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ENGINEERS AVAILABLE NOW

Tracer Gas Leak Detection
in London

The acoustic equipment has been used. The thermal camera has been over the floor. The moisture readings point to a general area but the exact failure point is still not confirmed. This is where tracer gas comes in.

At 0800 Homefix, our engineers introduce a safe mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen into the pressurised pipe. The gas travels through the pipe, exits at the failure point and rises through concrete, screed, tile adhesive and timber to the surface. A handheld detector traces it to the exact point of exit. We locate the leak to within centimetres, which means access work is targeted to a small area rather than a length of floor.

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No call-out fee · Fixed pricing before we start · 7 days a week including bank holidays

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cm

Accurate to Within Centimetres

£0

Call-Out Charge

100%

SAFE, NON-TOXIC GAS

48hrs

Report Delivered

Gas Safe Registered

Every engineer verified

APHC Members

Trade body accredited

Public Liability Insurance

Your property protected

WaterSafe Approved

Qualified for mains water

NVQ Level 2 & 3

Formally qualified engineers

London’s Trusted Plumbers

Why 0800 Homefix for
Tracer Gas Leak Detection

Tracer gas is the most accurate leak detection method available for buried pipework. Here is how 0800 Homefix uses it and why the approach matters.

Tracer gas is not the starting point on every leak investigation. We use it when other methods have narrowed the search area but cannot confirm the exact failure point, and when the pipe is buried deep enough that unnecessary access work would cause significant damage.

The gas mixture we use is 95% nitrogen and 5% hydrogen. Nitrogen is inert and non-flammable. The hydrogen component, at 5%, is well below the flammability threshold of approximately 4% in open air – and because tracer gas investigations are conducted on pressurised sealed pipework, the gas never accumulates to a hazardous concentration. The process is safe in occupied properties.

Our engineers introduce the gas through a connection point, allow it to pressurise the system and then pass the detector slowly across the surface area above the suspected pipe run. The detector reacts to hydrogen concentrations as low as 1 part per million, which means it picks up the gas long before it would be detectable by any other means. The reading peaks directly above the exit point.

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Precision Detection

What Sets Our Tracer Gas Detection
Service Apart

Tracer gas investigation requires more preparation and more experience to read correctly than any other detection method. Here is what makes the difference on a real job.

01

Centimetre-Level Accuracy

Acoustic detection and thermal imaging narrow the search area. Tracer gas confirms the exact exit point of the leak within centimetres. That precision is what allows access work to be limited to a small targeted hole rather than a run of floor or wall. Unnecessary access is the most costly part of any hidden leak repair.

02

Safe Process, Properly Managed

The 5% hydrogen in our tracer gas mixture is well below the concentration required for ignition. We explain this to every homeowner before the investigation begins. The process is safe in occupied residential and commercial properties. Every engineer carrying out tracer gas investigations has been trained specifically in its safe application.

03

Used at the Right Stage

Tracer gas is most effective when combined with pressure testing and acoustic detection rather than used in isolation. We use pressure testing to confirm a leak is present and isolate the affected circuit, acoustic listening to narrow the area, and tracer gas to confirm the exact point. Each method informs the next.

04

Insurance Reports as Standard

Every 0800 Homefix tracer gas investigation includes a written report documenting the detection method, equipment used, the confirmed leak location, the basis for that conclusion, and our repair recommendation. Delivered within 48 hours. Structured to meet the requirements of the major UK insurers.

05

Effective Through All London Construction Types

Tracer gas rises through concrete, screed, tile adhesive, sand and cement, timber and most building materials. It is equally effective under a Victorian solid concrete floor, a modern polymer screed and a suspended timber floor with underfloor heating. The construction type that defeats acoustic and thermal methods rarely defeats tracer gas.

06

Find It and Fix It in the Same Visit

Once tracer gas has confirmed the failure point to within centimetres, our engineers agree the access approach with you, carry out the targeted access and complete the repair in the same visit in most cases. One call, one engineer, one invoice.

The people behind the service

Meet a Few Of Our Plumbing & Heating Engineers

When you call 0800 Homefix, a real named engineer attends your property. Every person on our London team is Gas Safe registered, NVQ qualified, DBS checked, and carries full ID. Here are some of the engineers who may attend your job.

Neill Young

Leak Detection Specialist

8+ years experience · North, East & West London

With over 8 years of experience servicing North, East and West London, I specialise in locating hidden leaks quickly and accurately using non-invasive detection methods. As a fully Gas Safe Registered engineer with NVQ Level 3 qualifications, I focus on delivering reliable, professional solutions that minimise disruption and help customers avoid unnecessary damage and repair costs.

“I regularly find hidden leaks without removing tiles or floors—most customers are surprised how quickly we can locate the issue without damage.”

James Emmerson

Plumbing & Heating Engineer

13+ years experience – London

I specialise in boiler breakdowns and central heating systems, I enjoy solving complex faults and making sure systems are running safely and efficiently again, first time.

“In London properties, the most damaging leaks are the ones you can’t see. By the time a damp patch appears on a ceiling, the structural damage can already be significant. Finding it early – without demolition – is what this job is about.”

Oliver White

Senior Plumbing & Heating Engineer

28+ years experience – London

With over 28 years in the trade, including more than 20 at British Gas, I focus on diagnosing the root cause of issues quickly, from boiler faults to hidden leaks – so customers get a proper, long-term fix without unnecessary work.

On an urgent call, the first thing I do is help the homeowner find and shut off the stopcock while I’m on my way. That one step stops the damage spreading and saves serious money. It only takes 10 minutes on the phone.”

What to expect

What every 0800 Homefix plumber brings to your door

Every engineer arrives with a fully stocked van, carries Gas Safe ID you can inspect, and introduces themselves by name before entering your property. They explain what they have found and what the fix involves before starting any work – and they leave your property clean and tidy when they are done.

All engineers carry Gas Safe ID and are DBS checked. You can verify any engineer’s Gas Safe registration independently at gassaferegister.co.uk before work begins.

OUR TRACER GAS SERVICES

Where 0800 Homefix Uses Tracer Gas Detection

Tracer gas is the most precise detection method we use. Here are the four situations where it delivers results that no other method can match.

Underfloor heating pipework buried in screed presents the most challenging leak location problem in residential plumbing. The screed conducts acoustic signals unpredictably and suppresses the temperature differential that thermal imaging relies on. Tracer gas bypasses both limitations. Introduced at the manifold connection, it exits at the failure point and rises through even thick polymer screed to the surface within minutes. Our engineers locate underfloor heating failures to within centimetres, which limits screed removal to the smallest possible area.

A mains supply pipe that has failed under a concrete floor, a garden path or a driveway is one of the most disruptive leaks to deal with. The acoustic signal tells you roughly where the leak is along the pipe run. Tracer gas tells you exactly. Our engineers introduce the gas at the meter or at an access fitting, allow dwell time for it to saturate the failure point, and then scan the surface. The exit point is confirmed before a single slab is lifted.

A central heating circuit buried in screed that has developed a micro-leak at a joint or at a compression fitting is the hardest type of heating leak to locate using conventional methods. The water loss is slow, the screed dries the moisture before it reaches the surface, and the acoustic signal from a micro-leak is weak. Tracer gas, introduced with the system depressurised, exits precisely at the failed joint and rises to the surface regardless of how small the failure is.

In leasehold apartment buildings, pinpointing the exact source of a leak between floors is essential before any access work is agreed. A leak that appears in one flat may originate in the flat above, in a shared service riser, or in a common area pipe run. Tracer gas investigations allow our engineers to test individual pipe sections systematically and confirm exactly which circuit and which failure point is responsible. This evidence resolves liability disputes between leaseholders without unnecessary damage to either property.

UNDERSTANDING THE METHOD

How Tracer Gas Leak Detection Works

The process from gas introduction to confirmed failure point takes between one and three hours on most residential jobs. Here is what happens at each stage.

01

The four stages of a 0800 Homefix tracer gas investigation:

02

The gas mixture

The mixture used is 95% nitrogen and 5% hydrogen. Both gases are entirely inert in the concentrations used. Nitrogen is non-reactive under all conditions. The hydrogen component at 5% is below the lower flammability limit of hydrogen in air, which is approximately 4% by volume – but this applies to open air accumulation, not to the sealed pressurised pipe where the gas is introduced. In a tracer gas investigation the hydrogen never accumulates at the surface in concentrations approaching the flammability threshold. The process is safe in occupied properties including those with gas appliances.

03

Why hydrogen is used

Hydrogen has the smallest molecular size of any element. This means it passes through the microscopic spaces between concrete aggregate particles, through tile adhesive, through screed and through timber grain that nitrogen alone could not penetrate as quickly. The combination of hydrogen’s permeability and nitrogen’s pressure-carrying capacity is what makes the mixture more effective than either gas alone.

04

Detector sensitivity

Our handheld hydrogen detectors respond to concentrations of 1 part per million. This sensitivity allows the scan to pick up hydrogen rising from a failure point that has been through 200mm of dense concrete. The reading at the surface is a fraction of the concentration at the exit point, but the detector reads it clearly. This is why tracer gas confirms a location that acoustic and thermal methods have narrowed but could not confirm precisely.

Responsibilities

Tracer Gas Detection for Landlords and Tenants

Tracer gas investigations are regularly used in rented properties to produce the documented evidence needed to establish the source and extent of a leak without unnecessary damage to the building.

For Landlords and Managing Agents

When a tenant reports a suspected leak in a rented property, the question of where the leak is coming from is often the most expensive part of the investigation to answer. Opening floors and walls speculatively to find a failure point is disruptive and costly, and if the exploratory work turns out to be in the wrong area, the landlord bears the cost of the unnecessary damage as well as the correct access work.

Tracer gas investigations eliminate the speculative element. We confirm the failure point before any access is recommended. The written report documents the methodology, the detection results and the confirmed location, which means the access and repair work can be scoped accurately and the insurance claim – where one exists – has the evidence it needs to proceed.

For Tenants Dealing With a Suspected Leak

If you have noticed a damp patch, a soft area on a tiled floor, or a section of skirting board that is showing moisture in a rented property, report it to your landlord in writing straight away. A suspected leak under the floor in a rented property is the landlord’s responsibility to investigate. Do not attempt to investigate yourself by lifting tiles or opening the floor, as any damage you cause to the building structure becomes a separate issue.

If your landlord has arranged a tracer gas investigation, it is a non-invasive process. The engineer introduces gas through a small connection fitting and scans the floor or wall surface with a handheld detector. Nothing is opened during the investigation itself. You can remain in the property throughout. If the investigation confirms a leak, the access point is explained to you before any work begins and agreed in advance.

Insurance

Tracer Gas Reports and Insurance Claims

Tracer gas is the detection method most commonly accepted by UK insurers as definitive confirmation of a leak source location. When an acoustic or thermal report states that the leak is ‘in the area of’ a particular section of floor, an insurer’s loss adjuster has grounds to question whether unnecessary access was carried out. When a tracer gas report states that the exit point of the leak was confirmed at a specific location to within centimetres, using a hydrogen detector with a sensitivity of 1 part per million, there is no ambiguity for the adjuster to question.

Our tracer gas investigation reports include the preceding pressure test results showing that the circuit was confirmed as leaking, the introduction method and connection point, the gas concentration in the introduction mixture, the dwell period used, the detector scan results with the peak reading location, the confirmed failure point with dimensions from reference points in the property, and our repair recommendation. Loss adjusters process these reports without follow-up requests.

For underfloor heating claims, the report also includes the manifold circuit identification and the pressure drop rate from the pre-investigation pressure test. This data establishes both the presence of a leak and its severity, which is information some insurers require before approving the full claim.

20+

Years in
London

Our rates

Straightforward Pricing. No Surprises.

You pay for the first hour of labour, which covers arrival, the pressure test, gas introduction and initial detection. Anything further is quoted upfront before we proceed.

No call-out fee

You pay for the first hour of labour, which covers arrival, the pressure test, gas introduction and initial detection. Anything further is quoted upfront before we proceed.

Fixed Quote Upfront

The engineer confirms the cost before any work starts. Access and repair work is quoted and agreed before any floor or wall is opened.

Detection Report Included

The written tracer gas investigation report is included in every 0800 Homefix survey. Delivered within 48 hours. Accepted by major UK insurers.

Out-of-Hours Uplift

A small uplift applies for evenings, weekends and bank holidays. Always confirmed before the 0800 Homefix engineer travels.

Want to see our full rate card?

Hourly rates, emergency callout charges, and out-of-hours uplifts, all published clearly before you book.

Customer reviews

What Our Customers Say

Good

4.4 | 77 reviews

Reviews independently verified via Google. We do not edit or filter customer feedback.

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions
About Our Tracer Gas Detection Service

The questions homeowners, landlords and managing agents most commonly ask before booking a 0800 Homefix tracer gas investigation.

How does 0800 Homefix use tracer gas to locate a hidden water leak?

Our engineers introduce a safe mixture of 95% nitrogen and 5% hydrogen into the isolated section of pipework. The gas fills the pipe, exits at the failure point and rises through the surrounding material to the surface. A handheld hydrogen detector with a sensitivity of 1 part per million is then passed slowly across the surface above the pipe run. The reading peaks directly above the exit point, which is confirmed as the leak location. We document the position with measurements from reference points in the property.

Is tracer gas safe to use in an occupied property?

Yes. The 5% hydrogen concentration in our tracer gas mixture is below the lower flammability limit of hydrogen in open air. The gas is introduced into sealed pressurised pipework, not into the room air. At the surface, the concentration rising from the failure point is a tiny fraction of the introduction concentration. There is no accumulation of hydrogen at the surface at any point during the investigation. The process is safe in occupied residential and commercial properties, including those with gas appliances present.

Does 0800 Homefix charge a call-out fee for tracer gas investigations?

No. We do not charge a call-out fee. You pay for the first hour of labour, which covers the engineer’s arrival, the pressure test to confirm the leak, and the start of the tracer gas investigation. If the investigation requires additional time beyond the first hour, we provide a fixed price quote before proceeding. Evening, weekend and bank holiday visits carry a small uplift, confirmed when you call. Full details are on our rates page.

How long does a 0800 Homefix tracer gas investigation take?

The full process typically takes between one and three hours in a standard residential property. This includes the initial pressure test to confirm the leak and isolate the circuit, the gas introduction, the dwell period for the gas to rise to the surface, and the detection scan. Dwell time varies depending on the depth and density of the material above the pipe. For screed up to 75mm deep, allow 20 to 30 minutes dwell. For deeper concrete, allow longer. The engineer gives you a realistic estimate when they assess the job on arrival.

Will 0800 Homefix carry out the repair after the tracer gas investigation?

Yes, in most cases. Once the tracer gas investigation has confirmed the failure point to within centimetres, we agree the access approach with you, carry out the targeted access and complete the repair in the same visit where possible. A fixed price is agreed before any access starts. After the repair we carry out a pressure test to confirm the circuit is holding. One call, one visit, one invoice in most cases.

Will 0800 Homefix provide a written report for my insurance claim?

Yes. Every tracer gas investigation includes a written report with the pressure test results, the gas introduction method and concentration, the dwell period used, the detector scan findings, the confirmed failure point with measurements, and our repair recommendation. This report is structured to meet the requirements of the major UK insurers and is accepted by loss adjusters as definitive confirmation of the leak source. Delivered within 48 hours. If you have a claim reference number, call us with it and we can often arrange a same-day visit.

When does 0800 Homefix recommend tracer gas rather than acoustic or thermal imaging?

We use tracer gas when other methods have narrowed the search area but cannot confirm the exact failure point. Acoustic detection identifies the general zone. Thermal imaging confirms moisture presence. Tracer gas confirms the exact exit point to within centimetres. It is also the preferred first method for underfloor heating failures in dense screed, where the acoustic signal is suppressed and the thermal differential is too small to read clearly. If you are unsure which method applies to your situation, call us and describe what has already been found.

How is tracer gas different from the gas used in gas leak detection?

Tracer gas for water leak detection is a completely different process from gas leak detection. In water leak detection, the tracer gas is introduced into the water pipe to locate where water is escaping. The gas itself is inert. In gas leak detection, the gas that has escaped is the domestic natural gas supply, and the investigation involves locating where it is escaping from the gas pipework. The two services are unrelated. If you can smell gas in your property, see our Gas Leak Detection and Repair page.

Coverage

Complete London Coverage

Our plumbers in London operate across all Greater London boroughs and areas within the M25. We have engineers based throughout the city so response times are fast wherever you are.

East London

E, IG, RM postcodes

Barking & Dagenham, Hackney, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest

West London

W, UB, TW postcodes

Brent, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Richmond upon Thames

North London

N, NW, EN postcodes

Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey, Islington

South London

SE, SW postcodes

Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton, Wandsworth

Central London

WC, EC postcodes

City of London, Kensington & Chelsea, Westminster

South East England & Other

Home Counties / North London Fringe

AL, HP, SG, EN 

St Albans, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, (London North crossover)

Kent

DA, ME, TN, CT    

Dartford, Medway, Tonbridge, Canterbury

Surrey

GU, KT, RH 

Guildford, Kingston upon Thames, Redhill

Thames Valley

SL, RG, OX

Slough, Reading, Oxford

South Coast

BN, PO, SO

Brighton, Portsmouth, Southampton

Need to check if we cover your specific postcode?

Speak to our team who can confirm engineer availability. If you are in London (within the M25) or the home counties the short answer will likely be yes.
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From the 0800 Homefix blog

Tracer Gas Guides for Property Owners

Practical guides written by our engineers based on the investigations they carry out across London properties every week.

Top 10 Signs of a Hidden Water Leak in Your Home

The ten most common signs of a hidden water leak are an unexplained rise in your water bill, a sudden drop in water pressure, damp patches on walls or ceilings, peeling paint, a persistent musty smell, unexpected mould, the sound of running water when nothing is in use, warm floor spots, foundation cracks, and a water meter that keeps moving when all taps and appliances are off. Any one of these signs warrants urgent investigation by a professional plumber or leak detection specialist.

Read More
Can a Leaking Boiler Be Repaired_ Causes and Solutions Explained
What Equipment Do Plumbers Use to Detect Water Leaks Effectively?

Plumbers use a range of specialist equipment to detect water leaks accurately and non-invasively. The main tools include acoustic sensors and ground microphones to listen for escaping water, thermal imaging cameras to detect temperature anomalies caused by moisture, tracer gas to locate leaks in buried pipes, moisture meters to measure dampness levels, and pressure testing equipment to confirm pipe failure. Combining multiple methods ensures precise leak identification before any invasive repair work begins, minimising unnecessary damage to walls, floors, or ceilings.

Read More
How Much Does Trace and Access Cost?

Professional trace and access in the UK typically costs from around £150 for a straightforward domestic leak to £1,500 or more for complex or underground jobs that need specialist equipment, according to independent cost guides. If your buildings insurance includes trace and access cover, usually £5,000 to £10,000, the cost is often met by your insurer, subject to your excess. Always confirm your cover before any work begins.

Read More

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Get in Touch

Leak Location Narrowed But Not Confirmed?
Book a Tracer Gas Survey.

If other methods have told you roughly where the leak is but not exactly, or if you need an accurate failure point confirmed before insurance-approved access work begins, call 0800 Homefix now. Tracer gas investigations cover all London postcodes, 7 Days a Week, 365 Days a Year.

Gas Safe Registered | 1-Hour Emergency Response | No Call-Out Fee 

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