What is a Leak Detection Specialist?
Leak Detection Specialist is a common internet search when looking to find a professional to locate a leak in your property, but what exactly do they do?
Drawing on skills from several other professions such as surveyors, heating engineers, plumbers, roofers and loss adjusters, a Leak Detection Specialist is knowledgeable in many areas.
No one skill covers all the elements required to locate all the types of leaks that can cause water damage or a failure or leak on a heating system that often manifests as a loss of boiler pressure.
The following are examples of how these different skills are required:
Heating engineer –
A loss of pressure to a boiler or central heating system; normally indicates a leak somewhere, and a natural first step is to call your heating engineer to check the system. If they cannot locate the leak, they should recommend a leak detection specialist. Importantly they should never resort to using leak seal as it will just make matters worse or at best delay the inevitable.
Here at UK Leak Detection, we use specialist tools (and lots of experience) we can trace the leak in the system or boiler, without destructive access looking under floors etc.
Plumber –
High water bill or water damage:
From just a scary water bill to whole areas water damaged by a leaking pipe, it is often possible for the system the leak is affecting to be found by a local plumber.
However the location of the actual leak is often not so easy to find; using a range of tools, we can find not only the system effected but its location as well, greatly reducing the amount of damage to your property necessary to find and then make a repair.
Roofer –
Leak tracing through flat roofing:
Persistent roof leaks are difficult to locate, and insurers will often resist insurance claims. A roofer might well be able to note areas of concern, but when these have been addressed, and there is still a leak, something more is required.
We can use HV & LV tests to find where there are issues in the roof. With this sort of test, insurers are much more confident that a claim is for damage from a leak and not simply poor maintenance as ‘opinion’ is removed and what we show are definitive results.
Surveyor –
Water ingress and damp:
This where a comprehensive range of skills is required, sometimes it is a simple damp basement, but often it is ingress from the level above or on a new build. Evidence is required, and this takes a methodical approach using a spectrum of tests.
We use specialist tools and unique methods, to provide reasons for water damage and other issues, backed up with solid, logical evidence.
Loss Adjuster/Assessor –
Validity of claim and scope of works:
Unfortunately, buildings plus water leak equals damage. Your insurer will want to inspect this and will draw from a panel of ‘Loss Adjusters’ to check both the validity and scope of a buildings insurance claim. They might want to send a ‘loss assessor’, but we would strongly advise against this as they are not held to the same accountability or skill, often blaming damage on the most bizarre things to avoid a claim.
A documented report must be made that contains all the data to build an insurance claim; the damage, location, reason and remedial works must all be logged.
Properties poorly dried or repaired can often become mouldy in areas such as voids and floors, this can lead to respiratory disease a particular concern for children or the elderly.
As you can see, a Leak Detection Specialist needs to be far more than one profession but must draw together many skill sets and experience to build not only an insurance claim but also give guidance as to which works are required to maintain your property as well as keep it in good repair.