Case studies

Real leaks, found and explained

Each case study is a real London job: what was reported, the tests we ran in order, what we found and how the report holds up with insurers, agents and councils. Client names and addresses are removed, and every one comes with a redacted copy of the report.

A long rust-coloured streak running down a rendered wall from a small pipe outlet near the top

Buckhurst Hill, Essex IG9 · 9 min read

Case Study: A Buckhurst Hill IG9 Boiler Losing Pressure, and the Leak That Was Not Under the Floor

A house in Buckhurst Hill, IG9, was being refurbished and its boiler kept dropping pressure. Everyone suspected the pipes under the new screed. Tracer gas, thermal imaging and an endoscope found nothing there. The answer was a steady stream from the pressure relief valve outlet on the garden wall.

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A hand in an orange glove holding a pressure gauge connected to a flexible hose during a supply pressure test

Charlton, London SE7 · 9 min read

Case Study: A Charlton SE7 Flat, a Meter Reading 60 Litres an Hour, and No Leak to Find

A flat in Charlton, SE7, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich, had a meter showing about 60 litres an hour and a bill heading for around £5,000 a year. Thames Water had sent three engineers and asked for a plumber's report. Our pressure test and meter watch found no leak, and the report said exactly what that does and does not prove.

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A stainless steel kitchen sink filled with bright green tracer dye water, a gloved hand at the edge

Harlesden, London NW10 · 9 min read

Case Study: The Harlesden NW10 Restaurant Leak That Three Years of Plumbers Could Not Find

A restaurant in Harlesden, NW10 had water coming through its ceiling on and off for about three years, and several plumbers had not found the source. A 15-minute tracer dye test in the flat above reproduced it, and a small ceiling opening showed the soil stack dripping.

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A timber floor in a hallway with a darker patch near the doorway, in a flat in Shepherds Bush, west London

Shepherds Bush, London W12 · 9 min read

Case Study: The Shepherds Bush W12 "Underfloor Heating Leak" That Was a 15 mm Valve Under the Bath

A tenant in Shepherds Bush, W12 was sure the underfloor heating had failed. Thermal imaging, a pressure test and tracer gas showed a small drain-off valve under the bath was the cause, and it was replaced the same day.

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An open joint at the edge of a shower tray with stained timber visible beneath, in a flat in Kentish Town, north London

Kentish Town, London NW5 · 9 min read

Case Study: The Kentish Town Shower Leak Two Pressure Tests Could Not Find

A Camden Council letter said water was reaching the flat below. Pressure tests pointed at the pipes. The real cause was a shower tray seal, and the report that proved it is the part insurers and managing agents read.

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Corroded back box of a wet electrical socket opened up in a kitchen wall, from a job in N11, north London

New Southgate, London N11 · 9 min read

Case Study: The N11 Leak Hiding Under the Sink, Not Behind the Washing Machine

A wet socket and months of damp pointed at the washing machine. Pressure and isolation tests in N11 showed a slow drip from a valve under the sink, and the report is what the insurer needs.

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