Category: Leak Detection & Repair

Tips to Help You Look out for Slab Leaks

Many new and old construction homes have copper piping running under the foundation of their homes. The pipes are encased within the concrete pour foundation, also known as a slab. Because of this, when pipes leak, it’s referred to as a slab leak. Oftentimes these occur because of copper pipe corrosion, and they can be found anywhere under your home.

But as long as slab leaks are caught quickly, they can be fixed and the damage is reduced. The problem, however, is that many times slab leaks go on for months or even years undetected. If left long enough, slab leaks can cause significant damage including foundation collapse.

What Causes Slab Leaks?

There are numerous reasons for slab leaks. First, if your home was built by contractors who incorrectly installed your pipes, the pipes will get worn down quickly over time. Pipes that are bent, dented, or improperly aligned will eventually experience leaks. Copper pipes are especially at risk for corrosion if they are built near non-copper piping or put in place with non-copper materials such as iron hangers.

Shifting soil is another cause of leaking. When the soil erodes underneath your slab, it can put pressure on pipes, causing them to crack and fracture. Even pinhole leaks can cause significant damage over time.

Finally, if you have an older home, you are more at risk due to the age of your pipes. Pipe corrosion happens slowly over time and the older your home, the older your pipes, the more susceptible you are to pipes corroding and cracking.

Symptoms of an Underground Leak

While many slab leaks can go on undetected, because they’re essentially under your home, there are numerous indications to watch for when regularly inspecting your home. They include:

• The sound of running water when you aren’t using water.
• Your water meter records water usage, when no water is being actively used.
• Lower water pressure than normal that doesn’t recover.
• Moisture or mildew under your carpeting, tiles, or baseboards.
• Damp floors and mold problems.

Each of these is a significant issue, no matter the reason behind it. If you have a slab leak on your hands, however, the problems you experience will only get worse until you fix the leak.

Mold, mildew, and foundation damage can grow worse until entire sections of your home are unlivable and must be torn down and rebuilt.

How Plumbers Find Slab Leaks

If you suspect a slab leak, you won’t be able to find it on your own. You’ll need to call in plumbing professionals to run detection services and determine the location, size, and severity of your leak.

When plumbers come into your home to conduct leak detection services, they will use special leak detection equipment to determine where the leak is. There are several ways leak detection can be accomplished. If possible, a camera can be sent into your piping to find where the leak point is. Plumbers can also run a pressure test to determine if the leak is, indeed, somewhere in your slab.

Electronic listening devices are also used with great success to determine how much liquid is leaking and where the leak is situated. Thanks to modern technology, leak detection is fast and accurate. By using a service, you can get your leak fixed quickly before there is significant damage to the structure of your house.

Local, Expert Plumbers

JD Precision Plumbing Services provides renowned plumbing services in Spring, TX, for all plumbing repair, maintenance, and emergency needs. Always on time, they pride themselves in making their customers’ lives easier by providing upfront pricing and honest services.

 

Water leaks can cause a substantial amount of damage to your home’s structure and to your belongings, most of all, the dreaded slab leaks. Would you rather roll the dice and potentially have to deal with the expense and the headache of dealing with the damage from a leak, or would you rather avoid these problems altogether?

Obviously, it would be preferable if you could avoid these problems altogether. The good news is that you can keep most (if not all) of the damage caused by plumbing leaks out of your home by doing a little preventative maintenance. Here are some ideas on how to protect your Woodlands, TX home.

Avoid Corroded Pipes

One of the major threats to your plumbing’s integrity is corrosion. Unfortunately, when water high in certain minerals comes in contact with pipe materials, they rust, break and leak. You can do a great deal to slow this process.

Switch copper pipes to PVC, which is much more resistant to corrosion; install a water softener to keep your water’s PH balance level; don’t have your water temperature set too high.

When water is too hot it encourages pipe corrosion. Be sure to run water on a regular basis. When water stands, it could lead to corrosion too.

How to Detect Leaks

It’s smart to be proactive when trying to find leaks because that is your best bet to reducing the damage posed by leaks.

Look at all the visible pipes in your home, as well as floors, baseboards, and walls around appliances and plumbing fixtures for signs of moisture, pooling water, rust or mold growth.

These are all signs of leaks. Non-visible signs include rising water bills and low water pressure.

Water Pressure

If your water pressure runs too high, you are putting a lot of unnecessary pressure on your pipes, which will cause leaks.

Sure, you like to have a strong, hot shower before you head off to work, but is it really worth causing leaks?

Install a water pressure regulator to ensure that your pressure stays in the “safe zone”- from 45- 60 psi.

Drain Cleaner Danger

It can be problematic to choose commercial drain cleaners as your method of choice to remove clogs.

While it may work in a pinch, you are literally pouring acid that will eat through your pipes down your drain.

What’s more is that these cleaners might damage your counters and plumbing fixtures too. You are better off to call your plumber for help instead.

Even a pin-hole leak can cause damage. Don’t blow leaks off because you feel that they are too small.