Leak Detection West Christchurch

West Christchurch leaks: older Fendalton homes, post-war Burnside and new Wigram

The western suburbs span more than a century of building, so a leak search in Fendalton and one in Wigram start in very different places. Fendalton and Riccarton have large older homes, historic houses and early workers' dwellings, often on timber floors with galvanised or copper pipe that has been patched over the years. Mature trees in both suburbs can also press on old supply lines. In these homes a subfloor inspection and a moisture meter often find the leak before any equipment is needed.

Ilam, Avonhead and Burnside were largely subdivided after 1945, Burnside with much of its housing built under the Group Housing Scheme. Many of these homes still rely on supply pipes laid in the 1950s and 1960s, and a long, ageing run under a lawn is a frequent source of a high excess water charge. Hornby adds industrial and retail sites with backflow devices and bigger services, which we test one line at a time.

Wigram is mostly 21st century homes on the former aerodrome, built on concrete slabs. Leaks there tend to be in shower fittings or hot lines inside walls and floors, where thermal imaging shows the trail. The whole west is frost country too: the city's record low of minus 9.4°C was set at Wigram, and the airport sees about 50 freezing nights a year, so split pipes after a cold snap are a regular find.

Local tip: If your Burnside or Avonhead home still has its original supply pipe, a yearly meter check with every tap off will catch a slow loss in that old line before it reaches your rates.