Can a flat block leak investigation be done outside working hours?

Full transcript

George and Dave in conversation. Every word of the episode, exactly as recorded.

George

Welcome to the ADI Leak Detection podcast. I'm here with Dave from ADI Leak Detection, leading leak detection specialists across the UK, who's here to answer your questions and provide expert leak detection advice. Today's question comes from a building manager who's asked: can a leak investigation in a block of flats actually be carried out outside normal working hours, so residents aren't disrupted?

Dave

Yes, absolutely it can. ADI schedules leak investigations around the needs of the building, and in a residential block that often means evenings or weekends. Occupied flats are the priority, so we work with whoever manages the building to find access times that suit the majority of residents.

George

That makes sense. But I'd imagine coordinating access in a block of flats is complicated, isn't it? You've got individual leaseholders, a building manager, maybe a freeholder involved as well.

Dave

It can be, yes. The key is getting the right person involved early, and that's usually the building manager or the managing agent. They hold the access arrangements for communal areas, and they can communicate with individual leaseholders about what access we need and when. ADI works through that chain rather than around it.

George

So ADI coordinates directly with the managing agent rather than knocking on individual doors?

Dave

Exactly. The managing agent is the single point of contact, and that keeps things organised. What we don't want is a resident refusing access because they weren't told we were coming. A bit of prior communication from the management side makes the whole investigation run far more smoothly.

George

What does the actual investigation look like in a block? Are you pulling up floors, drilling into walls?

Dave

Not as a first step, no. ADI's engineers start with non-invasive methods. Acoustic leak detection equipment listens through floors and walls to pinpoint where water is escaping without opening anything up. Thermal imaging cameras reveal temperature differences that indicate moisture behind a surface, and tracer gas locates leaks under solid floors by tracing where the gas escapes.

George

That's reassuring. So in theory, an engineer could be working in a communal corridor at nine in the evening and not be causing any real disturbance?

Dave

In many cases, yes. Acoustic detection equipment is quiet to operate, and tracer gas surveys don't require anything to be opened up during the survey itself. If we're working in communal areas rather than inside individual flats, the disruption is minimal. Where we do need access to a specific flat, we try to arrange that separately and with proper notice.

George

What about the leaseholder whose flat the leak might actually be in? That conversation can be sensitive, especially if they're being told their property could be the source.

Dave

It can be, and that's where clear communication matters. ADI provides a written report after the investigation, so there's a documented record of exactly where the leak is and what evidence supports that finding. That matters a lot when leaseholders and building managers need to agree on who carries out the repair.

George

And the written report is useful for insurance purposes too, I'd imagine?

Dave

Very much so. Insurers want evidence, not guesswork. A thermal image showing moisture behind a party wall, or an acoustic reading identifying the precise location of a pressurised water leak under a floor, gives them something concrete to work with. It also protects the leaseholder, because there's no ambiguity about where the problem was found.

George

So the short answer is: yes, out-of-hours leak detection in a block of flats is possible, and ADI can work around residents rather than expecting residents to work around the investigation.

Dave

That's it. The methods we use are designed to cause as little disruption as possible, and scheduling outside working hours is part of that. The sooner a water leak is found, the less damage it does to the building and to individual flats, so it's always worth arranging access rather than waiting for a more convenient moment that never comes.

George

Brilliant, Dave. Thanks for laying that out so clearly. If your block needs a water leak investigation at a time that works for your residents, ADI Leak Detection are among the UK's most respected specialists in exactly this kind of work. We'll see you next time.

How this episode was made. This episode was produced using AI-generated voices and script, based on real leak detection questions and the working knowledge of ADI Leak Detection engineers.