Sherlock Leak Detectives vs Twin Home Experts (Fact Check)

Not all leak detection companies are created equal. In this post, we walk through the differences between Twin Home Experts & Sherlock Leak Detection. The post Sherlock Leak Detectives vs Twin Home Experts appeared first on Twin Home Experts.

When it comes to leaks, we have seen our fair share over 30 years here in the Los Angeles area.

We also have seen our fair share of leak detection companies come and go in the business. Some are great & others are not so great, so today we’re going to answer a question we get all the time in our leak detection call center.

“Twins, what is the difference between you and Sherlock Leak Detectives?”

In addition, we’re going to answer some other questions that our customers ask with respect to underground leaks, here in Los Angeles.

Sherlock Leak Detectives

PROS

We not only get many calls for leak detection , but we get many calls to do the repairs after a leak detection company has been out that marked the area prior to our arrival.

One of the most frustrating things, for both the plumbers and the property owners, is to open a floor or wall that was marked and the leak not be there. Sherlock Leak Detectives is by far one of the most accurate underground water leak finders we have come across or hot & cold water lines.

Here are our top 10 list of advantages:
1 – Ron the owner is very involved in operations, creating a 5 star service for leak detection.
2 – He understands insurance coverages
3 – He has state of the art leak detection equipment and continues staying on the cutting Edge
4 – Takes care of his employees and puts great effort into making sure they’re happy and most of the client.
5 – Shows up on time and stays in communication with customers
6 – 5 star reviews on yelp and yelp features him as the top leak detector
7 – Prices are fair
8 – just focuses on leaks, nothing else.
9 – Does not make any assumptions, they take their time & verify. If there is a mistake, Sherlock makes it right.
10 – Operates on the weekends & answers phones
11 – They perform leak detection for both residential & commercial
12 – Plumbing companies use Sherlock all the time to locate leaks for them.

CONS
1- They don’t do any repairs or water clean up
2- They don’t perform other Los Angeles leak detection services such as rain leak detection, water intrusion, gas leak detection, roof leak detection, patio leak detection, Crawl space leak detection, sewer drain leaks.
3- Their not plumbers or perform any restoration services
4- They do not detect PVC pipe leaks or outside under ground water mains that are long distances.

Twin Home Experts, Leak Detection Team

PROS

1 – We have been in business 20 years longer than Sherlock Leak Detectives
2- We have a plumbing license
3- We perform all water damage & clean up
4- We perform every leak detection possible on a property, not just slab leaks.
5- We have more certifications
6- We have more leak detection methods & equipment
7-We bill the insurances directly from Leak detection to reconstruction
8- We detect the leak & repair the leak
9- We are mold certified, when we detect a leak & there’s mold, we mitigate.
10- We are foam shield certified, when we open a wall or floor it prevents dust & fibers to Cross contaminate into your home.
11- We have a 100 % guarantee on leak detection or your money back
12- We have a live person answering the phones 24/7 365 days
13- We are fully licensed, bonded & insured
14- We have the fastest growing YouTube channel, educating the public on leak detection, helping you save money & creating awareness so you don’t get scammed.
15- Twins David & jimmy take pride in every customer that uses our company.
16- We credit the leak detection, if the client goes with us on the repairs.

CONS
1- We have 4 stars on yelp (Sherlock has 5 stars)
2- We do not carry the Air for slab leak detection, just the tracing, listening & acoustic (Sherlock does)
3- We are $50.00 more for slab leaks than Sherlock

What are the steps of finding an underground water leak?
1- The first thing is to arrive and perform a walk through of the house water fixtures. (Bathrooms, kitchen, water heater, laundry room etc)
2- Check the shutoff valves to water heater, main line, irrigation & verify if they work.
3- Shut each one of them
Off & do a meter check to determine if it’s on the hot system or cold system
4- Attach tracing device onto the water system and trace the underground pipes, by taping the floors providing a map.
5- Now that we have a understanding of how the system is ran underground & where the connections are in the wall ( manifolds) we then use the listening devices to pin point where the leak is. If the leak cannot be heard, then …..
6- introduce air into the lines to create a louder noise.
7- Once leak is detected, we then help our customers determine if I direct slab leak repair or re route is of the most beneficial.

How much does a Los Angeles slab leak detection cost?
The cost will range from $250.00 to $375.00
Sherlock Leak Detectives charges $295.00
There are some companies that charge a flat fee then an hourly if it goes beyond the hour, we don’t recommend this for a residential application, only if it’s an outside leak and the property is large with a lot of footage of piping.

What are some of the signs of an underground leak?
1- Stains on floors or baseboards
2- Carpet damp/ wet
3- Water bill increases
4- Musty wet odors
5- Mold growth on lower portions of wall
6- Water running noises like hissing in the walls
7- Water coming through to walls to the outside
8- Gas bill higher

How long does an underground leak detection take?
Typically underground leak detection can take 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hour. The time depends on the leaks location, how big or small the leak is.

Can’t you just use infrared device to detect the leak?
Infrared can be of some value to a certain point, infrared can only determine the moisture migration, once the water has migrated, then it’s very difficult to pinpoint the exact origin.

Will my insurance cover leak detection?
When it comes to insurance covering leak detection, you have to ask your self a few questions first.
1- Is there damages to your property resulting from leak?

2- How much is your deductible? If there is no damages, and your deductible is $500.00 it’s not in your best interest to file a claim. (If there is damages, then you would need to figure out the costs to repair/ replace associated with the damages & make decision from there.) it will be covered if the claim is warranted.

Does the insurance cover the cost of plumbing repairs after you detected the leak?
No, most often they do not cover the actual plumbing repair. But most often, they will cover getting to the pipe, and all the repairs associated with that. For example: opening the marble floor, concrete patching etc they do cover most of the time.

I think I see mold from the leak, can you guys take care of that?
Absolutely, Here at the Twin Home Experts, we pride ourselves on providing full service from finding the leak, repairing the leak and fixing all the damages from the leak.

How much does an underground pipe repair cost here in Los Angeles?
This is a tough question to answer, as all leaks are not created equal. The location of the leak makes a huge difference.
Underground slab leaks can cost as high as $4,800.00 to a low of $950.00

What causes slab leaks?

As copper plumbing becomes old, pinhole leaks become increasingly common. The primary cause for this, however, is not merely aging of the pipes, as we shall see. Unfortunately, pinhole leaks in copper pipes typically occur in places where they are not observed until there has been significant water damage and mold infection. Plumbers have varying explanations for these leaks, but several causes are widely recognized within the industry. The three most common of these are chloramines in the Los Angeles municipal water systems, particles of corrosion from aging water heaters, this is why Twin Home experts are big believers in conditioning the water, particularly the hot water system.

Conclusion :
If your looking for just a slab leak detection company to only find the leak, then to be honest, Sherlock might be the best fit. But, If your’e looking for a company to inspect, detect, & repair the leak, then a company like Twin Home Experts might be a better company, as it’s a one stop shop.

Call the Twins today, we’re here to help.