Leak Detection in Oban
Oban's naturally soft water from Scottish Water corrodes copper and lead fittings over decades, causing pinhole leaks that go unnoticed for months. Many Oban properties lose £1,000+ annually to silent leaks in walls and under floor slabs before detection. Acoustic and thermal imaging pinpoints these hidden water losses in PA34, PA35, PA36, and PA37 postcodes, preventing structural damage and bill shock.
Leak detection in Oban uses thermal imaging and acoustic sensors to find hidden water losses in walls and under concrete slabs. Oban's soft water supply from Scottish Water causes pinhole corrosion in copper and lead pipes, leading to £500–£2,000 annual loss if undetected. Thermal surveys in Oban PA34–PA37 cost £150–£300 and prevent structural damage and bill shock.
Drainage in Oban — what local engineers know
Scottish Water's supply to Oban is naturally soft, which reduces limescale but carries a slightly acidic pH that attacks copper joints and lead pipework. Victorian and Edwardian properties in Oban, especially those with original lead supply pipes, develop pinhole leaks as corrosion accelerates. Argyll and Bute's humid coastal climate exacerbates the problem: water condenses in cold pipes, accelerating internal corrosion. Oban's older properties often have pipes embedded in concrete slab floors, making leaks invisible until structural damage occurs. Thermal imaging and acoustic detection are the only non-invasive methods to locate leaks in Oban's dense Victorian stock without excavation.
- Soft water supply reduces limescale, but slightly acidic pH can accelerate corrosion of copper fittings and lead joints in older Oban properties
- Combined sewerage infrastructure — common in older parts of Oban — means foul and surface water share the same pipe, increasing surcharge risk during heavy rainfall
- Moderate flood risk in parts of Oban — drainage systems near low-lying areas can surcharge after prolonged rain, and sump pump maintenance is advisable
- With 28% of properties built before 1920, salt-glazed clay drainage and lead-solder copper pipework are common — pipe collapse, root ingress and joint failure are recurring call-out drivers.
What happens when you call us in Oban
- 1 Immediate dispatch. We find the nearest available engineer covering PA34/PA35 and confirm the ETA before the call ends.
- 2 On-site diagnosis — no guessing. The engineer inspects using professional-grade equipment including CCTV where needed and quotes a fixed price before work starts.
- 3 Job complete, report issued. You receive a written completion report. All work is guaranteed — same fault returns within the guarantee period, we come back free.
Who's responsible for drains in Oban?
In Oban, responsibility for a blocked or damaged drain depends on where the fault sits. As a homeowner you are responsible for the drains within your property boundary that serve only your home. Since the 2011 private sewer transfer, Scottish Water is responsible for shared sewers and lateral drains beyond your boundary — even where they run under private land. Road gullies and highway drainage are maintained by Argyll and Bute.
This matters because it determines who pays. If our engineer's CCTV inspection shows the fault is in a shared sewer, we'll tell you — and you can report it to Scottish Water rather than paying for the repair yourself. The combined sewer layout that dominates Oban affects where these boundaries typically fall, and our local engineers know the PA34, PA35, PA36 networks well enough to identify ownership quickly.
Leak Detection prices in Oban
Every Oban job is quoted as a fixed price before work starts — what we quote is what you pay, with no call-out fee for providing the quote. The final price depends on access (an external inspection chamber is quicker than internal-only access), the pipe material and condition , and how established the blockage or fault is. Request your free quote and we'll confirm the price and your engineer's ETA in the callback.