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Leak Under a Concrete Floor in Nottingham

Notts Leak Detection traces a leak under a concrete floor across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, so only one small section is broken out, or the pipe is rerouted and the floor left alone.

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Lines open Monday–Sunday, 9am–7pm.

Small square of concrete floor broken out over a leaking pipe in a Nottingham utility room

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A leak under a concrete floor can be on the cold supply where it comes into the house, on a hot water pipe, or on heating pipework buried in the slab. The signs are a damp patch that keeps coming back, a warm spot on the floor, a boiler that keeps losing pressure, or a meter that turns with every tap off.

Tracing it from above

The first job is finding which pipe is leaking. Each circuit is isolated in turn and pressure-tested. After that, the method depends on the pipe. Thermal imaging picks out warm water and heating pipes through the floor. Acoustic listening works on pressurised cold pipes. Tracer gas, a non-flammable 5% hydrogen mix, rises through concrete and joints where the leak is too quiet to hear.

The leak is then marked on the floor, and only that section is broken out for the repair.

Break out, or reroute

Sometimes the better answer is to leave the floor alone. If the leaking pipe can be run another way, through walls, ceilings or boxing, the old length can be capped off. You get both options priced.

Leaks like this are often claimed under trace and access cover, so photograph the damage and check your policy before the floor is opened.

What's included

  • Isolation tests to find which pipe is leaking
  • Pressure test of the suspect pipe
  • Thermal imaging on hot water and heating pipes
  • Acoustic listening across the floor
  • Tracer gas where needed
  • Leak marked on the floor
  • Break-out or reroute options, priced
  • Report for a trace and access claim

How the options compare

Finding the leak

Do it yourself
Lift flooring and hope
Dig-and-hope operator
Break out along the pipe
Proper leak detection
Traced from above first

Floor damage

Do it yourself
Large
Dig-and-hope operator
A trench across the room
Proper leak detection
One section, or none if rerouted

Hot or cold pipe

Do it yourself
Unknown
Dig-and-hope operator
Unknown
Proper leak detection
Isolated and tested separately

Insurance

Do it yourself
No evidence
Dig-and-hope operator
An invoice
Proper leak detection
Trace and access report

Related resources

Step by step

What happens, from call to report

  1. Isolate

    Turn off circuits in turn to find which pipe is losing water: cold supply, hot water or heating.

  2. Pressure test

    Confirm the leak on that pipe and how fast it is losing pressure.

  3. Trace

    Thermal imaging for warm pipes, acoustic listening, or tracer gas through the slab.

  4. Mark and choose

    Break out over the marked spot, or reroute the pipe and leave the floor alone.

The work

How the work looks

Illustrative photos of the methods and finish described on this page. They are not records of particular customers' jobs.

  • Pressure test gauge fitted under a sink to confirm a leak under the floor, Nottingham
    Pressure test gauge fitted under a sink to confirm a leak under the floor
  • SDS drill breaking out a small square of concrete floor over a leak, Nottingham
    SDS drill breaking out a small square of concrete floor over a leak
  • Copper pipe exposed under a concrete floor at the leak, Nottingham
    Copper pipe exposed under a concrete floor at the leak
  • New screed patch drying after a leak under a concrete floor was repaired, Nottingham
    New screed patch drying after a leak under a concrete floor was repaired

Damp floor or rising bill? Trace it before breaking anything.

Floor leak detection anywhere in Nottinghamshire.

Lines open Monday–Sunday, 9am–7pm.

0115 839 0791 Request a quote

Questions

Leak Under Concrete Floor: common questions

Do I have to break up the floor to fix it?
Not always. Once the leak is confirmed, a new pipe can sometimes be run a different way, through walls or ceilings, and the old one capped off. That avoids breaking the floor at all. It depends on the layout.

Will insurance pay for breaking out the floor?
Trace and access cover often pays to find the leak, open up the floor and make it good again. The repair to the pipe usually isn't covered. See what trace and access covers.

Can a leak under the floor damage the house?
Long-running leaks can soften or wash away the ground beneath, and the ABI lists leaking pipes and drains among the causes of subsidence. See can a water leak cause subsidence.

How do I know the leak is under the floor?
Common signs are a damp patch that keeps coming back, a warm spot on a solid floor, a boiler that keeps losing pressure, or a water meter that turns with every tap off. Isolating each circuit in turn confirms which pipe it is.

Are you open 24 hours?
No. Lines are open Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm. Out of hours, turn off your internal stop tap to stop the flow and call us in the morning. If water is coming up in the road or on the pavement, that is on Severn Trent's side: report it free on 0800 783 4444.

Related

Related services

  • Trace and Access

    Find the leak, open up only what is needed and document it for your insurer's trace and access claim.

    View service

  • Underground Water Leak Detection

    Pinpoint a leak on the buried pipe between the boundary and your house with acoustic, gas and meter tests before anyone digs.

    View service

  • Commercial Leak Detection

    Leak detection for landlords, shops and small sites where downtime and high bills matter.

    View service

Find the leak under the floor, then decide: break out or reroute.

Call to book, or send a quote request.

Lines open Monday–Sunday, 9am–7pm.

0115 839 0791 Request a quote
Call 0115 839 0791