The common causes first
A running toilet, a dripping tap or a leaking hot water relief valve can push a bill up on its own. They're small repairs, so they come first.
Leaks and burst pipes
Leak detection on the Sunshine Coast
If your water bill is suddenly higher, a wall feels damp or part of the yard stays wet, you may have a hidden leak. We test for it, get it pinpointed and repair the pipe, for homes across the Sunshine Coast. We also fix burst pipes and leaking taps, toilets and hot water valves.
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- 5.0
- QBCC licence15305437
- Master PlumbersQueensland member
How can I tell if I have a hidden leak?
Do a meter test. Turn off every tap and anything that uses water, including the irrigation and the pool top-up. Write down the numbers on your water meter, wait an hour without using any water, then read it again. If the numbers have moved, water is escaping somewhere between the meter and your taps.
Other signs are a bill that's higher than the same time last year, the sound of running water when everything is off, a damp spot on a wall or ceiling, a warm spot on a tiled floor, or an area of lawn that stays green and soft while the rest is dry.
What we check and fix
Hidden leaks in walls, floors and yards
When the fittings are fine, the leak is in a pipe you can't see. We narrow it down to one section of pipe, then it's pinpointed with leak detection equipment before anything is cut open.
Burst pipes
We repair or replace the damaged section and test the line before the water goes back on.
Leaks behind the shower
Loose tiles, swollen skirting or mould at the bottom of a wall can mean a leaking mixer or pipe. If the cause is failed waterproofing instead, that's a job for a waterproofer, not a plumber.
Water pressure
Pressure that's too high makes pipes, taps and hoses leak sooner. If yours is over the limit, we can fit a pressure limiting valve to bring it down.
Pipes that keep failing
If the same run has leaked more than once, the pipe may be at the end of its life, and replacing that run can cost less than repairing it again and again.
How we deal with a leak
Tell us what you've noticed
Ring or send the form. If you've done the meter test, tell us what it showed.
You get a written quote before any work starts,
and it's your call whether to go ahead.
We test and narrow it down
We check the fittings and the meter, then test sections of pipe to find which part is losing water. No wall, floor or path is cut until you've said yes to the repair price.
We repair and test it
We fix the pipe, then test the line with the water back on.
What leak detection and repair costs
A leaking toilet, tap or relief valve is a small repair. A hidden leak costs more, for three reasons: finding the exact spot takes time and equipment, the pipe has to be reached, and whatever was opened up has to be closed again.
Where the leak is makes the biggest difference. A pipe under the house or in the garden is easier to reach than one inside a tiled wall, under a concrete slab or beneath a driveway. Sometimes running a new pipe around the problem, through the wall or roof space, costs less than breaking up a slab to repair the old one.
If a wall or floor has to be opened to reach the pipe, it will need making good afterwards, which adds tiling or plastering to the cost.
What our customers say
I can highly recommend Chris. He was quick and efficient on what turned out to be a pretty big leak 3ft under our lawn. No trace to the garden once he'd finished his work. Friendly and professional. Will definitley use his services again
God installation completed efficiently
Steve C.
Chris was professional, friendly and communication was easy and fast. Works completed as described and on time
J
Chris from Blue Bourke Plumbing did an Amazing Job with the Plumbing as part of our Apartment Renovation. He was a Pleasure to work with as well as being Professional and nothing was a bother. His Advice and Attention to Detail was very much Appreciated. We couldn't be Happier and would thoroughly Recommend Chris.
Geoff L.
Where we fix leaks
We work on leaks in homes from Caloundra and Pelican Waters up to Noosa Heads, and inland to Maleny.
Common questions
By narrowing it down. First the water meter and the fittings, then testing sections of pipe to see which run is losing water. The exact spot in a wall or slab is then found with listening equipment, which picks up the sound of escaping water, or a thermal camera on hot water lines.
It depends on your policy, so ask your insurer before the work starts. Many policies treat three things differently: the water damage, the cost of finding the leak, and the repair of the pipe itself. Ask which of those your policy covers, and what they need from the plumber for a claim.
Turn the water off at the main valve, which is usually next to the water meter near your front boundary. If the hot water pipe has burst, switch off the hot water system too. Move anything valuable away from the water, take photos for your insurer, then ring us on 0413 291 781. We work Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 4:30pm. Outside those hours you'll need an after-hours plumber.
A leaking toilet. A worn flush seal or inlet valve lets water trickle into the bowl all day, and it's easy to miss. Dripping taps and a leaking hot water relief valve are the other usual ones. All three are small repairs, so check them before assuming a pipe has burst.
Often, yes. If the leaking pipe can be bypassed, a new line can be run through the wall or roof space and the old one capped off, so the slab isn't touched. Whether that works depends on where the pipe runs and what it feeds, so ask for a price on both.
Not always. More people at home, a new pool, garden watering in a dry spell or an estimated meter reading can all push a bill up. The meter test is the easiest way to tell. If the meter moves while nothing is running, there's a leak worth finding.
Think you have a leak?
Do the meter test, then ring 0413 291 781 or send the form and tell us what it showed. We work Monday to Friday, 7:30am to 4:30pm.