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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High-pressure machinery and CCTV inspection cameras. We find the blockage and clear it without breaking walls.
We use acoustic equipment and tracer gas to find hidden leaks under the floor with the least possible damage.
We replace old lead, iron or copper pipework and soil stacks with modern PEX and multilayer pipe.
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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.
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.
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.
There is not always a puddle. These are the clues we most often find when we are called out to damp:
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.
With an active leak, the order matters:
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.
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.
"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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
15 years working on Mallorcan plumbing: hard water, salt air on the coast and the old installations of village houses.
Registered activity, VAT invoice on every job and public liability insurance.
We tell you the price by phone or WhatsApp before we set off. No call-out charge if we do the repair.
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
24-hour emergency service across the whole island, without exception.