Water leak detection for unit or apartment blocks in Sydney
- WATERPROOFING LEAK CAUSING POOLED WATER
- WATER LEAKS UNITS CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO OTHER PROPERTIES
- PROFESSIONAL PLUMBER WITH WATER LEAK DETECTION EQUIPMENT
Living in an apartment block or high rise block of units can be super convenient and a nice way to be part of a small community. Although when it comes to plumbing problems, it can be a nightmare though.
If water is leaking in the floor or walls it can cause damage to the adjoining properties as it makes its way through the structure of the building. Worst part of all, it could take weeks or months before the damage becomes visible with paint bubbling on the wall, mould or slow drips.
The owner of this unit lived with pools of water in their bathroom for about nine months before they decided to get the problem investigated. Here’s what we disovered.
Can any plumber in Sydney do water leak detection.
One of the first things to understand is that not all plumbers are equipped with water leak detection equipment. You have to invest thousands in special tools to be able to do it properly & many tradespeople just avoid adding more cost to their business.
If they do attempt to carry out water leak detection they will be hoping they can see it with the naked eye and carry out a repair quickly. Although if the problem is inside a wall, underground or in a foundation then that is not so simple to achieve.
It means they could be guessing. Nu-Trend is a local, licensed plumber that has a range of tools that can identify & solve plumbing problems for units in apartment blocks.
What was the plumbing problem in this unit
For this unit the property owner had noticed pools of water appearing on the surface of the bathroom floor tiles. They put up with it for about 9 months and started getting sick of dealing with the issue, they even slipped one morning and nearly hurt themselves. So they decided to find out what the cause was.
Our plumber went to the unit to conduct a water leak detection test to identify where the pooling water was coming. We carried out a full pressure and leak test for every part of the bathroom water and drainage system including;
- Nitrogen test
- Leak test
- Bubble leak test
- Pressure test
- Bucket test
- Test Gauge test
After 3 hours of intensive leak testing and investigation we found a tiny pin hole leak in the water proofing of the bathroom. It was creating a slow water leak that pooled under the tile screed and rose over time. This is what made it so hard to find and diagnose, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the right tools.
What had to be done to repair the leak
Unfortunately to repair this type of water leak the waterproofing of the room needs to be redone.
Sounds simple right?
Sadly it is a major job because to do it properly would require the removal of all the tiles and fixtures in the bathroom, then completely re do the waterproofing and once that was ready, reinstate everything. It is the only way to completely repair this unit block bathroom water leak and is similar to doing a renovation.
The owner decided not to proceed with the work. It means they are taking a risk because if water continues to sit under the screed it could eventually make its way into the concrete slab. I fit penetrates far enough it could begin to cause concrete cancer as the water reaches the steel re-enforcement beams. Considering they live in a unit block this could be an extremely costly repair if that were to happen.
READ OUR FREE GUIDE
How to avoid Sydney Plumber sales gimmicks
We uncover some of the most common sales gimmicks used by Sydney plumbers & explain how you can avoid getting ripped off when getting quotes
How to spot a low cost bathroom renovator
Nice uniforms, stylish work truck, fancy iPads & perfect photos can hide low cost bathroom renovations that are poor quality, see these examples for proof
Local, licensed & insured
Plumber | Renovator | Drainer | Gas fitter
Nu-Trend is a company in Sydney that has provided plumber and bathroom renovation services since 2009. The Directors Rob and Rick are hands-on, providing a personal service.
Sydney Water
PLUMBER
We work closely with Sydney Water for all plumbing requirements.
STANDARDS AUSTRALIA AS/NZS3500:2018 Compliant
A renovation business that builds new bathrooms to meet Australian Standards.
Experience & a written commitment.
Rick and Rob are the hands-on directors for Nu-Trend. Rather than hire sub-contractors and manage their business from a distant office, they are on the tools, at your site & working towards delivering your bathroom renovation or plumbing service. It means you are talking directly to the owners of the business, the guys who are accountable and responsible rather than via email or through customer service teams.
It is why they are able to provide a written guarantee that demonstrates their confidence in standing by the quality of their workmanship and the service they deliver to every single client.
They have a very single minded commitment to deliver a high level of professionalism and quality, they’ve been doing renovation contracting in Sydney since 2009.
