Slab leaks are more common than you think. Anyone with a concrete foundation needs to remember this. The water pipes sitting beneath your foundation can be leaking right this minute and you’d have no idea. None of us do.
That’s what makes slab leaks so problematic. There’s all this activity going on several feet beneath your floor. If a pipe underneath your kitchen sink is leaking, you’ll see or hear certain indicators. You’ll notice a wet floor when you go to the sink. Things you pull out from the cabinet spaces beneath your sink might be wet. You can often hear the drip from a leak.
But none of us can see underneath our houses, right?
While true, there are some visible (and audible) warning signs that many of us notice and brush off or ignore. Here are some telltale signs that your house has a slab leak.
Visible Cracks in Walls, Flooring & Foundation
Cracked floor tile is one obvious sign of a slab leak. Water from leaking pipes seeps into the ground. This increased moisture beneath your house can gradually shift its foundation. This shifting often shows itself as visible cracks in your flooring. If you have a concrete front porch, you may even see the actual cracks in the foundation.
Warping floorboards could also be a sign of a slab leak.
The Sound of Running Water
Listen the next time your house is completely quiet. If you hear the sound of running water and no faucet or toilet is running, you may have a slab leak.
Hot Spot on the Floor
If you’re walking barefoot and notice a change of temperature on the floor, it could possibly be a slab leak. For example, you may notice a warm, or even hot, spot on the floor. That could indicate there’s a hot water line leak beneath it.
Wet Carpeting
Excessive moisture or mildew underneath a carpet with no potential source may indicate your slab is cracked.
Inexplicably High Water Bill
Is your water bill creeping up and up but your usage hasn’t really increased? This could suggest a hidden leak beneath your home.
Recognizing the Problem Is Just Part of It
Realizing your home might have a slab leak is just part 1 of this ordeal. Slab leaks are incredibly difficult to pinpoint and access. They also take a lot of work to fix. Pulling up floor tile and boards or breaking into a concrete slab without knowing the leak’s exact location can prove to be costly. Especially if the slab leak ends up being a false alarm.
This is why it’s important that you don’t hire someone that just seems giddy to tear things up to search for a leak.
You need a professional for slab leak detection. Someone with the tools to identify exactly where the slab leak is. Modern equipment like electronic amplification equipment and electromagnetic pipeline connectors help pinpoint exactly where the slab leak is before there’s unnecessary property damage trying to locate it.
Once a leak has been located under the slab, your technician should explain your options to you. These slab leak repair options may include Spot Repair, Repiping or Rerouting, or Epoxy Pipe Coating.
