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Lead supply pipe leak by a front gate found in Dinmore

The meter kept turning with the inside stopcock off. Listening along the outside supply gave a high reading by the boundary wall and front gate, tracer gas gave a high reading at the same spot, and the damaged lead pipe was repaired there.

Red and white ground microphone, blue amplifier and ear defenders on a path by a garden border and a black gate
Red and white ground microphone, blue amplifier and ear defenders on a path by a garden border and a black gate

Signs of the leak in Dinmore

Water was flowing through the meter even with the inside stopcock turned off. The combi boiler had needed no top-ups. The outside supply failed a 3.5 bar test within five minutes, while the inside pipework held 3.5 bar for twenty minutes.

How acoustic equipment found it

The engineer listened along the route of the outside supply pipe and recorded a high reading next to the boundary wall and front gate. Tracer gas then gave a high reading at the same place, so the dig was made there with both methods agreeing.

The investigation, step by step

  1. 01Flow test at the meter showed water passing with the inside stopcock off.
  2. 02Pressure tested the outside supply at 3.5 bar; it failed within five minutes.
  3. 03Pressure tested the inside pipework at 3.5 bar; it held for twenty minutes.
  4. 04Listened along the outside supply route and got a high reading by the boundary wall and front gate.
  5. 05Put tracer gas into the pipe and got a high reading at the same spot.
  6. 06Dug at that point and exposed the damaged 1/2 inch lead supply pipe.
  7. 07Repaired it with two transition couplings and a short length of 20mm MDPE pipe.
  8. 08Retested: no flow at the meter, and the outside supply held 3.5 bar for twenty minutes.
Close-up of a blue acoustic amplifier with a lit display and signal bar, resting on the ground
Close-up of a blue acoustic amplifier with a lit display and signal bar, resting on the ground
Muddy, waterlogged hole with the old supply pipe lying in brown water
Muddy, waterlogged hole with the old supply pipe lying in brown water
Short length of blue MDPE pipe joined with black couplings in a hole in the garden soil
Short length of blue MDPE pipe joined with black couplings in a hole in the garden soil

What was found

Found
A damaged section of 1/2 inch lead supply pipe in the ground next to the boundary wall and front gate.
Repair
The damaged section was cut out and bridged with two transition couplings and a short length of 20mm MDPE pipe. Afterwards the meter showed no flow and the outside supply held 3.5 bar for twenty minutes.
Recommended afterwards
Relay the whole lead supply pipe in a modern material when the chance arises.
Worth knowing
The rest of the lead supply pipe is still in the ground either side of the repair.

Another ADI customer, on a different job

“Robert attended and carried out both tracer gas and acoustic testing, and was able to locate the leak quickly and accurately.”

Heather L., Trustpilot review, 30 April 2026

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