Underground Leak Detection & Locating.

Electronic leak detection is what separates a targeted repair from an expensive exploratory dig. We use acoustic listening equipment calibrated to pick up the sound signature of pressurized water escaping a pipe, combined with pressure-differential testing that isolates the leaking section, plus electromagnetic tracing that maps the exact line path beneath your floor or yard. Between those three methods, we pinpoint most leaks to within inches rather than square feet — which is the difference between a 12-inch concrete cut and 40 square feet of demolition.

Slab leaks are the most common residential call. Post-1960 homes throughout the South Bay commonly have copper supply lines running through post-tension or conventional slab, and after 40+ years of concrete contact the pinholes start appearing. The symptoms are predictable — warm spots on the floor, unusually high water bills, the sound of running water when nothing's on, hot water recovery problems. We isolate the system at the meter, pressure-test each zone, and use acoustic equipment to walk the actual leak down to a specific location before any slab is touched.

For outdoor leaks — supply lines in the front yard, irrigation tie-ins, service lines from the meter to the house — the same methodology applies but with surface tracing equipment that maps the line path through the soil. We find leaks 20+ feet from where the wet spot surfaces, which is especially common on hillside lots in Palos Verdes, the Hermosa Hill Section, and San Pedro where grade drives water migration. The leak is rarely where the water shows up.