When a hidden leak is an emergency
A slow drip you can see is a repair. A leak you cannot see is a detective problem, and it becomes urgent when water is damaging finished surfaces or when the meter shows a steady flow you cannot account for. Overnight and weekend calls are routine for us, and same-day appointments are available for slower leaks when the schedule allows.
- Close the main water shutoff valve, usually near the meter or where the line enters the house. Turn it clockwise until it stops.
- Open one faucet at the lowest level of the house to drain pressure from the pipes, and leave it open.
- If water is near outlets, a panel or a ceiling light fixture, turn off power to that area at the breaker, but only if the breaker panel is dry and easy to reach.
- Photograph the damage and note when you first saw it. This helps with an insurance claim and helps us trace the path of the water.
- Call (973) 488-5410 and tell us what you see, which floor it is on and whether the meter moves with the water off.
If water is coming through a ceiling, poke a small hole to let it drain into a bucket. A ceiling that holds water can fail all at once.
How to confirm you have a leak at all
Before anyone brings equipment, a homeowner can sort a real leak from a misread bill in about ten minutes. Turn off every fixture and appliance that uses water, then look at the meter. Many meters have a small low-flow indicator, often a triangle or dial, that turns when even a trickle passes. If it moves, water is going somewhere.
Then check the usual suspects, because the cheapest leak to find is the one that is not hidden. A running toilet is the most common cause of a high bill. Drop a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait 15 minutes. If color shows in the bowl, the flapper is leaking.
Leak detection methods and what each finds
No single method finds every leak. We pick based on pipe material, where the symptom shows and whether the leak is on the pressure side or the drain side.
| Method | What it finds | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Meter and isolation test | Whether a leak exists and which zone of the house it is in | Does not pinpoint the spot, it narrows it |
| Pressure test | Leaks in a section of supply pipe that holds pressure on a gauge | Pipe has to be isolated and capped for the test |
| Acoustic listening | Hiss or vibration from a pressurized leak in pipe under slab, wall or yard | Background noise and plastic pipe can mask the sound |
| Thermal imaging | Temperature differences from hot water leaks or wet insulation behind surfaces | Shows a cooling pattern, a moisture meter confirms it |
| Tracer gas or dye | Hard to locate leaks in sealed lines or drains, gas rises through the leak | Requires access to fill the line with harmless gas |
| Camera inspection | Cracks and joint leaks inside drain and sewer pipe | Only shows what the camera can reach |
Moisture meters and thermal cameras show where water has gone, not always where it started. We use more than one method to confirm before we open a wall.
If the evidence points to the drain side, a sewer camera inspection is the next step.
Leaks behind walls and above ceilings
Water follows gravity and pipe lines, so the stain on the ceiling is rarely directly under the leak. A supply pipe can drip onto a joist, run along it for several feet, and appear at a light fixture far from the source. We trace the stain backward, then confirm with a moisture meter and the listening gear before we cut.
When we have to open drywall, we aim for the smallest access hole that lets us reach the pipe. Many repairs need only a patch about the size of a dinner plate.
Water showing up where it should not?
Call the 24/7 line and tell us what you see. We will send a licensed plumber with a clear price before work starts.
Call (973) 488-5410Slab leaks and leaks under a basement floor
Pipes under a concrete slab are the hardest to reach. A hot spot on the floor, a sound of running water with everything off, or a damp patch in the middle of a room all suggest a slab leak, and a hot water line is the most likely because heat speeds up corrosion in the soft metal.
Once the line is located, there are three common paths. We can break the slab at the exact spot and repair the pipe. We can reroute the line through the walls or ceiling, which leaves the slab untouched. Or we can replace the whole run. The best choice depends on how many leaks the line has already had and what finishes cover the floor. Pinhole leaks that repeat across a run often point toward repiping that section.
Outside the meter: the service line
A leak between the street and the house is on the service line. In Kearny the Town Water Department operates the distribution system and Veolia handles customer service. For water main breaks, leaks and service disruptions in the street, Veolia's number is (201) 955-7406, answered on weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm and by a 24/7 answering service at night and on weekends.
Ask Veolia where the utility's responsibility ends and yours begins. If the leak is on the private side, we can locate it and recommend water service line repair. The town also posts a lead service line inventory with an address lookup, so check your address before any digging starts.
Once a leak is found, the repair is governed by the National Standard Plumbing Code, 2024 edition, which Kearny's code office says plumbing plans must follow. Opening a wall to reach a pipe is a good time to ask the office whether the repair needs a permit.
What affects the price of leak detection
We give a clear price before work starts. The cost of finding a leak depends on a few practical factors.
Repairs are priced separately, after we know what we found. Want your real number? Call (973) 488-5410 and describe where the water is showing up.
Clues that point to a hidden leak
You do not need equipment to notice the early warning signs. If you see any of these, schedule a check before the damage spreads.
- A water bill that has risen with no change in how many people live in the house.
- Musty smell in a closet, basement corner or under a sink with no visible water.
- Paint bubbling, wallpaper peeling or a stain that grows after you run a fixture.
- The sound of running water when everything is off, or a meter dial that moves.
- Low water pressure that appeared suddenly in one part of the house.
A burst, as opposed to a slow leak, is a different emergency. If water is gushing, go to burst pipe repair instead.
Leaks and the places around Kearny
Kearny sits beside the Passaic and Hackensack rivers with Meadowlands wetlands to the east, and low ground drains slowly after heavy rain as a general matter. That matters for leak work because groundwater coming through a basement wall can look just like a pipe leak.
We check whether the water is clean supply water, drain water or ground seepage before we recommend anything. In North Arlington, water is supplied by the Passaic Valley Water Commission, so a service line leak there goes to PVWC at 973-340-4300. Our North Arlington plumbing page covers that area.
Frequently asked questions
The price depends on how hidden the leak is, how many methods are needed, how easy the pipes are to reach and the time of the call. A simple meter or fixture check is the lowest tier, and locating a pressurized leak under a slab is higher. We give a clear price before work starts. Call (973) 488-5410 for a real number.
Yes. The dispatch line runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and active water damage is treated as an emergency at any hour. Close your main valve while you wait. Same-day appointments cover slower suspected leaks when the schedule allows.
Not to find it. Acoustic gear, thermal imaging and moisture meters let us pinpoint the spot first. We only open the wall once we know where the pipe is leaking, and the opening is kept as small as the repair allows.
Do the meter test. Turn off everything that uses water and watch the meter for the low-flow indicator. If it moves, you have a leak. Check toilets first with food coloring. If the indicator moves and toilets are fine, the leak is in a hidden pipe or the service line.
Yes. Mold can start growing in damp materials within a day or two, and a hidden leak keeps those materials wet. That is why we recommend acting on a stain quickly. Drying the area after the repair matters as much as fixing the pipe.
Policies commonly cover sudden accidental water damage, but often exclude gradual leaks and the cost of tracing and repairing the pipe itself. Read your policy or ask your agent. We provide a written description of what we found, which can help with a claim.
A leak in the street or at the main is the utility's responsibility. In Kearny, call Veolia at (201) 955-7406 for main breaks. A leak on the pipe running from the meter to the house is usually yours. Ask the utility where its responsibility ends.
Not sure if what you are seeing is a leak? Call the 24/7 line and a dispatcher will help you decide.
Call (973) 488-5410