Call 0333 567 2615

Leak detection for supermarkets and grocery stores

Chillers, condensate lines, back-of-house plumbing and a shop floor that never really closes. We find the leak without stopping the tills.

Call 0333 567 2615

A supermarket runs on water as much as electricity. Refrigeration cases shed condensate all day, the bakery and deli wash down every shift, customer toilets and staff areas see constant use, and the whole lot sits on a slab that hides every pipe. When something starts leaking, the first sign is usually indirect: a floor that stays damp near the chillers, a water bill that climbed for no reason, or a boiler that needs topping up every week.

We locate the source with thermal imaging, acoustic listening and tracer gas, with the floor, the fixtures and the fridge lines left in place. The store can usually keep trading while we work, and every job ends with a written report your insurer or your facilities team can act on.

Where leaks hide in a supermarket.

The usual suspects for this format, in the order we tend to find them.

Refrigeration condensate lines

Condensate drains from chiller and freezer cases run under the floor to a gully. A blocked or cracked line leaks beneath the aisle and shows as a damp patch that keeps coming back.

Back-of-house wash-down areas

Bakery, deli and butchery counters use a lot of water, and the floor gullies and traps behind them take a beating. Failed seals let water into the screed.

Customer and staff toilets

High use, hidden cisterns and long pipe runs in the ceiling void above the shop floor. Leaks travel a long way before they drip.

The incoming water main

A large-bore supply under the car park or service yard. A split here loses water fast and rarely shows at the surface.

Heating and hot water

Plant-room boilers feeding staff areas and welfare rooms. Pressure that drops overnight points to a leak on the circuit, often under the floor.

Roof and rooflights

Large flat roofs with plant on top. Drips over the aisles usually enter somewhere else on the roof, and the plant penetrations are the first place to look.

How we work on your premises.

The same non-invasive methods as every job, planned for the way this kind of premises actually runs.

  1. The store keeps trading

    Hand-held kit and no floor-lifting, so aisles stay open and deliveries carry on while we work.

  2. No aisle closed on a guess

    Detection works from above the floor. We only mark a spot once thermal, acoustic and tracer-gas results agree, so any opening-up is small and in the right place.

  3. Chillers stay running

    We do not need cases switched off or emptied. Thermal imaging picks up condensate lines and cold-water pipes without disturbing stock.

  4. One report for store, region and insurer

    The same document goes to the store manager, the regional facilities team and the loss adjuster, with photographs, thermal images and the marked location.

What you get from a survey.

Every job ends with the same things: the location, the cause, the evidence and a report you can hand to someone else.

  • The exact location of the leak, marked on the floor and on a plan
  • A written report with thermal images and photographs, ready for an insurance claim
  • A clear cause: mains, heating, condensate, drainage or roof
  • Repair on the same visit where the job allows
  • A single point of contact for every store in the group

Supermarkets & grocery: your questions.

What managers in this sector ask before they book.

More questions
Do we have to close the store for a leak survey?

Usually not. Surveys are non-invasive, with hand-held equipment and no floor-lifting, so in most cases the store keeps trading while we work.

The floor near the chillers is always damp. Is that a leak?

Often it is a condensate line rather than a supply pipe, but the only way to be sure is to test. We check the condensate drains, the nearby cold-water pipes and the slab itself before anyone lifts anything.

Our water bill has gone up but nothing is visibly wet. Where do we start?

A meter test with all outlets isolated tells us whether water is leaving the pipework. If it is, acoustic listening and correlation on the incoming main usually find the break, even under the car park.

Can you work while stock is on the shelves?

Yes. We work around fixtures and stock, and we do not need cases emptied or shelving moved unless the leak turns out to be directly beneath it.

Will your report satisfy our insurer?

Our reports are written for trace-and-access claims: cause, location, evidence and the work done. Businesses and loss adjusters use them routinely.

Related services.

Water mains & underground

Supply pipes under car parks, service yards and slab floors. The usual suspect behind a water bill that has quietly doubled.

Find out more

Under-floor & slab

Pipes buried in screed beneath tiles, vinyl and timber. Located from above, so the shop floor stays whole.

Find out more

Drains & CCTV surveys

Blocked, cracked or leaking drains in service yards and beneath units, surveyed with CCTV drain cameras and pressure testing.

Find out more

Roof & ceiling leaks

Flat roofs, rooflights, box gutters and drips from the unit above. We trace the water back to where it gets in, which is rarely where it shows up.

Find out more

Speak to the team about your leak.

One call gets a leak engineer moving. Our methods are non-invasive, so there is usually nothing to dig up, and you get a written report ready for your insurer.

Call 0333 567 2615

Engineers across England, Scotland and Wales. £5 million public liability insurance.