Addington mixes residential streets with retail and light industry, and its housing first grew from the early 1860s when the railway came through and workers settled near the new factories and sheds. The February 2011 earthquake led to the demolition of buildings such as the old blending plant and the Addington Raceway public grandstand. After the quakes the suburb flourished as cafés, bars and venues such as the Court Theatre moved out of the cordoned central city. We start every leak detection job in Addington with a simple meter and pressure test, then use listening gear and a thermal camera to pinpoint the leak so only a small area needs opening.
Leak detection for Addington's workers' cottages and commercial sites
Addington grew from the 1860s around the railway, and many of its original workers' houses still stand beside newer infill, cafés, venues and light industrial buildings. Leak work here splits into two kinds. In the cottages, pipe under a suspended floor has often been patched and extended over generations, so we check the subfloor and the run from the boundary for tired joins and corroded sections. Where only part of a cottage's line has been renewed, older pipe can remain under the house, so we test the whole run rather than assuming it is all new.
Commercial premises are a different job. Christchurch City Council requires a backflow device of at least medium hazard rating at the boundary of every commercial and industrial site, so the supply comes in through a testable device and then branches to kitchens, wash bays and toilets. A leak may sit before or after that device, and a business facing a high water charge needs to know which line is to blame. We isolate each branch, pressure test it and use acoustic gear along buried runs, timing the work around opening hours where possible.
Many Addington sites were rebuilt after February 2011 alongside original stock, and where a new building was connected to an older supply, that connection is worth checking. The flat ground also lets frost settle on still winter nights, so pipes in sheds, garages and under floors can split and leak once they thaw.
Local tip: If your Addington business has a sub-meter for the kitchen or wash bay, note its reading at close and again at opening; movement overnight with everything off points to a leak on that line.
Leak Detection in Addington: Local Factors
On land that moved in 2010 and 2011, supply pipes can be stretched or cracked, and repaired sections can leak at the joins. We test the line and find the weak spot.
For anything else, see our plumbers in Addington.
How We Handle Leak Detection in Addington
We start with a meter and pressure test to confirm there is a leak at your Addington property, then use acoustic and thermal gear to find it.
Pricing: quotes are free, and every job gets a fixed price before we start, so there are no surprises on the invoice.
Leak Detection Jobs We Do in Addington
- Hidden water leak
- Under slab leak
- Thermal imaging leak search
- Pressure test
- Shower leak
Leak Detection Addington FAQs
Our Addington shop has a high water charge but nothing looks wet. Where do you start?
With the meter and the backflow device. We isolate each branch after the device and pressure test it, then listen along the buried pipe that loses pressure, so we only open up the spot where the leak is.
Who is responsible for a leak at my Addington property?
In Christchurch City the council looks after the pipe up to your boundary and the toby box, and you look after the supply pipe from the boundary into the house. Selwyn and Waimakariri set their own rules, so we check them for your address.
Can you find leaks under concrete slabs?
Yes. We use pressure testing and listening gear to locate leaks under slabs.
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