Utica’ Trusted Choice
Professional Leak Detection Services in Utica, MI
Your water bill just doubled, but you can’t find any leaks. You hear water running when everything’s turned off. There’s a damp spot on your floor that won’t dry. Or maybe you’ve got a warm spot on your basement concrete that shouldn’t be there.
These are signs of a hidden leak. And hidden leaks are expensive. They waste thousands of gallons of water every month. They damage your home’s structure. They create perfect conditions for mold. And they just keep getting worse until someone finds them and fixes them.
At Drain Masters Rooter Plumbing, we find leaks other plumbers miss. We use professional leak detection equipment that pinpoints the exact location without tearing up your entire house looking for it. Thermal imaging cameras, electronic listening devices, and pressure testing equipment that actually works.
No guessing. No exploring. No unnecessary demolition. We find the leak, show you where it is, and fix it.
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Got a plumbing issue or need a quote? We’re here to help. Contact Drain Masters Rooter Plumbing today for a no-obligation consultation.
Why Hidden Leaks Are Such a Problem in Utica
A dripping faucet you can see and fix. But leaks you can’t see cause serious damage before you even know they exist.
They waste money every single day. A small leak can waste 30-50 gallons per day. That’s 900-1,500 gallons per month. At current Utica water rates, you’re flushing $20-$50 down the drain monthly. Bigger leaks waste way more.
They damage your home’s structure. Water leaking inside walls rots studs and drywall. Water under your slab erodes the soil supporting your foundation. Water in your basement creates perfect conditions for mold and mildew.
They get worse, not better. That pinhole leak in your copper pipe? It’ll keep corroding and get bigger. That small crack? It’ll widen. Leaks don’t heal themselves.
You can’t see where they are. Water travels. A leak in your bathroom can show up as a stain in your living room ceiling. A slab leak can create a damp spot 10 feet away from the actual leak. Without professional equipment, you’re guessing.
Signs You’ve Got a Hidden Leak
Here’s what homeowners in Utica typically notice before they call us:
Your water bill jumped for no reason. If your water usage habits haven’t changed but your bill went up significantly, you’re losing water somewhere. This is often the first sign of a hidden leak.
You hear water running when everything’s off. Turn off all the water in your house. Toilets, faucets, ice makers, everything. If you still hear water running or dripping, you’ve got a leak.
Your water meter keeps spinning. Turn off all the water in your house and check your meter. If it’s still moving, water is flowing somewhere it shouldn’t be.
Wet spots that won’t dry. Damp areas on floors, walls, or ceilings that stay wet or keep coming back are classic signs of hidden leaks.
Warm spots on your floor. If part of your basement or garage floor feels warmer than the rest, you probably have a hot water line leaking underneath.
Your water pressure dropped. When a supply line develops a leak, water escapes before it reaches your fixtures. Your pressure drops across the whole house.
Mold or mildew smell. That musty smell means moisture where it shouldn’t be. Often it’s from a leak you can’t see.
Foundation cracks or settling. Severe leaks under your slab can wash away soil and cause your foundation to settle or crack.
Super green patches in your yard. If part of your lawn is suddenly much greener and lusher than the rest, there might be a water line leak underground feeding it.
Sound familiar? Don’t wait. Hidden leaks cause more damage every day they go undetected.
How We Find Leaks in Utica Homes
We’ve done thousands of leak detections throughout Utica and Macomb County. We know where leaks hide in older homes, and we’ve got the equipment to find them fast.
Electronic Leak Detection
This is our primary tool for finding water line leaks. We use sensitive electronic listening devices that pick up the sound of water escaping under pressure. Even if the leak is under your concrete slab or behind a wall, we can hear it.
The equipment amplifies the sound frequency of water leaking from pipes. We systematically scan areas where we suspect a leak, listening for that telltale sound. When we find it, we mark the exact spot.
No digging around hoping to get lucky. We know where it is before we break any concrete or open any walls.
Thermal Imaging
Our infrared cameras see temperature differences your eyes can’t. Hot water leaks create warm spots. Cold water leaks create cool spots. The camera shows us exactly where those temperature anomalies are.
This works great for finding leaks behind walls, under floors, and in ceilings. We can scan large areas quickly without any demolition.
Pressure Testing
For supply lines, we use pressure testing to verify leaks and pinpoint their location. We isolate sections of your plumbing, pressurize them, and monitor whether the pressure drops. If it does, there’s a leak in that section.
This helps us narrow down the search area before we use our other equipment to pinpoint the exact spot.
Video Camera Inspection
For drain and sewer line leaks, we run a camera through your pipes to see exactly where water is escaping. The camera shows us cracks, separated joints, and damaged sections that are leaking.
Old-Fashioned Investigation
Sometimes the best tool is experience and common sense. We look at your water bill history. We check for obvious signs. We trace your plumbing layout. We eliminate impossibilities until we’re left with where the leak must be.
We combine all these methods to find your leak as quickly as possible with the least disruption to your home.
Common Places We Find Leaks
After years of leak detection work in Utica, we know the usual suspects:
Under concrete slabs. Homes built on slabs often have water supply lines running underneath. When those copper pipes develop pinhole leaks or corrode through, you’ve got a slab leak. These are common in Utica homes from the 1960s and 70s.
Behind walls. Supply lines running through walls can leak at connections, from corrosion, or from freeze damage. The water soaks into the drywall and insulation before you see any signs.
In ceilings. Second-floor bathroom leaks often show up as ceiling stains on the first floor. But finding exactly where the leak is can be tricky without the right equipment.
Underground in your yard. The main water line from the street to your house runs underground. If it develops a leak, you might see soggy spots in your lawn or a sudden spike in your water bill.
Around toilets. The wax ring seal under your toilet can fail, letting water leak into your subfloor with every flush. You might not see it until the floor starts to feel soft or you smell mold.
At water heater connections. Leaks at the top of your water heater, at the pressure relief valve, or at connection points often go unnoticed because they’re in the basement or utility room where people don’t look closely.
In crawl spaces. Pipes in crawl spaces can freeze in Michigan winters and develop leaks. If you don’t go in your crawl space regularly, these leaks can go undetected for a long time.
Why You Need Professional Leak Detection
You might be thinking, “Can’t I just follow the water trail and find the leak myself?”
Sometimes. If you’ve got a ceiling dripping or a visible puddle, sure. But for hidden leaks, it’s not that simple.
Water travels. A leak in your bathroom can show up as a stain in your kitchen. Water follows the path of least resistance through studs, joists, and gaps in your construction. Where you see the damage often isn’t where the leak is.
Leaks can be tiny. A pinhole leak smaller than a pencil tip can waste 50+ gallons per day. You’re not going to spot that without equipment.
Exploring is expensive. If you start cutting into walls or breaking up concrete looking for a leak, you’re doing permanent damage. If you guess wrong, you’ve got a mess to clean up and you still haven’t found the leak.
Time matters. Every day that leak runs, it’s causing more damage and wasting more water. Professional leak detection finds it in hours instead of days or weeks of trial and error.
We know what to look for. We’ve found thousands of leaks in Utica homes. We recognize the patterns. We know where the vulnerable spots are in different home ages and construction types.
What Leak Detection Costs in Utica
Leak detection services in the Utica area typically run $250-$500 for a residential property. The cost depends on:
How complex the search is. Finding a slab leak under your basement floor is straightforward. Tracking down an intermittent leak that only happens under certain conditions takes more time.
The size of the area we’re searching. A single bathroom is quick to scan. A whole-house leak hunt takes longer.
What equipment we need. Simple electronic detection is less expensive than full thermal imaging scans of your entire home.
Whether it’s an emergency. Same-day or after-hours service costs more than a scheduled appointment.
Here’s the thing though: The cost of finding the leak is tiny compared to the cost of letting it continue. If a hidden leak is costing you $50/month in wasted water, detection pays for itself in a few months. And that’s before you factor in the damage it’s causing.
Many times, if you hire us to fix the leak after we find it, we’ll credit the detection fee toward the repair. We’re not trying to nickel-and-dime you. We just want to solve your problem.
Slab Leaks: A Special Problem in Utica
Slab leaks deserve special attention because they’re so common in certain Utica neighborhoods and they’re particularly damaging.
Many homes in Utica were built in the 1950s through 1970s with copper water lines running under the concrete basement floor or foundation slab. After 50-70 years, those copper pipes are corroding and developing pinhole leaks.
Signs of slab leaks:
- Warm spots on your basement floor
- Damp spots on concrete that won’t dry
- Cracking in your concrete floor
- Foundation settling or shifting
- High water bills
- Sound of water running under the floor
- Low water pressure
We use electronic leak detection specifically designed for slab leaks. We can pinpoint the location within a few feet without breaking up your entire floor.
Once we find it, you’ve got options. Sometimes we can reroute the line. Sometimes we need to break the concrete, fix the leak, and restore the floor. We’ll explain what makes sense for your situation.
What Happens After We Find Your Leak
Finding the leak is only half the job. You still need to fix it.
The good news? Once we know exactly where the leak is, repairs are straightforward. We’re not exploring or guessing. We go straight to the problem, fix it efficiently, and restore whatever we needed to open up.
For under-slab leaks, that might mean breaking a small section of concrete, repairing the pipe, and pouring new concrete. For behind-wall leaks, we cut a access hole, fix the pipe, and patch the drywall. For underground leaks, we excavate at the leak point, replace the damaged section, and restore your landscaping.
We handle the complete repair ourselves. You’re not coordinating between a leak detection company and a plumber. One call, one company, one warranty.
Serving All of Utica and Macomb County
We work throughout the greater Utica area, including:
- All Utica neighborhoods
- Sterling Heights
- Shelby Township
- Macomb Township
- Washington Township
- Clinton Township
- Rochester Hills
- Fraser
- Warren
- Roseville
Whether you’re in an older home near Downtown Utica with original plumbing, or a newer home in Shelby Township, we’ve got the experience and equipment to find your leak fast.
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Contact Info
Location
33044 Mound Rd
Sterling Heights, MI 48312
Phone
586-942-3330
Our Services
Our Plumbing Services in Sterling Heights
Drain Cleaning
Clogged drains are more than just an inconvenience—they can lead to costly damage if left untreated. Our expert plumbers use advanced tools to quickly and effectively remove blockages in sinks, tubs, and toilets. With routine drain cleaning, you can avoid backups and ensure your system flows smoothly year-round.
Jetting
When standard cleaning isn’t enough, high-pressure jetting gets the job done. We use state-of-the-art equipment to blast away grease, sludge, roots, and debris from inside your pipes. This powerful method not only clears current blockages but also helps prevent future clogs, making it an ideal solution for long-term plumbing health.
Plumbing
From leak repairs to repiping, our licensed plumbers provide reliable solutions tailored to your home or business needs. We offer a full spectrum of services, including drain cleaning, water heater installation, and emergency repairs, ensuring your system runs efficiently and reliably. Trust our experienced team for professional, high-quality plumbing work every time.
Sewer Repairs & Replacement
Sewer problems can disrupt your property and pose serious health risks if not handled quickly. At Drain Masters Rooter Plumbing, we specialize in repairing and replacing damaged sewer lines using both traditional and trenchless methods. Whether it’s root intrusion, cracked pipes, or a collapsed line, our team diagnoses the issue with precision and provides the most cost-effective, long-term solution.
Floor Breaks
Some plumbing problems hide beneath concrete floors and require specialized access. Our expert floor break services provide safe, controlled openings to reach underground pipes without unnecessary damage. Using professional-grade cutting equipment, we minimize dust, debris, and disruption while exposing only the exact area that needs repair.
Camera Inspections with Video
When it comes to plumbing problems, seeing is believing. Our advanced camera inspections provide a real-time, high-definition look inside your pipes, allowing us to identify clogs, cracks, leaks, or root intrusions with pinpoint accuracy. This non-invasive technology eliminates guesswork and prevents unnecessary digging or costly trial-and-error repairs.
Leak Detection
Leaks often remain hidden until they cause expensive water damage, mold growth, or high utility bills. Our leak detection service uses state-of-the-art technology—including electronic listening devices, moisture meters, and thermal imaging—to pinpoint leaks quickly without tearing into walls, floors, or ceilings.
Frequently Asked Questions About Leak Detection
Q1. How long does leak detection take?
Most residential leak detections take 1-3 hours. Simple cases where we know generally where to look might only take 30-45 minutes. Complex situations where we’re hunting for an intermittent or hard-to-locate leak can take up to half a day.
We’ll give you an estimate of how long we expect it to take based on your specific situation.
Q2. Will you damage my home during detection?
Our detection methods are non-invasive. We don’t cut into walls or break concrete during the detection phase. That only happens during the repair phase, after we’ve pinpointed the exact location.
The electronic listening, thermal imaging, and pressure testing don’t damage anything. They just help us see and hear what’s going on inside your walls and under your floors.
Q3. What if you can’t find the leak?
In 20+ years of doing this, we’ve always found the leak when there really was one. Our equipment is that good, and our technicians are that experienced.
Very rarely, someone thinks they have a leak but it turns out to be something else (like condensation or a different source of moisture). We’ll figure that out and let you know.
Q4. Can you detect gas leaks too?
Yes. We have specialized equipment for detecting natural gas and propane leaks. Gas leaks are dangerous and require immediate attention. If you smell gas, call us right away or call the gas company emergency line.
We can find small gas leaks that aren’t immediately obvious but are wasting gas and creating potential safety hazards.
Q5. How accurate is your leak detection?
With our electronic equipment, we can typically pinpoint a leak to within 1-3 feet. With thermal imaging, we can usually narrow it down to within a few feet.
That’s accurate enough that when we do need to open a wall or break concrete, we’re opening the smallest area necessary to access and repair the leak.
Q6. Do I need to do anything to prepare for leak detection?
Not much. We just need access to the areas we’ll be inspecting. If we’re checking your basement, make sure we can get to the walls and floor. If we’re investigating a specific room, clear out furniture if possible so we can scan properly.
We’ll give you specific instructions when we schedule your appointment based on what we’re looking for.
Q7. Will my insurance cover leak detection?
It depends on your policy and what caused the leak. Most standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover leak detection itself, but many policies cover the damage caused by sudden and accidental leaks.
The leak detection cost might be included as part of a covered claim if you’re filing for water damage. Check with your insurance company.
We provide detailed documentation of what we find, which helps if you’re filing a claim.
Don’t Let Hidden Leaks Cost You Thousands
Every day that leak runs, you’re losing money and risking more damage. Water bills add up. Structural damage gets worse. Mold spreads.
Professional leak detection finds the problem fast so you can fix it before it becomes a disaster.
Call Drain Masters Rooter Plumbing today for leak detection services in Utica, MI. We’ll find your leak, show you exactly where it is, and give you honest options for fixing it. No unnecessary demolition, no guesswork, no surprises.
24/7 emergency service available when you can’t wait. Because hidden leaks don’t take days off.
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