Complete Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Tank Leaks
A leak in the ground or elevated tank is one of the most common causes of water waste in Saudi homes, and is often the real reason behind an unexplained spike in the water bill. This guide covers everything you need to know: how to detect the leak yourself, how the electronic inspection is done, and what repair options are available depending on the tank type and extent of damage.
How do you know your tank is leaking?
The first and clearest sign is the water level dropping unexplainably fast despite no increase in daily consumption. If the tank is elevated, damp spots or clear wetness usually appear on the ceiling or wall directly beneath its location, especially after the pump runs. The ground tank's signs are more subtle: a slight sinking in the paving around it, or the pump running repeatedly for no clear consumption reason — meaning it's continuously working to compensate for an amount leaking from the tank itself.
An important distinction here: a leak in the tank itself occurs inside its wall or base, while a leak in the connected piping (the pipes running out to the pump or the network) is a completely different, cheaper-to-repair problem. Electronic inspection precisely distinguishes between the two cases before any actual intervention, which saves you the cost of mistakenly opening up a sound tank.
How is the electronic tank inspection done?
The preliminary inspection doesn't require fully draining the tank in most cases. We use internal inspection cameras and acoustic sensing equipment that pinpoint the crack's location by picking up the sound of leaking water vibrating under pressure, or through direct visual inspection inside the tank. Full draining only becomes necessary at the actual repair stage, when the technician needs direct access to the crack point to apply the waterproofing material.
As for the sensitive connection between the ground tank and the pump — an area prone to leaks due to continuous vibration during operation — we inspect it specifically with acoustic sensing, even if it's buried or covered by paving.
Types of tank leaks and how they're repaired
- Fine concrete cracks: appear over time from soil movement or aging waterproofing material, and are treated by sealing the crack with drinking-water-certified epoxy.
- Damage in fiberglass tanks: repairable using specialized welding and sealing materials, provided the damage is localized and not general deterioration across the tank's structure.
- A damaged float valve: doesn't cause a direct leak but makes the pump run continuously to compensate for excess water, raising consumption with no real benefit and stressing the whole network.
Patching or a complete re-waterproofing?
If the crack is at one limited point, local patching is sufficient and more economical. But if the cracks are spread across more than one spot, or the old interior waterproofing has exceeded its natural service life, patching is only a temporary solution and the problem will soon recur at another point. In this case, fully re-waterproofing the tank from the inside ensures long-term protection and saves you from repeating small repairs every few months.
Are shared tanks in residential buildings affected too?
Yes, and this case deserves special attention. If the tank is shared by all the building's residents, its leak means water waste at everyone's expense, and possibly an unexplained rise in the shared bill, even if no direct trace appears inside your specific apartment. Periodic inspection of the shared tank helps prevent this kind of dispute between residents before it escalates.
Does a tank leak affect the cleanliness of drinking water?
Yes, especially if the crack lets water or dirt from the surrounding soil into the ground tank, or if the old interior waterproofing has degraded over time. That's why we exclusively use certified, drinking-water-safe epoxy materials when repairing any ground tank, and fully clean the tank (removing sediment and algae) before refilling it.
Expected time frame
The electronic inspection alone usually takes 30 to 60 minutes depending on the tank's size. The complete repair — draining, cleaning, sealing cracks, re-waterproofing, and a fill test — usually needs a full day for the waterproofing to properly dry before refilling the tank with water and using it safely.
If you notice any of the signs mentioned above, the logical next step is booking an electronic inspection to pinpoint the exact cause instead of guessing or waiting until the problem worsens.
How do you protect your tank from leaks in the future?
Periodic prevention is far cheaper than repeated repair. Check the water level in the tank from time to time without waiting for a clear sign, and inspect the float valve and visible fittings periodically, since a damaged float valve stresses the whole network with unnecessary continuous pump operation. Don't ignore any unexplained drop no matter how slight — most of the major leak cases we deal with started as a very small crack that went unnoticed at the time.
For tanks whose interior waterproofing hasn't been inspected in several years, we recommend a preventive inspection every one to two years even if no obvious leak sign has appeared, because some internal cracks don't show an external trace until they've already worsened.
Why is electronic inspection better than the traditional method?
The traditional way of locating a tank leak usually relies on guesswork or breaking up parts of the surrounding paving in a random search for the source — which may or may not reveal the problem, with the added cost of unnecessarily restoring the broken parts. Electronic inspection, by contrast, pinpoints the location to within a centimeter before any actual intervention, confining any breaking or digging (if needed) to just one small point.
Quick questions about tank leaks
Can a tank leak be detected without fully draining it?
Yes, the preliminary inspection with the camera and sensing equipment doesn't require full draining; draining only becomes necessary at the actual repair stage.
Does the warranty cover the same leak recurring?
Yes, if the same leak appears at the same repair point during the warranty period, it's handled at no extra cost.
How much does repairing a tank leak cost?
It varies by the extent of the damage, the tank type, and the waterproofing area needed, and the price is clearly presented after the actual inspection and before any work begins.