How to find a hidden water leak in your home

The meter test

Turn off every tap and appliance, then watch your water meter for 15 minutes. If the dial moves, water is leaving the system somewhere.

Check the usual suspects

1. Toilet cisterns: put a few drops of food colouring in the cistern; colour in the bowl without flushing means the flush valve is passing.
2. Under the bath and shower tray: look for staining on the ceiling below after a shower.
3. Radiator valves and bleed points: run a tissue around each joint.
4. Washing machine and dishwasher hoses.
5. Outside taps and the stop tap in winter.

Central heating leaks

If the boiler needs topping up regularly, the leak is on the heating circuit. Under-floor pipes on a ground floor slab are the hardest to find; we use thermal imaging and tracer gas to locate them without lifting every board.