Learn what a slab leak is and how it can potentially affect your home.
Have you noticed a sudden spike in your water bill? Have you felt unexplained warm spots in your floors beneath your feet? Are you suspicious that there may be water running through your walls? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions, then it may be time for you to call in a plumber!
If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, then your home could be suffering from a potential slab leak. If left untreated, slab leaks could be potentially devastating. They usually occur in the pipes that are found underneath the foundation of your home. If the lines begin to leak water, it makes the soil around the pipes begin to expand and swell. If the leak is severe enough, it can actually cause your foundation to begin to bubble into a dome shape. The downside is that these leaks can often take months to discover, and by then, the damage can be almost irreparable.
This is why it is important for you to understand the signs you need to be looking for with a slab leak. An unusually high water bill is one of the most obvious signs to look for. Night time is a good time to listen for sounds of running water. If you can hear those sounds when all should be quiet, this is another good indicator of a potential leak. Likewise, hotspots on tile or carpet flooring are often caused by hot water lines that are leaking under the floor. When hot water is leaked into the surrounding soil, the heat is transferred through the concrete foundation, through the flooring, and up into your home.
Repairing a slab leak is a complicated process, involving using jackhammers to find the source of the leak. This is why this type of repair is best left to professional plumbers. Because existing flooring must be torn away to find the source of the leak, it an expensive repair to have made. However, if you think your home may be suffering from a slab leak, don’t panic! Slab leaks are actually fairly common, and having an experienced and professional plumber on your side can make all of the difference.
