A high water bill, a meter that keeps moving, the sound of running water or a damp patch. A few quick questions give the likely source, the check to do first, and what finding and fixing it usually costs in Ipswich.
The quickest way to know for sure. It costs nothing and tells a plumber where to start.
Every tap, the washing machine, the dishwasher, the irrigation and anything with a water line.
Write down every number on the dial, or take a photo. The small red dial or triangle moves first.
Use no water at all. Read the meter again: if it has moved, there is a leak somewhere.
A few drops of food colouring in each cistern, no flushing for 20 minutes. Colour in the bowl is a leak.
Ranges from the price guide Water only when it rains? Check the storm water
| Job | Typical range | When |
|---|---|---|
| Running toilet repair | $150–$350 | Toilet refilling on its own |
| Inspection and meter test | $150–$300 | Confirming there is a leak |
| Acoustic detection | $250–$500 | Pipes underground or in walls |
| Thermal imaging | $300–$600 | Damp walls, ceilings and showers |
| Tracer gas or whole-property audit | $300–$1,000 | Slab leaks and hard-to-find leaks |
A toilet that refills on its own is leaking through the flush valve into the bowl, or the inlet valve won’t shut off. It is quiet, it runs day and night, and it can waste thousands of litres before anyone notices. The flush valve seal or the inlet valve is a quick, cheap repair.
Typical cost: $150–$350 to repair a running or leaking toilet.
Turn off every tap and anything that uses water, including the irrigation and the ice maker, and read the water meter. Wait an hour without using any water and read it again. If it has moved, water is leaking somewhere. A plumber narrows it down section by section, then finds the pipe with listening gear or thermal imaging, without pulling the house apart.
Typical cost: $150–$300 for an inspection and meter test; $250–$500 for acoustic detection.
Damp beside a shower, bath or basin is usually water getting past cracked grout or failed silicone, a leaking waste, or a waterproofing membrane that has failed under the tiles. A pipe in the wall behind the taps is the other suspect. Stop using that shower until it is checked: the water keeps soaking the floor and the wall frame.
Typical cost: $300–$600 for thermal imaging to find where the water is getting in.
A damp patch on a wall or ceiling away from the wet areas is usually a water pipe in the wall or roof space. If it only appears after rain, it is the roof, flashing or gutters instead. Thermal imaging shows where the water runs without opening the wall.
Typical cost: $300–$600 for thermal imaging; $150–$300 for an inspection and meter test.
A damp floor, or a warm patch underfoot, usually means a pipe under the concrete slab is leaking. A warm spot points to a hot water pipe, and the hot water system may seem to run more than it should. Tracer gas or thermal imaging finds the exact point, so only a small section needs opening, or the pipe can be rerouted.
Typical cost: $300–$1,000 for tracer gas or a whole-property leak audit.
A soggy patch that won’t dry, or water bubbling up in the yard, is usually the water service pipe between the meter and the house. If the leak is at the meter or on the street side of it, it is Urban Utilities’ to fix. If it smells of sewage, it is a drain or the sewer, not the water pipe.
Typical cost: $250–$500 for acoustic detection to pinpoint it.
Turn off every tap and appliance, read the water meter, wait an hour without using water, and read it again. If it has moved, there is a leak. Check the toilets first with a few drops of food colouring in each cistern.
Urban Utilities looks after the water main and the meter, and the pipe on the street side of it: call 13 23 64. From the meter to the house, the pipe is the owner’s.
Usually a running toilet, a dripping tap or hot water relief valve, or a hidden leak in a pipe. Do the meter test to see whether water is leaking when nothing is on.
An inspection with a meter test is typically $150–$300. Acoustic detection is $250–$500, thermal imaging $300–$600, and tracer gas for a slab leak $300–$1,000.
Ask Urban Utilities whether you can get a leak allowance. They usually want a plumber’s report on the repair, so ask for one and keep it.
Send what you noticed, the meter readings if you took them, and your suburb. A licensed local plumber who covers your area gets back to you with a price before any work starts.