How to Tell if You Have a Water Leak and What to Do Before It Gets Worse
The meter test, the signs that give away a hidden leak and what you can check yourself before calling anyone. Explained by plumbers working in Mallorca.
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Proper solutions, with the right equipment and qualified plumbers.
Stubborn Blockages
High-pressure machinery and CCTV inspection cameras. We find the blockage and clear it without breaking walls.
Leak Detection
We use acoustic equipment and tracer gas to find hidden leaks under the floor with the least possible damage.
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We replace old lead, iron or copper pipework and soil stacks with modern PEX and multilayer pipe.
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Fast repair and installation. If your water heater has stopped heating, we sort it the same day.
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Complete bathroom and kitchen renovations with quality finishes and good taps.
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On call at night, at weekends and on public holidays. A flood does not wait until tomorrow.
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Your pool is losing water and you cannot see where. We find it without draining — shell, skimmers, pump room or buried pipework — and we repair it.
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Mallorcan water is very hard and it destroys water heaters, pumps and taps. We measure the real hardness at your property before sizing anything.
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A hidden leak cannot be seen, but you pay for it. It can drip inside a wall for months before the stain appears, and by then it has already ruined the plaster, the paint and sometimes the neighbour’s floor. The good news is that it can nearly always be caught in time with a test you can do yourself in five minutes.
The meter test: five minutes and you know
It is the most reliable check you can do without tools, and it tells you whether there is a leak in the property’s plumbing.
- Close every tap in the house and make sure nothing is using water: no washing machine, no dishwasher, no automatic irrigation, no cistern refilling.
- Go to the meter and write down the full reading, including the red digits.
- Watch the small wheel or the little triangle: if it moves with everything closed, you already have your answer.
- If it does not move, wait two hours without using water and check the reading again.
- If the number has changed, there is a leak.
A trick to tell whether the leak is inside or outside the property: repeat the test with the main stopcock of the flat closed. If the meter keeps running, the leak is in the run between the meter and your stopcock, which is usually the building’s or the supply company’s responsibility.
Signs that give away a hidden leak
There is not always a puddle. These are the clues we most often find when we are called out to damp:
- A stain or ring that grows slowly on the wall or the ceiling, especially low down on the wall.
- Paint that bubbles or skirting board that comes away for no reason.
- A patch of floor that feels warm underfoot: a leak in the hot water pipe.
- A damp or musty smell in a cupboard or in one particular room.
- A water bill that goes up without anything changing at home.
- The sound of running water when everything is closed, particularly at night.
- The boiler or water heater firing up on its own from time to time.
Where the leak usually turns out to be
From experience, in homes in Mallorca the order is nearly always this: a toilet cistern leaking internally, a stopcock or flexible hose under the sink or basin, a concealed hot water pipe, the booster set or storage tank in country houses, and buried irrigation in properties with a garden.
The cistern is the champion: it leaks silently into the toilet itself and leaves no trace. To rule it out, put a few drops of food colouring in the tank and wait half an hour without flushing. If colour appears in the bowl, the cistern is leaking.
What to do right now if water is already coming out
With an active leak, the order matters:
- Close the main stopcock for the property. It is usually by the entrance, under the sink or in the meter cupboard.
- If the water is near sockets, the consumer unit or a light fitting, switch off the RCD before touching anything.
- Mop up the water and tell the neighbour below if you think it may have got through. The sooner they know, the less trouble there is with the insurance later.
- Take photos and a short video before you dry it. That is what the insurer will ask for.
- Call the plumber and tell them what you have already checked: it saves time and money.
How a leak is found without breaking open the whole wall
When the leak is hidden there is no need to open up the wall bit by bit to see if it sounds right. We work with acoustic listening equipment, which picks up the sound of pressurised water escaping inside the wall, and with tracer gas for buried pipework and heating circuits. We also use a thermal camera to trace hot water runs beneath the floor.
That narrows it down to the exact point, so a hand’s width gets opened instead of half a wall. The work costs less, and the plastering and painting afterwards costs a great deal less.
If your insurance is going to cover the claim, ask for a location report. We provide one with photographs and the reference of the point located, which is what the loss adjuster needs.
How much water is lost and why it pays to fix it now
A steadily dripping tap can run to several thousand litres a year. A cistern leaking internally, far more, because the flow is continuous. And a leak inside a wall does not only waste water: it soaks the plaster, lifts the paint, can reach the slab and ends up affecting the neighbour.
The cost of locating and repairing is almost always a fraction of what it costs to redo the building work afterwards, and certainly far less than a water claim with third-party damage.
Have this problem at home? Call us on 631 290 026 and we will tell you on the phone whether it is an easy fix and what it costs, before we set off.
What our customers say
"My stopcock broke at three in the morning and the house was flooding. They arrived in exactly 25 minutes and sorted it. Faultless, very professional service."
"After calling four plumbers who never turned up, they quoted me on WhatsApp, arrived on time and replaced the water heater without making any mess. Ten out of ten."
"I had a terrible blockage in the kitchen sink that nothing would shift. They brought a special machine and it was clear in ten minutes. Fair price and excellent manner."
"Quick response, efficient and very good work. They came out on a public holiday and solved the problem."
"Very effective. He came quickly and, once he had given the quote, fixed the fault. I recommend him."
"Fast and effective."
"Excellent plumber. I recommend him."
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Or if it is a critical emergency, message us on WhatsApp
How do I know if I have a water leak at home?
Close every tap and appliance that uses water, note the meter reading and wait two hours without using any water. If the reading changes or the small wheel turns, you have a leak. To tell whether it is inside the property, repeat the test with the main stopcock closed: if the meter keeps running, the leak is before your stopcock.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to find a hidden leak?
A normal location job takes one to two hours. We arrive, do the meter test, narrow down the circuit and find the point with acoustic equipment or tracer gas. By the end you know exactly where it is and what needs opening.
Does the wall have to be broken open to find a leak?
Not to find it: the detection itself involves no building work. We only open at the located point, and it is usually a small opening. Opening up blind is what has to be avoided.
Does home insurance cover water leaks?
Most policies cover locating the leak and the damage caused, though not always the replacement of the pipe itself. It depends on your policy. We supply a report with photographs for you to submit.
I have a damp patch but the meter is not moving. What is it?
It is usually water getting in from outside (terrace, façade, roof) or condensation, not a leak in the plumbing. It can also come from the waste pipe, which only leaks when it is used. You check that by filling and emptying the fitting above.
Do you attend emergency leaks at night in Mallorca?
Yes, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, across the whole island. If water is coming out right now, close the main stopcock and call us on 631 290 026.
About us
Fontaneros Mallorca is a plumbing business based on the island, specialising in emergencies, blocked drains, leak detection and water treatment. We work across the whole island every day: Palma, Manacor, Inca, Calvià, Campos and everywhere else.
Real experience
15 years working on Mallorcan plumbing: hard water, salt air on the coast and the old installations of village houses.
Registered business
Registered activity, VAT invoice on every job and public liability insurance.
Fixed price
We tell you the price by phone or WhatsApp before we set off. No call-out charge if we do the repair.
Written guarantee
2-year guarantee on the installation, and first-quality materials with the manufacturer's own warranty.
Fontaneros Mallorca · Tel. 631 290 026 · We come to you anywhere in Mallorca (Balearic Islands) · Company details and legal notice
Plumbers in all 53 municipalities of Mallorca
24-hour emergency service across the whole island, without exception.
And in the coves and coastal resorts
Where the apartments, villas and holiday rentals are.