

Questions

Drain and sewer leak detection: your questions

Who is responsible for a broken drain?

Generally the drain within your property boundary is yours, and shared or lateral drains beyond it belong to the water and sewerage company. Our survey establishes exactly where the defect sits, which decides who pays.

Will my insurance cover a collapsed drain?

Many buildings policies cover damage caused by escaping water from a drain, and some cover the drain itself. Insurers almost always want CCTV footage and a schedule of defects before they will consider it, which is what our survey produces.

Can a drain leak cause subsidence?

Yes, and it is one of the more common causes on clay soils across Sussex and Surrey. Water escaping into the ground washes out fines and softens the bearing strata under a foundation. If a structural engineer has asked for a drainage survey, this is why.

Related services

Drain and sewer leak detection near you

We cover 74 towns, cities and boroughs across Sussex, Surrey and London.

All areas we cover

Need drain and sewer leak detection?

Call 01273 123 5050 for free advice, or book a survey online. No call-out fee, and we will tell you honestly if you do not need us.

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