Gas, water and slab leaks. Open 24/7
Leak detection in Louisville
Smell gas? Water bill up? A wet spot in the yard? Parker Plumbing finds gas leaks, water leaks and slab leaks. Call us at (502) 239-1163. We find the leak, tell you what we found and give you a price before we fix it. If the line is underground, the same crew does the digging.
Gas leaks
The first sign of a gas leak is usually the smell. Gas smells like rotten eggs.
Strong smell? Leave the building first. Do not switch anything on or off. From outside, call 911 and LG&E at (502) 589-1444. When the area is safe, call us.
To find the leak, we put pressure on the gas line and spray the pipe. Then we repair what we find. See gas line repair.
Water leaks and slab leaks
A high water bill is often the first sign of a water leak. Water in gravel or soil drains away, so a buried leak may not leave a wet spot you can see.
We use a listening device that amplifies sound in the ground. It helps us find the spot before we dig. Not every leak is easy to find, and we tell you honestly what we learn.
We also find leaks in the pipes under a concrete slab.
A typical visit takes about an hour to find the leak.
Check for a leak yourself
Not sure you have a leak? These checks need no tools. If any of them points to a leak, call.
-
Look at the water bill
A water bill that jumps with no change in how you use water is a sign. So is water pressure that dropped and stayed low. Either one can mean water is going somewhere it should not.
-
Walk the yard
Look for a wet or soft spot that does not dry, even when it has not rained. The water line from the meter to the house runs under the yard. A leak in that line can show up here.
-
Check the usual fixtures
Louisville Water says leaks can come from toilets, faucets, showerheads and irrigation systems. Look at each one. A running toilet or a dripping faucet is a leak too, and it still shows up on the bill.
-
Turn everything off and listen
Turn off every faucet and appliance in the house. Then listen. The sound of running water with everything off points to a leak. A pipe that keeps leaking at new spots is another sign the line itself is failing.
-
Find your main water valve
It is usually where the water line enters the house: a basement wall, the crawlspace, a utility closet or near the water heater. If water is spraying and you can reach the valve safely, turn it off. Then call.
-
Call us
Tell us what you found: the wet spot, the sound, the bill. Call (502) 239-1163, day or night.
Where leaks hide
Most leaks are not out in the open. They sit where nobody looks.
- The yard service line. This is the pipe between the meter and the house. Watch for a soggy spot, low pressure or a high bill.
- Under the house. Pipes in the crawlspace get the least heat and the least attention. A leak there can go unnoticed.
- Under the slab. Pipes under a concrete floor cannot be seen. A high bill with no wet spot can point here.
- Inside the house. Supply lines, fittings and valves leak at joints and connections. Look under sinks, behind the toilet and at the washer hookup.
- The water heater. Water on the floor around the tank can come from a fitting, a valve or the tank itself. If the tank is leaking and you can reach it safely, turn off the cold water valve on top of the tank, then call.
Once we find the leak, we explain what we found and price the repair before we start. If it is under the yard, we dig. If it is inside, we repair the line, the fitting or the valve. If a pipe keeps leaking at new spots, we talk with you about re-piping or replacing the line.
Your line, from the meter to the house
Louisville Water owns the meter and the short pipe just past it. The property owner owns the private service line from there to the house, under Louisville Water's 2026 service rules (section 1.05.1). A leak on that private line is the property owner's repair. Renting? Tell your landlord.
If you think the meter itself is the problem, call Louisville Water at (502) 583-6610.
Before any digging, we request utility marks through Kentucky 811 as part of the job. Kentucky 811 asks for at least two full working days before digging, so planned yard work starts after that. Private lines past the meter are often not marked, so we dig carefully around them. We own our excavator, so one crew does the digging and the repair.
For the full picture of yard line work, see water lines and excavation.
Leak work we handle
Gas leak detection
Pressure on the line and a spray to find the leak, then the repair. See gas line repair.
Slab leaks
Finding a leak in the pipes under a concrete slab.
Leak repair inside the house
Leaking supply lines, fittings and valves.
Yard water line repair
Finding the leak in the line between the meter and the house and fixing it, including the digging.
Water line replacement
A new line from the meter to the house when the old one keeps failing. See water lines and excavation.
Re-piping
Replacing pipes inside the house that leak at new spots again and again.
Excavation
Digging to reach a buried water line, with the repair done by the same crew.
24-hour service
Water spraying at night? Call any time. See 24-hour emergency plumbing.
Common questions
Still not sure? Call and ask. You talk to the people who do the work.
Call (502) 239-1163Who pays for the line from the meter to the house?
Louisville Water owns the meter. The property owner owns the private line from the meter to the house, so that repair is the owner's.
Is a high water bill a sign of a leak?
It can be. Check the toilets, faucets, showerheads and irrigation first, since Louisville Water says leaks can start there. If those look fine, call us.
How long does it take to find a leak?
A typical visit takes about an hour to find the leak. Some leaks take longer. We tell you what we find as we go.
I smell gas. What do I do?
If the smell is strong, leave the building first. Do not switch anything on or off. From outside, call 911 and LG&E at (502) 589-1444. When the area is safe, call us.
Do you have to dig up the yard?
Not always. It depends on the line, its depth and what is in the way. Sometimes digging is the only way to reach it. We explain the plan before we start.
What do I do if water is spraying?
Keep away from water near outlets, cords or the electric panel. If you can reach the main water valve safely, turn it off. It is usually where the water line enters the house. Then call (502) 239-1163, day or night.