# Water Leak Detection > Non-invasive water leak detection across Central Kentucky. Infrared and endoscopic imaging find hidden pipe leaks without opening walls. Canonical page: https://www.alldrybluegrass.com/water-leak-detection/ A leak inside a wall or under a slab can run for months before anything shows on the surface. We locate it with thermal imaging, moisture metering and endoscopic imaging, so the only thing that gets opened is the part that actually needs repairing. ## The bill usually moves before the wall does A water bill that climbs with no change in habits is often the only early signal, and comparing against the same month last year rather than last month is what makes it visible. After that: the meter turning with every fixture off, a warm patch on a slab floor where a hot line is leaking beneath it, and a musty smell that arrives weeks ahead of any stain. By the time paint bubbles or a baseboard lifts, the material behind it has been wet for a long time. That is not a reason to panic, but it is a reason to stop waiting for something more obvious to happen. ## Thermal imaging, moisture metering and endoscopic inspection An endoscopic camera goes in through a small hole rather than an opened wall, so the inside of a cavity, a chase or a joist bay can be inspected without taking the finish off. That is what confirms a leak, and its exact position, before anything is cut. Thermal cameras do not see water; they see temperature difference, and evaporating water cools the surface above it. So a thermal scan gives a shape to investigate and a moisture meter confirms whether it is a real reading or an artefact of a cold wall. Using one without the other is how people end up opening the wrong wall. ## The leaks that hide the longest - Slab leaks: Under a concrete floor, where the first sign is often a warm patch or an unexplained bill. - Supply lines in wall cavities: Running quietly for months with nothing changing on the finished surface. - Under-sink and appliance connections: Slow drips into a cabinet base or subfloor, which is where the smell starts. - Water heaters: Weeping at a fitting long before they fail outright. - Crawlspace runs: Where a leak can go a very long time without anyone above it noticing. - Roof and flashing details: Where two planes meet and the water enters somewhere other than where it shows. ## Why a late discovery changes the claim A leak found in week one is a plumbing repair. The same leak found in month six is a plumbing repair plus subfloor, insulation, drywall and paint, plus whatever grew in the dark and wet, plus the containment needed to remove that safely. There is an insurance dimension too, and it catches people out. Policies generally cover sudden and accidental discharge. Damage from a leak that has been seeping for months is frequently treated as a maintenance issue rather than a covered loss. Finding it early is not just cheaper, it is more likely to be paid for. ## What a commercial loss actually costs For a business the cost is rarely the building. It is the closed floor, the damaged stock, the tenant complaint, the shift that did not run. Scheduled detection on ageing plumbing runs is cheap against one unplanned shutdown. We can scan outside operating hours, and the mitigation work is done by our own crews, which matters in a building where access is controlled. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do you find a leak without damaging my walls? With infrared thermal imaging and endoscopic imaging equipment, backed up by moisture meters. Thermal imaging shows the temperature difference that escaping water creates through slab, soil and finished surfaces. Thermal imaging shows where evaporating water is cooling a surface. Together they narrow the location before anything is opened. ### How can I tell whether I have a hidden leak? Check your water bill against the same month last year rather than last month. Then shut off every fixture and watch the meter's leak indicator for fifteen minutes. Movement with everything off means water is going somewhere. Other signs are a warm patch on a slab floor, a musty smell with no visible cause, and paint that bubbles or a baseboard that lifts. ### Do you repair the leak once you find it? We locate the leak, document it and handle the water damage: extraction, drying, and removal of material that cannot be dried. The plumbing repair itself is plumbing work. We will tell you what needs doing so you can get the right trade in, and we coordinate our drying around their schedule. ### Will my insurance cover a hidden leak? Your carrier decides that, and how long the leak has been running usually matters to them. It is a practical argument for investigating early rather than waiting for the damage to declare itself. We document what we find and communicate with your adjuster; we do not interpret your policy. ## Related pages - [Water damage restoration](https://www.alldrybluegrass.com/water-damage-restoration/): Once the leak has done its work. - [Mold inspections](https://www.alldrybluegrass.com/mold-inspections/): If it has been running a while. - [Structural drying](https://www.alldrybluegrass.com/structural-drying/): Getting the cavity dry afterwards. - [For businesses](https://www.alldrybluegrass.com/commercial-restoration/): Scheduled detection on older plumbing. ## Contact - Phone (Lexington, Georgetown and Nicholasville): (859) 780-7419, answered live 24/7 - Phone (Frankfort, Shelby and surrounding areas): (502) 465-8891, answered live 24/7 - Location: a service-area business with no public address; technicians travel to the property - Service area: Lexington, Georgetown, Frankfort, Shelbyville, Nicholasville, Versailles, Harrodsburg, Wilmore, Lawrenceburg, Taylorsville, Carrollton, Eminence, Kentucky - Rating: 5 stars across 35 Google reviews