The water is disappearing and I cannot see where it goes
That is the usual start of a leak detection call. The pipe is hidden in a wall, under a slab or underground, and the only evidence is indirect. We use that evidence, plus pressure checks, listening gear and thermal or moisture readings, to narrow the search to a spot before anyone cuts anything.
The meter keeps running and the water bill climbs
A meter that moves when every fixture is off is the clearest sign of a leak somewhere past the meter. The Township of Winslow itself says a higher water bill can point to an undetected leak, with toilets and shower heads as common culprits. So start with the cheap suspects before you assume a buried pipe.
Turn everything off
Close taps, stop the dishwasher and washer, and make sure no one is flushing. Ice makers and softeners can refill on their own, so note them.
Read the meter dial
Open the meter lid and look for the small low-flow indicator or the sweep dial. Any motion with all fixtures off means water is going somewhere.
Drop a dye tablet in each toilet tank
Wait without flushing. Color in the bowl means a flapper leak, which is a quick fix and a very common bill culprit.
Close the home shutoff and recheck
If the meter stops once the house valve is closed, the leak is inside. If it keeps moving, the loss is between the meter and the house.
That last test splits the job in two. Inside leaks lead us to walls, floors and fixtures. Outside leaks lead us to the service line, which we cover on our water service line repair page.
Signs of a slab leak under the floor
- A warm or hot patch on a tile or concrete floor with no heating line below it
- The sound of running water when the house is quiet
- Carpet or flooring that feels damp, lifts or smells musty near a wall base
- Low water pressure on one side of the house
- A water heater that seems to run constantly because hot water is leaking away
Slab leaks are a topic of their own, and we propose treating them that way. Locating one is only the first step. The repair options include spot repair through the floor, rerouting the line overhead or replacing the run, and which one fits depends on the pipe, the layout and what the floor covering is.
Many Winslow homes in Sicklerville were built by Levitt and Sons in the 1970s, in neighborhoods such as Primrose Gate and Victoria Manor.
Homes from that era are now past fifty years old, so a warm floor spot or a quiet hiss in one deserves a check even if the plumbing has never given trouble. We cannot tell the pipe material or the foundation type from the build year alone, so we confirm on site.
| What you notice | Likely area | How we confirm it |
|---|---|---|
| Meter moves with fixtures off | Service line, toilet, hidden supply | Shutoff isolation test, then pressure test of each section |
| Warm floor or sound of flow | Hot line under a slab | Listening gear and thermal reading, then a pinpoint mark |
| Brown ceiling stain | Supply line, drain or roof above | Moisture meter, then trace upward through the floor above |
| Soggy yard strip in dry weather | Buried service or irrigation line | Pressure test, tracer or acoustic sweep, then locate |
| Musty crawlspace | Slow joint or drain seep | Visual inspection, moisture readings, line isolation |
Leak confirmed or just suspected?
Call (609) 547-1417. Dispatch runs 24/7, and we book same-day appointments when available.
Ceiling and wall leaks
A brown ring on a ceiling does not always mean the pipe is right above it. Water travels along framing and drywall before it appears, so the stain can sit several feet from the source. We open the smallest access we can, after moisture readings show where the wet material ends.
Bubbling paint, a soft drywall corner or a stain that grows after you run a shower all point to a plumbing source. A stain that grows only after rain points more toward the roof or a flashing problem, which is a roofer's job and not ours. We will tell you honestly when the water is not coming from the plumbing.
Leaks under the house and in the crawlspace
Homes with a crawlspace let us see the supply and drain lines directly, which makes the search simpler. We look for beaded water on joints, stained insulation, rusted hangers and damp soil under a run.
A drain line that weeps only when a tub empties will not show on a pressure test, so we run water through each fixture and watch.
Please do not crawl into a wet space with the power on. If a floor feels spongy or you see water near electrical equipment, shut off the breaker for that area first, or leave it for us.
Buried line leaks between the meter and the house
A leak in the service line runs night and day, and the soil above it may stay wet in a dry week. In Winslow the ground water sits in the Kirkwood-Cohansey system, which the state describes as a water-table aquifer that follows rainfall.
That means a wet yard patch after a storm may simply be ground water, so we test the line itself instead of guessing from the lawn.
When the pressure test confirms loss, we mark the leak and discuss repair, whether a spot dig, a new run or a repiping decision if the pipe is old throughout. Digging near the street edge may involve utility marking and Township rules, so we ask the Construction Office about permit questions before any work starts.
Irrigation and sprinkler leaks
A sprinkler line is easy to overlook because it only runs on a timer. Look for a zone that stays muddy, a head that mists or a patch of grass that is greener than the rest. A valve that sticks open can mimic a service line leak on the meter, so we shut off the irrigation supply separately and recheck.
We handle the potable-water side, such as the connection and backflow device at the house. Heads, timers and zone wiring belong to an irrigation contractor, and we will say so when the problem sits there.
Pool, spa, yard and meter-box leaks
Pools and spas lose water to evaporation, so a drop is not proof of a leak. A bucket test, run by marking the water level in a bucket on the pool step, helps separate the two, and we can check the supply, fill line and equipment plumbing for leaks. The shell, liner and skimmer are for a pool company.
A meter box that stays full of water is worth a call. The leak may be at the meter fitting, which belongs to the utility, or just past it on your line. For Township customers the Dept. of Municipal Utilities, at 609-567-0700 on weekdays, handles meter-side questions, and we handle everything on your side of the connection.
What our equipment can and cannot do
We use pressure testing, acoustic listening, thermal imaging and moisture meters, and a sewer camera when a drain is suspected. No tool finds every leak on its own. The best results come from combining two or three readings and checking them against what the house is doing.
Sometimes the answer is not a single point. A leak may be tiny, intermittent or under a surface we cannot read through, and then we say so instead of guessing. We also do not diagnose roof, window or foundation seepage, and we do not test water quality.
Why leaks in Winslow are worth chasing early
Winslow Township covers 58 square miles, and the Township draws from nine wells in the Cohansey and Mount Laurel-Wenonah aquifers plus one in the Piney Point aquifer. The system also buys water through an interconnection with New Jersey American Water.
If your bill spikes, the DMU can confirm the meter reading, but they cannot tell you whether the loss is in your pipes, so the next step is a check on your side.
About 80 percent of the township lies in the Pinelands National Reserve, so many properties sit well back from the road.
A longer run from the meter to the house has more joints and more ground to cover, which is why a steady loss can go unseen for a long time. We serve homes in Sicklerville 08081, Winslow 08095, Cedar Brook 08018 and West Atco 08004, plus eastern Winslow addresses under 08037.
What shapes the price of leak detection
We give a clear price before work starts. Your number depends on how hard the leak is to reach and how much of the line must be tested.
Homeowners insurance typically responds to sudden damage and not to wear or neglect, and some policies exclude the cost of finding the leak. Ask your carrier before work begins.
Leaking now? Do this before we arrive
While you wait for a technician
Shut off the main
Close the house valve, usually near the water heater or where the line enters. If it will not turn, tell us when you call.
Kill power near wet areas
Switch off breakers to wet rooms only if you can reach the panel without standing in water.
Photograph the meter
A snapshot of the dial before and after the shutoff gives us a useful reading.
Move valuables
Lift rugs, boxes and electronics off wet floors. Do not run a vacuum on standing water.
For a burst or failed pipe where water is gushing, see our burst pipe repair page. For a gas smell, leave the building and call the gas utility or 911 before you call a plumber. Neighboring towns such as Gloucester Township, covered on our Gloucester Township page, are in the same dispatch area.
Leak Detection questions in Winslow, NJ
Yes. Dispatch is 24/7, and we take after-hours calls for active leaks. Shut off the main and stop using the affected fixtures while you wait. We do not promise an arrival time, but we tell you honestly what is available when you call.
Turn off every fixture, then read the meter. If it still moves, close the house shutoff. If it keeps moving after that, the loss is between the meter and the house, and a leak detection call is the next step.
Often yes, using listening and thermal tools to mark a point before any cutting. We confirm before opening the floor and tell you honestly if the signal is weak.
Yes. The Township notes that toilets and shower heads are common causes of a higher bill. A dye test in the tank is a quick check before a larger search.
Policies vary. Insurance typically responds to sudden damage and not to wear or neglect, and some exclude the search cost. Ask your carrier before work starts.
Yes. We give a price for the repair before we start, and we tell you if the fix needs a permit decision from the Construction Office at 609-567-0700 option 5.
No. Ground water in the Winslow area follows rainfall, so a soggy lawn after a storm can be natural. We test the line itself before digging.
Sources and standards
Facts on this page come from these public sources. Check local rules with the office named in each.