Our Reviews
You know something’s wrong when your water bill jumps for no reason. Or when you hear water running but can’t find where it’s coming from. Hidden leaks don’t stay hidden forever – they show up as mold on your walls, water stains on your ceiling, or soggy spots in your yard.
Our leak detection service finds problems before they become disasters. We use thermal imaging cameras that see temperature differences your eyes can’t catch, plus acoustic equipment that hears leaks through walls and underground pipes. No guessing, no tearing up your floors just to look around.
When we’re done, you’ll know exactly where the problem is and what it’ll take to fix it. Your home stays dry, your bills stay reasonable, and you sleep better knowing your plumbing isn’t working against you.
All Rooter Hydro Jetting Experts has been solving Chicago-area plumbing problems since 2000. We’re not some fly-by-night operation – we’re licensed, bonded, and BBB accredited because we do the work right.
Hickory Hills homes deal with unique challenges. The clay soil shifts, old cast iron pipes corrode, and those brutal winters freeze lines in ways that surprise even experienced homeowners. We’ve seen it all in our 24 years serving Cook County.
When you call us, you get technicians who show up with the right equipment and the experience to use it. No learning on your dime, no surprise charges, no cutting corners to get to the next job.
First, we listen. You tell us what you’ve noticed – higher bills, wet spots, strange sounds, musty smells. Every detail helps us focus our search.
Next comes the technology. Our thermal imaging cameras detect temperature differences that show where water is escaping, even behind walls or under concrete slabs. For pressurized pipes, we use acoustic equipment that picks up the sound of water escaping – equipment sensitive enough to hear a drip through six inches of concrete.
We document everything with photos and video so you can see exactly what we found. No mystery repairs, no “trust us” explanations. You’ll know where the leak is, how serious it is, and what your options are for fixing it.
The whole process is non-invasive. We don’t tear up your floors or walls just to look around. We find the problem first, then make the smallest opening possible to fix it.
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Our thermal imaging cameras detect temperature differences as small as 0.1 degrees. When water leaks from hot water lines, it creates heat signatures we can see through walls, floors, and ceilings. Cold water leaks show up differently, but just as clearly.
For underground leaks and pressurized systems, our acoustic detection equipment picks up the specific frequency signatures that water makes when it escapes pipes. Different pipe materials, different pressures, different leak sizes – they all have unique sound profiles that our equipment can isolate and locate.
Hickory Hills sits on clay soil that expands and contracts with moisture and temperature changes. This puts extra stress on underground water lines, especially older installations. Our ground-penetrating technology can trace pipe paths and identify problem areas before they turn into emergency repairs.
We also use correlating equipment that compares sounds from multiple contact points to triangulate leak locations with pinpoint accuracy. This is especially useful for main line leaks where the sound travels along the pipe, making the leak seem like it’s coming from somewhere else.
Thermal imaging is extremely accurate for detecting water leaks, especially hot water leaks in walls and under floors. Our cameras can detect temperature differences as small as 0.1 degrees Fahrenheit, which means we can spot the thermal signature of a leak even when it’s hidden behind drywall or under concrete.
Hot water leaks are easiest to detect because they create obvious temperature contrasts. Cold water leaks are trickier but still detectable because the moisture they create affects the thermal properties of surrounding materials. The key is knowing what to look for and having equipment sensitive enough to pick up subtle variations.
We’ve successfully located leaks in walls without making a single hole in about 85% of cases. The other 15% usually involve very small leaks or situations where multiple factors are masking the thermal signature. Even then, thermal imaging narrows down the search area dramatically, so any exploratory work is minimal and targeted.
Yes, we can locate most underground water leaks without any digging. We use a combination of acoustic detection equipment and ground-penetrating technology to pinpoint leak locations from the surface.
Our acoustic equipment picks up the sound signature of water escaping from pressurized pipes underground. Different pipe materials transmit sound differently – metal pipes carry sound very well, while plastic pipes muffle it somewhat – but our equipment is sensitive enough to detect leaks in both. We can usually pinpoint the location within a few feet.
For main line leaks, we also use correlating equipment that compares acoustic signals from multiple points along the pipe. This triangulation method is incredibly accurate, often getting us within inches of the actual leak location. We only dig where we know the problem is, which saves your landscaping and keeps repair costs down.
Leak detection service typically runs between $200-$500 for most residential properties in Hickory Hills, depending on the complexity of the search and the type of equipment needed. Simple acoustic detection for accessible pipes costs less than thermal imaging surveys of entire building envelopes.
We always provide upfront pricing before we start any work. No surprises, no hidden fees, no charges for time spent figuring out what we should have known before we arrived. If we find multiple leaks during the initial detection, we’ll locate all of them for the same base price.
Most customers find that professional detection pays for itself quickly. A hidden leak can waste thousands of gallons of water over just a few months, and the water damage from an undetected leak often costs far more than early detection and repair. Plus, many insurance companies offer discounts for proactive leak detection services.
The most obvious sign is an unexplained increase in your water bill. If your usage habits haven’t changed but your bill keeps climbing, you likely have a hidden leak somewhere. Even a small leak can waste hundreds of gallons per month.
Other warning signs include the sound of running water when all fixtures are turned off, wet or soft spots in your yard, musty odors that seem to come from nowhere, and visible water stains on walls or ceilings. You might also notice that your water pressure has dropped, or that certain areas of your home feel more humid than usual.
Don’t ignore these signs hoping they’ll go away. Water leaks get worse over time, never better. What starts as a minor drip can turn into a major flood, and the water damage from delayed repairs often costs ten times more than fixing the original leak. Early detection saves money, prevents damage, and gives you peace of mind.
Absolutely. We provide 24/7 emergency leak detection services throughout Hickory Hills and the greater Chicago area. Plumbing emergencies don’t wait for business hours, and neither do we.
Emergency situations include active leaks that are causing immediate water damage, sudden drops in water pressure that suggest main line breaks, or situations where you can hear water running but can’t locate the source. We prioritize these calls and typically have a technician on-site within an hour during emergencies.
Our emergency service uses the same advanced detection equipment as our scheduled appointments. We don’t cut corners or use inferior methods just because it’s after hours. You get the same thorough, accurate leak detection whether you call us at noon on Tuesday or midnight on Saturday. Emergency service rates apply for after-hours calls, but we’ll explain all costs upfront before beginning any work.
Most residential leak detection services take between 1-3 hours, depending on the size of your property and the complexity of the plumbing system. Simple acoustic detection for a suspected pipe leak might take just 30-45 minutes, while a comprehensive thermal imaging survey of an entire home takes longer.
We don’t rush the process. Thorough detection means checking all potential problem areas, not just the obvious ones. Sometimes what seems like a single leak is actually multiple problems, or the visible water damage is coming from a leak in a completely different location than you’d expect.
If we’re dealing with a large property or a particularly elusive leak, the process might take longer. We’ll keep you informed throughout the service and explain what we’re finding as we go. Our goal is to locate every leak in one visit, so you’re not dealing with surprise problems later or paying for multiple service calls to find issues we should have caught the first time.
