Slab Leak is frustrating and painful for homeowners as it leads to heavy repair bills and structural damage to the building. If you detect the slab lead early, you can minimize the repair cost to an extent. How to Detect a Slab Leak is simple, if you know the sign and reason behind the lead.
It is a common issue faced by homeowners. Early detection of the problem is important as it reduces the cost and home from further damage. In this guide, we’ll discuss the signs and tips to detect at early stages.
How to Detect a Slab Leak at Early Stage
Slab Leaks are one of the issues that are difficult to understand and detect at early stages to minimize repair costs. There are no clear indications, still, homeowners can detect. One needs to focus on the signs that indicate the problem early. Signs such as water bills and pressure provide enough signals to understand that the plumbing system is wrong.
Before going into detail first we need to know about the problem. The reasons for the problem are many, anyone can trigger the problem in minutes.
What is a Slab Leak
It is a leakage of water from the pipes under the slab. You can not see these pipes and detecting leakage is a tough job for owners. It can happen in any type of building and cost a huge amount of money if not detected and repaired at its initial stage.
It is a common problem that homeowners face frequently in their life. The leakage can initiate moisture and other issues. It ultimately leads to structural damage if not tackled on time.
Tips To Identify Early Slab Leak Detection
Early detection of slab leaks is key to limiting damage costs. There are signs to indicate the problem and warn homeowners to take steps to avoid further structural damage. Following are the signs you need to focus on detecting the problem at its initial stage.
Water Bills
If your water bill increases without reason and you are using more water, this indicates something is wrong with your home’s water system. In such a situation you either need to check by yourself or call professionals such as USA Water Restoration to inspect the issue to tackle it properly.
Sound of Running Water
If you hear a continuous water running noise, you need to check from where the noise is coming. The first step is to turn off all the valves in the house so you can focus on the voice. In addition, if the water meter is running, it indicates that the running water noise is coming from the slab leak under the floor.
Low Water Pressure
Due to a slab leak, pipes under the property foundation are compromised. It creates an impact on the water flow of the building. If you feel low water pressure in all the fixtures, then it is an indication of leakage. It is also a sign for you to investigate the issue and stop it from spreading.
Foundation Moisture
When water seeping through foundation slab the moisture level of the floor increases. It is one the easiest indicators to detect slab leakage. If the moisture level is increased, it means the leakage has already done a lot of damage to the foundation. You do not have enough time after this and need to take immediate action to tackle the issue.
Cracks in Walls or Flooring
Cracks in Walls or Flooring happen due to the pressure created by water leakage from the surrounding environment. These cracks can be tiny lines or significant cracks. Cracks formation indicates that the leakage started to damage the structure of the building. To avoid further damage you need to take immediate steps.
Buckled Flooring
If there is a slab leak under the concrete, the pipes will continuously release water. As a result the moisture level under the flooring increases which creates a negative impact on the flooring. The flooring became uneven or buckled. As an owner, it is frustrating as it is affecting the plumbing system and flooring at the same time. You need to take immediate action to stop further damage.
Sinkholes in Yard
Sinkholes are also one of the indicators that something is not good under the soil. The water leakage saturates the soil which leads to sinkholes. It can ruin your garden if not tackled. The leakage continually drops water under the ground. If the owner does not pay serious attention to this matter, the garden can collapse due to these holes.
How Does a Plumber Find a Slab Leak?
There are different methods that professional plumbers use and perform tests with the latest and modern tools to find the leakage point and how much slab leak damaged the building. Following are the things that plumbers of professional firms perform:
Visual Slab Leak Inspection
The first step is the inspection is a visual inspection of the property to see the cracks, sinkholes, wall damage, and water pressure inspection. We can not see under the concrete and ground soil, but some visual indications can be seen. You can see the moisture on the concrete and uneven ground due to water underneath it. There are other signs also you can visualize.
Electronic Leak Detection
The equipment finds the leakage point with the help of electromagnetic locators and listening devices. It is an effective way to find the exact location of the leakage. It only requires a few minutes to perform the test and get the result before starting the repair process.
Camera Inspection
In this process, the plumber punches a camera in the pipelines to know the details of the leakage. It indicates the points where the leakage is and also provides knowledge of the blockage which reduces the water pressure.
Hydrostatic Testing
The process of filling the pipes with water and pressure to know the leakage point. The hydrostatic test helps plumbers to find the point of leakage. It is a technical process that only professionals can perform. Do not try to perform it by yourself as it has consequences if not perform correctly.
There are other methods that plumbers can use to know the details of slab leaks.
Hire a Professional Plumber / Firm
To tackle the issue you need a term of professionals who have proven records and are servicing their clients. USA Water Restoration provides satisfactory water restoration services in Gresham OR to its clients in this regard. We have the required modern gears that can find the leaks in minutes and save you from further damage.
At USA Water Restoration client satisfaction is the primary goal of the organization. You are one call away from our services.
FAQs
Does leakage cause a lot of water loss?
A study found that leaks waste more than 10,000 gallons of water annually in an average household. It is impossible to detect the exact amount of water loss because it depends on when you detect it. If we found it earlier the water loss also became minimal.
If there is a slab leak, how long does it take to fix it?
Most slab leaks can be repaired in less than a day by a professional firm. It rarely takes more than a day to fix the problem. The time duration also depends on the damage. If it is severe, it will take more time otherwise plumber repair it quickly. The first thing a homeowner needs to perform when finding a slab leak is calling a professional service provider.
Does a slab leak smell?
Yes, slab leaks can result in bad smells due to mold and mildew growth. The sewer line leakage creates the most smell and makes the breath impossible inside the house. It needs to be cleaned properly including the moisture otherwise the mold, and bad smell will increase.
How hard to find a Slab Leakage?
Yes, it is hard to find as they are not visible to the naked eye, You need to pay attention to the sign which helps in finding the leakages. Several signs tell the story if one focuses a little. These signs include water bills, low water pressure, running water noise, and others.
Is Slab Leak repair necessary?
Yes, it is necessary to repair otherwise it can lead to mold, mildew, and structural damage to the building which increases the repair cost multiple times. You just need to call a water restoration service provider. They will assess the issue and provide you with complete details before the repair process. It saves property and money at the same time.
Can you prevent slab leaks?
No, it can not be prevented, it is a normal process of wear and tear. Regular inspection and maintenance will reduce the chances of leakage up to an extent but it is not 100% avoidable. It is better to regularly inspect the plumbing system and avoid any kind of blockage that further extends the problem.
Conclusion
Detection of Slab Leaks early is important as it saves from costly damage to property and repair costs. If you not pay attention to solving the issue, the repair cost multiple times. It is more complex to detect if you understand the signs mentioned above. Along with that understanding of the categories of water damage is also very important, that’s why pay close attention to it too.