Hidden water leak detection: how the thermal scanner and acoustic check work
RumahPro traces a hidden leak with two methods, and neither needs a wall or ceiling opened to take a reading.
Infrared (thermal) scanner. It reads the surface temperature of a wall, floor or ceiling without touching it. Where water from a pipe has soaked into plaster, tiles or a ceiling board, that patch reads at a different temperature from the dry surface around it, and a hot water pipe shows as a warm line.
Acoustic detection. Water escaping from a pipe under pressure makes a sound, and acoustic detection picks it up through the wall or floor. The sound is loudest nearest the point where the pipe is leaking.
The thermal scan shows where the water has gone; the acoustic check narrows it to the point on the pipe. We show you that point and how much wall needs to be opened before anything is opened, so you do not pay for walls hacked on a guess.
Water leaking from ceiling? Find the source before the ceiling comes down
A ceiling stain shows where the water appears, not where it gets in. It usually comes from one of three places: a water pipe above the ceiling, the bathroom of the unit or floor above, or water travelling sideways from a nearby opening before it drips. We trace which one it is before any ceiling board is cut.
Three questions decide the job:
- Does the patch grow only when it rains? Then the water comes from outside, through the roof, an outside wall or a balcony, and that is waterproofing and leakage repair in KL, not a pipe leak.
- Is it wet on dry days too, or worse after someone upstairs showers? Then it comes from a pipe or the bathroom above, and that is a job for leak detection.
- Is the water dripping from an aircond unit? That is aircond repair in KL, not a pipe leak; say so and we send the right team.
Pipe leak detection in walls: the signs of a hidden water leak
Air Selangor, the water operator for Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, names an undetected internal pipe leak as one of the main causes of a high water bill. It lists these signs of a leak hidden in the walls or above the ceilings:
- the sound of running water when no tap is open
- a wet patch, or water where there should be none
- water pressure that has dropped
- a drain that fills quickly with clear water
In KL and Selangor, older homes and apartments, especially those built before 2000, often still have galvanised steel pipes corroding from the inside, with discoloured water, lower pressure and small leaks as the early signs. In SS2 and SS4 terrace houses the supply pipes are often buried in the plaster rather than run in a channel, so tracing a leak there takes care; our plumber Petaling Jaya page covers the pipe work in those older PJ homes.
How can I check if I have a water leak?
Two checks from Air Selangor's own guide need no tools:
- Meter check: close every tap in the house, wait about an hour, then read the water meter again. If the reading has moved, there may be a leak; if it has not moved, there is no leak.
- Toilet check: put a little colouring in the toilet cistern and wait 10 to 20 minutes. Colour in the bowl means there is a leak at the cistern.
In Air Selangor's guide the meter check is the test for a leak in a buried or main internal pipe. If the meter moved and nothing drips where you can see it, send us a photo of the meter at the start and at the end of the hour.
How much does water leak detection cost in KL?
RumahPro has no published price for water leak detection in KL: every job gets a written fixed quote before any work starts, and what we quote is what you pay. To start, send photos of where the water shows and your area to 011-6999 2619.
The repair is quoted separately, in writing, once the leak is found. If it turns out to be a corroded run of pipe rather than one joint, pipe replacement is RM 600 to RM 1,500 per bathroom, depending on length and access.
What this service covers: pipes inside your property, not the public main
This service is for the pipes inside your property: the supply pipes and fittings in your walls, ceilings and bathrooms, from the meter to your taps. Air Selangor puts those pipes on the property owner, and they are the pipes we trace and repair.
It is not a response to a leak on the public main or a complaint about the water supply. Air Selangor, the water operator for Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya, fixes leaks in public areas such as streets and roads, takes reports through its website and app, and lists leaks at the water meter among the leaks to report to it.
How to book water leak detection in KL
- WhatsApp or call 011-6999 2619 with photos of where the water shows, whether it is a house or a condo unit, and your area.
- Before any work starts, you get a written fixed quote.
- At your home we scan with the thermal scanner, listen with acoustic detection and show you where the leak is.
- We quote the repair in writing, including how much wall, floor or ceiling needs opening, before anything is opened.
- The leak is repaired with proper fittings and materials, not wrapped in tape, with a 30-day warranty.
In a condo we schedule any hacking within building management's permitted hours and clean up each day.
Water leak detection services near me: KL and Selangor areas we cover
Kuala Lumpur: Mont Kiara, Bangsar, Damansara Heights, Desa ParkCity, Cheras, Kepong, Wangsa Maju, Bukit Jalil, OUG, Setapak, Titiwangsa and Chow Kit.
Selangor: Petaling Jaya (SS2, SS3, SS4, Damansara Jaya, Taman Jaya and Kelana Jaya), Subang Jaya (SS15 and USJ), Shah Alam (Section 7 and Bukit Jelutong), Ara Damansara, Kota Damansara, Puchong, Sunway, Klang and Cyberjaya.
Not on the list? WhatsApp your area to 011-6999 2619 and we confirm. For a home in Johor Bahru, see our water leak detection Johor Bahru page, which has its own phone number.
Water leak detection KL FAQ
Can a plumber do leak detection?
Yes. At RumahPro, water leak detection is part of our plumbing work in KL and Selangor: the same team traces the leak with an infrared (thermal) scanner and acoustic detection, then repairs it.
Is water leak detection worth it?
When you cannot see where the water comes from, usually yes. Water that tracks through a building for months does more damage than the visible stain suggests, and finding the source first saves hacking walls that did not need it. A drip you can already see at a tap or fitting needs a plumbing repair, not detection.
How do I report a water leak to Syabas?
Syabas is now part of Air Selangor, the water operator for Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya. Report a leak on a public pipe, in a street or on a road, to Air Selangor through its website or app, and Air Selangor fixes it. A leak inside your property, from the meter to your taps, is the property owner's to fix, and that is the leak RumahPro traces.
Who is responsible for a leaking water meter in KL and Selangor?
Air Selangor says a water meter inside your property boundary is the customer's responsibility, including the cost of a replacement meter, while a meter outside the property is Air Selangor's. In a condo or flat, the meter is managed by the JMB (joint management body). Air Selangor lists a leak at the meter among the leaks to report to it through its website or app. The pipe from the meter to your taps is the property owner's, and that is the pipe RumahPro traces.
Who is responsible for a leaking pipe in the wall in a condo?
Air Selangor tells high-rise residents to contact their JMB (joint management body) or management committee first about a water leak; the JMB or committee calls in Air Selangor for leaks at the main or bulk meter. Between two units, who pays is settled by the owners and building management, not by RumahPro. We give you where the water comes from, with a written diagnosis and repair scope for building management.
Will you have to hack my wall or ceiling to find the leak?
No, not to find it. The infrared (thermal) scanner and acoustic detection both take their readings through the wall, floor or ceiling surface. Once the leak point is found, we show it to you and say how much needs opening for the repair, before anything is opened.
Can I just repair the water stain on my ceiling?
Not on its own. Patching or repainting the stain does not stop the water, because a ceiling stain shows where the water appears, not where it enters. In Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, RumahPro first finds where the water gets in with an infrared (thermal) scanner and acoustic detection, shows you the leak point and how much ceiling needs opening before anything is opened, and prices the repair in a written fixed quote first. WhatsApp 011-6999 2619 a photo of the stain and your area.
Water on a wall or ceiling you cannot explain? WhatsApp or call 011-6999 2619. For every other plumbing job and its price, see our plumber KL price list.
