Leak detection in Varna — find the hidden leak with a thermal camera, without breaking walls

Signs of a hidden leak

Water from a hidden leak travels along pipes, slabs and screed before it shows. That's why the wet patch is often a metre or more from the actual leak, and why guessing — and breaking tiles to check — gets expensive.

• A wet or brown patch on the ceiling — usually from the flat above, sometimes from the roof or a terrace.
• A water bill that jumped without any change in how you use water.
• The water meter turns with every tap closed. Check the small star or dial on the meter.
• The sound of running water when nothing is on.
• Swollen laminate or parquet, loose tiles or grout that never dries.
• Bubbling paint, crumbling plaster or a musty smell low on a wall or behind the bath.
• The water heater pressure drops, or the heating system keeps needing topping up.

If it's only wet after a shower or a wash and the meter stands still, it may be a drain rather than a supply pipe — see blocked drains. If the damp is in corners and on cold outside walls, it may be condensation — see mould and damp.

How we find the leak: thermal camera, acoustic detector, moisture meter

Thermal camera. Wet materials are colder than dry ones. The thermal camera shows the temperature of a wall, floor or ceiling as an image, and the damp zone appears as a cold patch. It's the best tool for leaks behind tiles, in floors, from the flat above and in underfloor heating.

Acoustic detector. A sensitive microphone picks up the sound of water escaping from a pipe under pressure, even through concrete and screed. It's used for supply pipes and heating pipes, where water flows all the time.

Moisture meter. Measures how wet plaster, concrete, plasterboard or wood actually is. It confirms what the thermal camera shows and maps how far the water has spread — which matters for drying and for your insurer.

On a difficult leak we combine all three. The thermal camera narrows down the area, the acoustic detector pinpoints the leak on a pressurised pipe and the moisture meter shows how far the damage goes. We mark the spot on the wall or floor, so that only that section is opened.

How a leak detection visit works

1. You describe the problem. By phone, email or the form: where it's wet, since when, whether it gets worse after using the bathroom upstairs, and what kind of building it is. That tells us which equipment to bring.
2. We look first. We walk through the affected rooms and check walls, floors, ceilings and visible pipework for stains, swelling and damp.
3. Thermal scan and measurements. Thermal camera on the suspect surfaces, acoustic detector on pressurised pipes, moisture readings to confirm.
4. We mark the leak. The point is marked on the wall or floor, and you see the thermal images on the spot.
5. Report and next step. You get the findings with thermal images and readings. If you want the leak fixed, we give you the price for the repair — done only where the leak is — before anything is opened.

A standard thermal scan of a flat takes around 30–60 minutes; combined diagnostics can take up to an hour and a half. If we then repair the leak, the cost of the diagnostics is deducted from the repair price.

Water coming from the flat above — or going to the flat below

This is one of the most common leaks in Varna's blocks of flats: a wet patch on your ceiling, a neighbour upstairs who says everything is fine, or a neighbour downstairs who says the water is yours. A thermal scan from both sides shows where the water is coming from without breaking anything in either flat.

If you live abroad, this is usually how you find out: a message from the neighbour below or the building manager. Send us their contact details — we arrange access, find the source and send you the findings and thermal images by email, so you can decide on the repair and talk to your insurer from wherever you are.

A written report for your insurer, neighbour or building manager

After the visit you can have a written report: which areas are wet and how far the water has spread, moisture readings by point, thermal images and photos, where the water comes from if we established it, and whether it is still leaking. It's what insurers, neighbours and building managers usually ask for.

• The report is sent by email, with an invoice if you need one.
• An extended report for an insurer or the owners' association is +€10–15 on top of the diagnostics.
• It is a private technical report from our inspection. It isn't an expert-witness report for court and it doesn't put a value on the damage — that's the loss adjuster's job.
• If your insurer is outside Bulgaria and needs the report in English, tell us when you book and we'll confirm what we can provide.

Leak detection prices in Varna (EUR)

The final price depends on the size of the property and how complicated the case is; we confirm it before we start. All prices are on one page in EUR.

If you're not in Bulgaria right now

Leaks in flats that stand empty are often found late — by a neighbour, a cleaner or at the start of the season. Here's how we handle it when you're abroad:

1. Email info@kanalvarna.com or use the form: the address, what's been noticed and who can let us in.
2. If water is still running, the person on site should close the main stopcock of the flat (usually by the water meter) — we can talk them through it.
3. We agree the visit with your building manager, neighbour, letting agent or cleaner.
4. You receive the findings, thermal images and the price for any repair by email, and decide.
5. Pay by bank transfer after the job; invoice on request.

Underfloor heating, roofs, terraces and pipes in the yard

Underfloor heating pipes sit in the screed, so a leak can spread for a long time before anything shows. The thermal camera traces the whole circuit and finds the point where it leaks. Roofs and terraces leak after rain rather than all the time; tell us when the patch appears and we plan the scan accordingly. At houses, a leak can be in the supply pipe under the garden or yard — the water meter turning with everything closed is the clue, and the acoustic detector finds the spot.

Once the leak is fixed, walls and floors still have to dry. We measure when they're dry enough to repaint and can hire out dehumidifiers — see mould and damp.