The Complete Guide to Slab Leak Detection and Repair

Every house is characteristically built upon a slab, which is the concrete foundation under the structure. Its purpose is to make the building sturdy and stabilized, so that it doesn’t sink into the ground. Underneath the slab, you have the sewer system and plumbing structures. The rupture of one of the pipes down there is what causes a ‘slab leak’.

As these pipes transfer water to your home, any crack or damage to these can translate into grave consequences. A slab leak that appears under the foundation of your home is a major issue that needs to be addressed.

This begs the question- how to detect a water leak under concrete and how dangerous it can be? Let us discuss these issues here.

The Symptoms to Watch Out For

• The sound of flowing water is audible but when you can hear it even when the water supply is turned off, it marks a strong possibility of a leak under your home.
• Water bills reveal a lot. For example, if you are running up a really considerable water bill every time, this is a sign that there could be a leak in the underground pipes beneath your home.
• The leakage of warm water from a pipe under your slab may cause hotspots or puddles. Keep an eye out for these to take preemptive actions before any major harm is caused.
• Mold thrives on moisture. If you see a lot of mold formation on the floor or walls, a leak is one of the possibilities.

The Associated Dangers

Health Hazards

Slab leaks are subject to appearing above the concrete, if not detected in time. This causes carpets and walls to guzzle unnecessary moisture, causing mold formation. For respiratory conditions such as asthma, molds are extremely hazardous and will deteriorate health conditions. Children and elderly people are particularly susceptible to this.

Structural Damages

The foundation of your house may shift overtime due to a number of factors such as earthquakes. These can and will eventually damage the pipes underneath that may not be visible instantly. Unmonitored leaks weaken the integrity of buildings making the situation far more dangerous for the inhabitants. Additionally, other structures like pools, walkways, etc., are all vulnerable to slab leaks.

The Financial Effect

You may think you have everything covered via insurance. But you must also acknowledge the fact that every slab leak may not be taken care of by it. If the insurance company comes across molds in your home, they would understand that you were ignorant to have allowed the damages to occur. Now that you consider the terrible results of neglecting a slab leak, it is prudent to get in touch with a professional concrete slab leak repair service immediately.

How to Repair

Keeping the above factors in mind, it is natural to consider certain slab leak repair options. The first thing that comes to mind is that your entire floor may have to be removed and you’d have to move out for a while. However, highly trained professional plumbers only make a small gap to be able to fix a leak. In advanced cases, an in-pipe coating may be utilized without the involvement of any invasive measure.

Experience is a desirable trait for a plumber here because they will only work on an area after determining the location of the slab leak. The slab leak repair process requires real expertise of a seasoned professional. This needs the presence of specialized tools and the training to use them. Two of the equipment utilized for this purpose are the electromagnetic pipeline locators and electronic amplification device.

RAM Plumbing provides a 24/7 emergency plumbing service with 100% all round satisfaction! Call us today at (520) 747-8089 to learn more about our services.