How Mississauga Leak Detection Services Will Preserve Your Pipes

A white, leaking pipe with a red cloth tied around the leaking section to stop the flow of water.

Have you ever wondered why some of your plumbing pipes are exposed whereas the majority are hidden? You will probably think of your bathroom and kitchen, which have exposed drain lines under the sink. These areas in your home have high water exposure, and plumbing fixtures are prone to small problems caused by everyday use. Whether you have a clogged p-trap or a clogged sink, this easy access allows you to perform emergency repairs on your own without professional help.

However, there is a reason why most homeowners prefer having those drain lines hidden inside base cabinets. When someone is marveling at your recently furnished bathroom or kitchen, you don't want the sight of pipes to ruin the show. Now you may wonder about your major plumbing system that runs behind walls, ceilings, and floors. In the event of a hidden leak, how will you go about leak detection? Homeowners will learn about the different methods our professional Mississauga plumbers use to detect and repair damaged pipework.

Our uniformed plumbing professionals at Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Mississauga are licensed and insured and bring an average of ten years of experience in the industry. This makes us your most trusted local plumbing company in Mississauga. You can count on our team to detect and repair any plumbing issues in your home, from tree root penetration to sewer line backups. Our preventative maintenance goal is early detection of all those problems, or in the event of an emergency, to provide you with prompt and safe plumbing repair services.

Mississauga Leak Detection – What is It?

It's a professional process of finding the source and root cause of a hidden water leak. Although your supply and drain lines are made to last, it's inevitable that you will run into issues as they age or if they have not received the necessary maintenance services required to stay in decent working order. It could be a damaged section of your underground sewer line caused by a clog. Or you have a broken water line beneath your foundation slab triggered by soil shifting. There are many criteria you will have to take into account during water leak detection. Mississauga homeowners know their homes the best and will notice the first signs of changes within their plumbing. When that happens, we recommend promptly hiring a licensed Mississauga plumber for intelligent leak detection services that include the use of professional plumbing diagnosis and inspection equipment.

Mississauga Leak Detection Solutions

Having the gear to diagnose plumbing issues is one thing, but knowing how to efficiently use modern leak detection equipment and provide a quick and reliable diagnosis is essential if your emergency situation can’t wait. Your licensed plumber in Mississauga knows how to handle their tools, and therefore, the fast solutions we offer will save you time and money, preventing the need for costly repairs.

Acoustic Water Leak Detectors

This technology is a non-invasive leak detection method that uses a ground microphone to differentiate leak sounds from normal flow sounds. Water can produce low and high frequencies when leaking through broken pipes. Acoustic leak detection can easily pick up these noises behind walls or under concrete slabs. This way, your Mississauga plumber can closely estimate the affected location and recommend a leak detection service.

Video Camera Inspection

Sewer cameras are very reliable damage detection tools that help identify pipe material and age. They effectively locate any items that might have fallen down the drain and locate blockages responsible for clogs and leaks. The camera works in conjunction with a signal receiver, which your licensed plumber uses to measure how much cable went down the pipe before spotting the affected area. This method enables them to accurately locate and diagnose sewer line issues.

Pro Tip: If you suspect a leak behind your wall, ceiling, or underneath your floor, it's worth purchasing a thermal imaging camera for private use. This device won't help you see moisture, but it can detect temperature variations and patterns that will help you determine if you have water damage that either calls for roof leak repair or plumbing-related repairs.

Soil Probes

This special Mississauga leak detection device is more common for exterior use, allowing plumbers to listen for pressurized water shooting into the dirt surrounding water or sewer lines. It can help determine the severity of the damage so that we can decide whether we need trenchless pipe rehabilitation services or if you require traditional repairs.

Plumbing Leak Detection – Mississauga ON Homes

Common Household Leaks

The types of leaks you experience in your Mississauga home can vary between minor and major, depending on the location and cause. Defective plumbing fixtures would be a mild problem compared to any kind of underground leaks.

  • Leaky faucet: A leaky faucet can appear anywhere in your home, from your upstairs bathroom sink to your main floor kitchen sink. You might have a corroded cartridge valve or a sediment buildup. Or, your aerator might have collected mineral deposits from the moderately hard water we have in Mississauga. Worn-out O-rings or washers are also possible culprits.
  • Leaky shower head: Untreated shower heads could lose you hundreds of gallons of water over the course of a year. Typically, a broken shower valve that is in need of a new faucet valve or cartridge is the cause of a dripping shower head. But a more severe problem includes a water line break behind your tile wall. For leak detection in Mississiauga, homeowners should call their local plumber.
  • Toilet: Toilets are directly connected to your home's main sewer, which means that leaks or backups should not be ignored because they could indicate serious sewer problems. Depending on the type of toilet, your toilet is made of parts that will deteriorate over time. Tank parts like the fill valve or flapper often require repairs or replacement; otherwise, they could cause water loss by leaking water into the bowl. But if you have recurring toilet backups, your sewer line is to blame. Count on your Mississauga plumber to identify the root problem, using expert tools to detect leaks, clogs, and other damage.
  • Water heater: Did an unexpected cold shower startle you one morning because your hot water tank failed to provide heated water? Detecting a faulty drain valve or broken tank should be easy because all the signs are visible.

Slab Leaks

Houses are built on a concrete foundation called a slab. Sewage, water, and electrical lines are typically built into or underneath the slab during construction. Therefore, Mississauga leak detection becomes trickier when the problem occurs behind walls or concrete where you're unable to see the damage and exact leak location and have to pay attention to the warning signs. This type of plumbing issue requires a fast diagnosis and repair solution before it causes major damage to your house and its foundation.

Causes of Slab Leaks

It often depends on the concrete slab quality and how it was cut and installed. The main causes are related to the surrounding soil and environment, as well as the initial installation and construction of your home.

  • Home settling: Home settling is a natural occurrence during which all four corners of your house settle evenly in place. Your foundation concrete holds moisture, and over time, this moisture will seep out, leading to a mild shrinkage. During that event, you may experience foundation cracks on your drywall and siding, which are normal but would benefit from an inspection to rule out potential foundation problems. Sometimes, soil shifting interferes with your concrete slab and could potentially damage your underground lines and cause future leaks.
  • Bad installation: It’s easy to simply trust your construction company, but who can determine whether your lines were installed correctly or not? We recommend Mississauga property owners to carefully read the fine prints on warranties and other information, as well as check with their insurance company about slab leak coverage. During our plumbing diagnosis and inspection, we will be able to tell you exactly how your lines are looking and detect whether they were badly installed, to begin with.
  • High water pressure: Do you hear whooshing sounds in your supply lines when you shut off your faucet? Water hammers occur during pressure fluctuations, leading to air trapped in the pipes. There could be a leaking suction line that allows air to enter, or you might have an improperly installed fixture that needs some tightening. Your Mississauga can install a pressure regulator for you to ensure that pressure does not damage your buried pipes.
  • Earthquakes: Even though Mississauga has very low seismic activity, it doesn’t mean that a weak magnitude of 2.4 won’t hurt your pipework. We already know the uncomfortable tremors construction work can trigger. That intense shaking and shifting soil puts huge stress on your foundation and structural components, not to mention waste and water lines. If you have experienced an earthquake, it’s crucial that you check for any dislodged or damaged lines.
  • Aged pipes: Older homes are always more susceptible to structural damage caused by outdated pipes that have lacked maintenance and are exposed to extreme weather conditions. If you have old cast iron or galvanized steel for underground pipes, they will slowly corrode, become weaker and leak from different sections.

When you suspect a foundation leak in your basement, keep an eye out for these signs:

  • Warped floorboards or hot spots.
  • Musty, moldy smells on walls.
  • Efflorescence on brick or concrete.
  • A sudden spike in your water bill.
  • Water running down walls.
  • Foundation cracks in walls and ceilings.
  • Pooling water.

Your local Mississauga plumber also recommends checking your exterior perimeter drains with leak detection. Mississauga property owners could prevent major issues, such as a basement flood.

Repair Options After Mississauga Leak Detection

It might be a homeowner's biggest nightmare, thinking about costly repairs that might include ripping up floors, foundation, and landscaping, not to mention potential contamination when the sewer line is involved. Our expert plumbers offer advanced trenchless methods for repair.

Traditional excavation is a method of the past, but our skilled Mississauga plumbers have far more efficient and less invasive repair techniques that cause only minimal disruption to your home:

Trenchless Technology

Trenchless describes a non-invasive underground piping method of installing, fixing, and rehabilitating damaged sewer lines. During this process, your Mississauga plumber drills two small access points or holes (insertion and reception pits) to reach the operational areas. The two main methods we regularly use include:

Pipe Lining

The installation process involves placing an inflatable felt tube—with epoxy coating—straight inside the old pipe. That tube has a smaller pipe diameter to form a perfect fit. As we inflate the lining, it will subsequently cure in place, creating a new durable wall coating that ultimately becomes the new pipe.

Pipe Bursting

This method of rehabilitation involves bursting the old pipe with hydraulics while replacing it with an entirely new one.

Prevention Tips

We offer plenty of preventative maintenance services at Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Mississauga. We always offer our clients the best, long-term solutions to enhance their plumbing performance. Rely on our Mississauga drain cleaning and inspection services to early identify and detect problems before they lead to a plumbing disaster.

We are proud of our preventative solutions and maintenance services, using premium technology, including the sewer inspection camera and HydroScrub® Jetting, to get the job done right. If we discover anything that needs to be repaired or replaced, we always offer our customers the most cost-effective options with long-term benefits to preserve their pipes!

For peace of mind, here are some preventative maintenance tips that Mississauga property owners can do to stay on top of their plumbing.

  • Regularly check your water meter box.
  • Regularly inspect your plumbing fixtures.
  • Refrain from using chemical drain cleaners.
  • Regularly clean your garbage disposal.

Need Leak Detection? Mississauga Homeowners Choose Mr. Rooter Plumbing!

Not sure if you need a plumber to check for leaks? When it comes to performing routine maintenance, Mississauga drain cleaning, or working on plumbing connections like a spigot—those jobs are best left to the professionals at Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Mississauga.

Our hardworking team has ensured the safety of thousands of residents in the Mississauga area, including Fairview, Erindale and Erin Mills. As a family-run business, we're honored to serve our local community.

Give our excellent customer service reps a call to get the services you need for your Mississauga leak detection, or ask us questions about our other professional plumbing services.