ADI Leak Detection Manchester traced each of the three leaks below with tests before any repair work began. Between them, the engineers used acoustic listening equipment, thermal imaging cameras, moisture meters, tracer gas, a compressor for pressure testing, a dye and flood test and a drone survey of the roof.
Two of the leaks were on pipework inside the home. The third was rainwater getting in through a neighbour's damaged wall, the kind of problem our roof leak detection service investigates. Each table follows one job in the order the engineer worked it and names the equipment behind every test. Every entry comes from the engineer's own report and job sheet for that visit, and we show the area and postcode sector, never the full address.
The leak in this Old Trafford home was at the washing machine valve, where the hose union had been fitted without a rubber washer.
| Engineer | Paul Hope |
|---|---|
| Area | Old Trafford, Trafford (M16 7) |
| Date | June 2025 |
| Equipment used | Acoustic listening equipment, a thermal imaging camera, a Protimeter moisture meter and a compressor for pressure testing |
| Signs of the leak | The water meter was recording 30 litres an hour |
| Meter check | With the internal stopcock closed, the meter stopped |
| Acoustic listening equipment | Every accessible pipe was tested. Leak noise registered at the garden tap and nowhere else. |
| Thermal imaging camera | Used with the kitchen tap running to trace the pipe route, but no pipe route showed |
| Protimeter moisture meter | Readings peaked across the kitchen floor and up the walls around the washing machine |
| Pressure test | With the supply isolated, 3 bar fell to zero within two minutes, and leak noise came from behind the washing machine |
| Access made | The washing machine was removed after swollen skirting and end panels had jammed it in place. No damage was caused. |
| Leak found | At the hose union on the washing machine valve |
| Cause | No rubber washer had been fitted to the union |
| Repair | A new washer was fitted |
| Check after the repair | The internal and external mains each held 4 bar for 45 minutes. With everything reconnected the meter stopped, and the water was turned back on and run at all outlets. |
| Engineer's note | A lot of damp was left in the kitchen |
Water damage on two ceilings in this Chorlton home came from a leak on copper pipework under the landing floor.
| Engineer | Matthew Barron |
|---|---|
| Area | Chorlton, Manchester (M21 8) |
| Date | June 2025 |
| Equipment used | A thermal imaging camera, a moisture meter, a drone, a dye and flood test and a pressure test |
| Signs of the leak | Water damage on the dining area ceiling and on the ceiling by the stairs down to the basement |
| Thermal imaging camera | A thermal survey of both ceilings found cold patches on the ceiling by the basement stairs |
| Moisture meter | Readings were high on both ceilings |
| Drone survey | Minor damage to the roof and wall pointing, plus damage to the gutter and flashing |
| Loft inspection | No sign of water getting in |
| Dye and flood test | With the bath panel removed, the bath waste was flood tested with dye. No dye water came through. |
| Access made | An inspection hole in the ceiling by the basement stairs showed major water damage in the cavity, with water dripping. The carpet on the landing at the top of the stairs was then lifted and the wooden floor opened. |
| Leak found | On copper pipe under the wooden floor by the landing |
| Cause | A section of copper pipe had lost its integrity and was letting water escape |
| Repair | Repaired with 15mm plastic pipe, two elbow couplings, two equal couplings and six pipe inserts |
| Check after the repair | The internal mains held 3.0 bar for 20 minutes with no drop in pressure |
| Engineer's advice | Repair the dripping kitchen mixer tap, the roof, wall pointing, gutter and flashing, the window seals and the bath silicone, as well as the water-damaged ceiling and carpets |
Rainwater dripping through the front lounge ceiling of this Didsbury home was getting in through damaged pointing on the neighbour's wall.
| Engineer | Matthew Barron |
|---|---|
| Area | Didsbury, Manchester (M20 1) |
| Date | January 2025 |
| Equipment used | A moisture meter, a thermal imaging camera and tracer gas |
| Signs of the leak | Water damage in the front lounge. In heavy rain, water dripped from the ceiling constantly and a bucket was needed to catch it. |
| Moisture meter | Readings were high across the damaged ceiling |
| Thermal imaging camera | The thermal survey found cold patches |
| Tracer gas | Tracer gas was put into the ceiling cavity. None came through the seals of the flat roof above, but it escaped from several points on the neighbour's wall where the pointing was damaged. |
| Leak found | Damaged pointing on the neighbour's wall |
| Cause | The damaged pointing and wall were letting rainwater into the property |
| Repair | Not carried out on this visit, as the work is on the neighbour's wall |
| Engineer's advice | Repair the damaged pointing and wall marked on the report photos, and the damaged ceiling |
Our unique leak detection service can save you time and money as our qualified engineers can pinpoint any leak without disrupting your property or its surroundings. Furthermore, we respond quickly because we understand that when it comes to finding a water leak every minute wasted could result in potentially catastrophic damage. We have fully qualified engineers located all across the country, so regardless of where you live, we can normally get to your property within 48 hours.
Our leading high tech leak detection equipment can detect and locate a leak precisely - saving your home from further damage. As a leading leak detection company we have a policy of constantly and consistently investing in the latest equipment to ensure we remain at the cutting edge of the water leak detection industry. Our staff regularly attend trade shows, and we follow leak detection news stories from across the world, which ultimately benefits our customers when they have a leak!
ADI Leak Detection is a national company, with a local feel. We have a network of qualified engineers with many years of experience, strategically located throughout England, Scotland & Wales. This means that wherever you live, there is an experienced ADI leak detection engineer close to you. In the vast majority of cases we can normally respond to your leak within 48 hours, and occasionally with same day or next day leak detection possible.
Our water mains leak detection crews utilize a dedicated range of equipment to find leaks on water supply pipes including the use of tracer gas, acoustic leak detectors and leak correlators.
As a specialist water leak detection company we have dedicated water mains leak detection specialists operating Nationwide, throughout the UK!
Our teams are highly experienced in tracing leaks on water mains utilizing years of experience to find and repair water leaks. If your water main is damaged beyond repair then we are able to provide water mains replacement services.
In sealed systems such as heating circuits and heating systems, tiny invisible leaks, also called Micro Leaks, can result in a slow and constant loss of pressure in the system with no obvious cause. Micro Leaks tend to occur more often in heating circuits and hot water pipes and, as the water is hotter, it evaporates far more quickly leaving little or no trace.
The constant loss of pressure could eventually lead to a boiler breakdown. Locating the source of these leaks is a specialist occupation that many plumbers or heating engineers will not have the knowledge or equipment to solve. ADI Leak Detection are experts at finding, diagnosing and repairing these leaks ensuring your heating system won’t fail you when you need it the most.
ADI Leak Detection we are proud to be able to offer one of the most comprehensive swimming pool leak detection services on the market today. In most cases, our swimming pool leak detection engineers are able to locate the precise location of your leak within a day – whether on the pool itself or the filtration system.
The combination of having years of experience in non-invasive leak detection, and being PADI certified scuba divers, gives ADI Leak Detection the cutting edge when identifying leak locations.
A leak in your roof can cause lots of water damage, quickly. Our specialist roofing leak detection teams carry a range of specialist equipment devised for roof water leak detection. The equipment utilized can include tracer gases, electronic roof leak detectors, moisture meters and our drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras!
Depending on the type of roof you have (commercial metal, flat or pitched) our field service engineer mat start with the drone investigation before using thermal imaging and tracer gases to identify the exact location of your roof leak.
Trace and Access is insurance company terminology for the process of tracing and accessing a hidden water leak. Trace & Access is part of some home insurance policies as standard, while it as an addition to the home insurance policies of many other home insurers.
As a leak detection company we provide every customer with insurance approved reports to assist with any insurance claim. Trace and access pertains to the escape of water from pipework, not from water ingress from external sources. If your water leak is from pipework and you have trace and access cover you should be able to claim back the cost of our service from your insurer.
Central heating technology an fitting has changed dramatically over the last couple of decades. Modern properties are now designed with the heating pipes hidden under floorboards and behind walls to make the property look aesthetically pleasing. This is all well and good until a leak develops in your pipework.
The last thing anyone wants to have to do is rip down or cut holes in the wall, or lift up the flooring, until you find where the leak is originating. Although many plumbers can take an educate guess as to the source of the leak, if they get it wrong, more time is wasted and more damage is done. At ADI Leak Detection we take the guesswork out of the equation ensuring that we pinpoint your leak quickly and with complete accuracy.
Boiler pressure loss can be a sign of a central heating leak or a leaking boiler component which is causing pressure loss in the heating system.
Our central heating leak detecrion engineers are experts at finding the exact cause of the leak. In most cases a boiler losing pressure is actually caused by a hidden water leak on central heating pipework.
A Drain CCTV Survey can help identify the location of a cracked drain or the reason why you may keep getting blocked drains.
The most common reason we provide Drain CCTV Surveys is when a customer is purchasing a new property and requires a complete drainage survey. You would be surprised how often we find problems with fully functioning drains!
If you need a water main installed or replaced in Manchester then ADI Leak Detection are here to help.
We provide water main replacement and installation services and are specialists in replacing mains over 25 meters in length using our Horizontal Directional Drilling rig. We also utilize moling for replace water mains.
We serve the whole of Manchester, Greater Manchester including all villages in the area.
