Leak advice for people who run shops.
Plain-English guides on spotting a leak early, who pays for it, and what happens on the day. Written by the engineers who do the finding.
- Spotting leaks
- How detection works
- Responsibility
- Costs & insurance
- Prevention
How to check a shop for a hidden water leak in fifteen minutes
A quick, practical test any store or facilities manager can run before calling anyone out: meter, pressure, and the four places leaks show first.
Read the guide How detection worksHow tracer gas leak detection works
What happens when an engineer uses tracer gas to find a leak under a car park, service yard or shop floor, where the method works best, and what it cannot do.
Read the guide ResponsibilityWater coming through from the flat above your shop: who to call and what to record
A leak from a flat above a shop can involve the flat's occupier, their landlord, the freeholder and your own landlord. Who to contact first, and the evidence to gather.
Read the guide How detection worksHow to prepare your store for a leak detection visit
What to have ready before a leak engineer arrives at your store: meter readings, the stop tap, drawings, the asbestos register and access, and what the visit means for trading.
Read the guide Spotting leaksSigns of a leak under a concrete shop floor
Warm patches, lifting flooring, a meter that never stops: the signs a pipe is leaking beneath your shop's slab, what else causes them, and what to do before anyone digs.
Read the guide Spotting leaksSupermarket chiller leak: condensate, water supply or refrigerant?
Water pooling at a chiller or freezer can be defrost water, a supply leak or a sign of a refrigerant fault. How to tell which it is, and who to call for each one.
Read the guide How detection worksThermal imaging vs acoustic leak detection: which finds your leak?
How thermal cameras and acoustic listening find leaks in shops and retail units, what each method is good at, where each struggles, and why engineers often use both.
Read the guide Costs & insuranceTrace and access cover for business premises: what to check before anyone lifts a floor
Trace and access cover can pay to find a hidden leak and make good afterwards. What to check in your wording, what the insurer needs, and where the lost water fits in.
Read the guide PreventionWater leak prevention checklist for retail facilities managers
A practical checklist for store and facilities managers: stop taps, meter reads, winter protection, closures and refits, contractors, washrooms, roofs and who to call.
Read the guide ResponsibilityWho is responsible for a leak in a shopping centre unit?
Landlord, tenant, the unit next door or the service charge? How to work out who deals with a leak in a centre unit, and what to record in the first hour.
Read the guide Costs & insuranceWhy has my shop's water bill doubled? Telling a leak from a tariff change or a meter fault
A sudden jump in a shop's water bill can come from a leak, a reading problem or a change in charges. How to work out which, starting with the cheapest checks.
Read the guideSpeak to the team about your leak.
One call gets a leak engineer moving. Our methods are non-invasive, so there is usually nothing to dig up, and you get a written report ready for your insurer.
Engineers across England, Scotland and Wales. £5 million public liability insurance.