Leak detection guide
Escape of water vs flood, and why the difference matters.
Escape of water and flood both leave a building wet, but insurers treat them as separate risks with separate cover. This guide explains the difference, why it changes how a claim is handled, and what monitoring affects.
Live monitoring. Automatic shut-off.
38Sensors OK
2Caution
1Isolated
Live zones
Plant room – moistureDryOK
Riser 3 – flow14.8 L/minIsolated
Roof tank – temp4.2°CFreeze risk
Incoming main – flowNormalOK
They are easy to confuse.Both leave a building wet, but a common mistake is treating them as one risk, when insurers cover and price escape of water and flood separately.
The cause decides the cover.Whether the water came from inside the plumbing or from outside the building determines which section of a policy responds and on what terms.
Flood cover can be conditional.In at-risk areas flood cover may carry higher excesses or location-based pricing, while escape of water is more commonly included as standard.
Monitoring only touches one side.Leak monitoring and automatic shut-off manage the escape-of-water risk you own, but they do not change flood exposure, which needs different defences.
The AQUAIOT SolutionRequest a Consultation
Two kinds of water, two kinds of cover
The simplest way to tell them apart is direction. Escape of water comes from inside the building, water leaking from its own pipes, tanks, appliances or fittings. Flood comes from outside, water entering from a river that has overtopped its banks, surface water after heavy rain, or the sea. That difference is not academic. Escape of water is the most frequent and, by total value, the costliest property claim, and it is usually covered as standard. Flood cover can carry separate terms, higher excesses or location-based pricing in at-risk areas, and some policies handle the two under different sections entirely. The cause also points to different prevention. You can monitor and shut off your own plumbing to manage escape of water, but you cannot turn off a river, flood risk is managed with barriers, drainage and siting. AQUAIOT addresses the side you control, sensing moisture and abnormal flow inside the building and isolating the supply automatically, with a timestamped record for the escape-of-water claims insurers see most.
Direction tells them apart. Escape of water leaks from the buildings own plumbing inside, while flood is water entering from outside, a river, surface water or the sea.
Cover and pricing differ. Escape of water is usually covered as standard, while flood can carry separate terms, higher excesses or location-based pricing in at-risk areas.
Only one side is yours to control. You can monitor and shut off your own pipes against escape of water, but flood is managed with barriers, drainage and siting rather than a valve.
Live leak status
Auto-isolation valve closed – Riser 3
Abnormal flow detected 03:14. Supply isolated, team notified.
Abnormal flow detected 03:14. Supply isolated, team notified.
How It Works
Three steps from first drop to evidence
Step 01
Detect
AQUAIOT moisture, flow and freeze sensors are deployed at the points water escapes. Every reading is timestamped and logged to the cloud over secure cellular or LoRaWAN telemetry.
Step 02
Alert and isolate
When moisture is sensed or flow goes abnormal, AQUAIOT raises an immediate alert by SMS, email and app, and closes the auto-isolation valve so water is stopped before damage spreads.
Step 03
Record
Every reading, alert and isolation event is captured in exportable, timestamped logs that integrate with CAFM and BMS, so evidence for insurers is ready on demand.
Capabilities
Everything a leak detection programme needs
Purpose-built for estates, facilities and risk teams protecting buildings against escape of water across single or multiple sites.
Moisture sensing at the risk points
Point, rope and tray sensors detect water at first contact under appliances, in plant rooms, risers and tank rooms, before it spreads.
Inline flow analytics
Continuous flow monitoring on the incoming main learns normal use and flags the slow weep or continuous draw a manual check never sees.
Freeze protection
Temperature monitoring on exposed and loft pipework warns before a freeze leads to a burst, so action can be taken in time.
Automatic shut-off
Auto-isolation valves close the supply the moment a moisture or abnormal-flow threshold is crossed, with manual remote override for the duty holder.
Multi-channel alerts with escalation
SMS, email and app alerts with role-based routing, so the right person responds day or night, on a single site or across a portfolio.
Open integration, no lock-in
Connects to BMS, CAFM and SCADA via RS485/Modbus or REST API, with audit-ready exportable records for insurers and owners.
Evidence & Assurance
Evidence your insurers and auditors expect.
Moisture and flow sensing Insurer-recognised auto shut-off Role-based escalation Audit-ready event logs
Book a Demo
No commitment. Talk to our engineering team.
Questions & Answers
Common questions
What is the difference between escape of water and flood?
Escape of water comes from inside the building, leaking from its own pipes and fittings, while flood is water entering from outside, such as a river, surface water or the sea.
Are they covered the same way?
Usually not. Escape of water is commonly covered as standard, while flood can carry separate terms, higher excesses or location-based pricing depending on the area.
Why does the difference matter for a claim?
The cause decides which section of a policy responds and on what terms, so whether the water came from inside the plumbing or outside the building changes the claim.
Can monitoring help with both?
Monitoring and automatic shut-off manage the escape-of-water risk you own, but they do not reduce flood exposure, which is handled with barriers, drainage and siting.
Which one is the more common claim?
Escape of water is the more frequent and, by total value, the costliest UK property claim, which is why insurers look closely at how it is monitored.
Explore the AQUAIOT range
Related leak detection pages
Ready when you are
Manage the water you control. Talk to an engineer.
Tell us about the buildings you protect and your internal risk points, and we will explain how monitoring and shut-off manage the escape-of-water side of the risk.
Escape of water vs flood – Speak to an AQUAIOT engineer about your buildings.
Speak to an Expert