When it comes to owning a home there is one unfortunate truth, no plumbing system is perfect. That is why proper maintenance such as frequent drain cleaning & annual plumbing inspections are so vital. Scheduling these services can go a long way in ensuring that your home never suffers from catastrophic plumbing emergencies. Or at the very least, they will give a qualified plumbers an opportunity to catch issues fast, before they turn into larger, costlier issues. Slab leaks are a great example of such an issue.
You might be asking yourself, what exactly makes slab leaks such a formidable and dangerous issue in the world of plumbing issues? After all, plumbing leaks, it’s what it does. Faucets drip, toilets run, and the occasional pipe will leak at the joint or due to errosion. So what’s all the fuss about?
While it holds true that any plumbing leak is one that should be given immediate attention and care, slab leaks cannot wait. This is because slab leaks refer to a leak in pipe that is located under the slab foundation of a home. The mere location of the leak makes it a both dangerous and urgent issue.
Finding Slab Leaks
When a water line that is buried under 8+ inches of concrete develops a leak it can cause damage to your home in more ways than one. First off, the water can collect, gather, and pool until it eventually finds it’s way back inside your home! Typically by way of one or multiple small cracks that occur naturally in your home’s foundation over time. As your home’s foundation settles, the nonmalleable cement slab can crack as the earth beneath it shifts or erodes away. These cracks serve as the perfect opening water in the right amount.
So how do you know if you have a leak in a pipe that is buried beneath your home? It’s not like you can see it with your naked eye. It is not as simple as suspecting a leak under a cabinet and opening the cabinet door to check. You can’t exactly go jackhammering through the various rooms in your home at every suspicion of a leak. So how exactly can you tell if your home has fallen victim to a slab leak?
As a general rule of thumb, it is always a good idea to keep an eye on your water bill. Specifically looking for inexplicably spiked usage. If you and your family are not using more water than is usual given the season, but your water bill cost keeps going up, there is a high chance that you have a plumbing leak. And if you have not noticed any visible signs of water around the inside or exterior of your home, it might be a leak under the slab. Some other common signs of a slab leak include the sound of running water even when all faucets are turned off. Warping flooring, wet spots on carpets or other floors, and even warm to the touch spots on the floor can all be signs that a plumbing leak is hiding underneath your slab.
Repairing Slab Leaks
While the first great challenge of dealing with a slab leak is first discovering and confirming it’s presence, you are not out of the woods simply because you’ve identified the issue. Now you need the help of a skilled plumbing professional who has the experience, tools, and expertise to perform slab leak repair service. Accessing the leaking pipe, repairing or rerouting the line, and putting your home’s flooring or wall back together again are all very complex tasks.
Looking around for the right plumbing contractor in Mesquite to perform your slab leak repair could prove to save you thousands of dollars and hours of time dealing with unskilled laborers who really have no business doing plumbing at all. That is where the team here at Metroplex Leak & Line Locators comes in, after all “leak” is in our name. It’s what we do. We have been Mesquite’s leading leak detection & repair company for over 25 years. We are the company the other plumbers call in when they can’t locate hard to find plumbing leaks.
Give us a call today if you are in need of a skilled plumbing team to locate a slab leak at your home. We have the tools, training, experience, and expertise to find it & fix it quickly & affordably!
