Slab leaks basics

Slab leak is a plumbing term for leaks that occur in pipes buried under a hard rock surface. Usually, it is applied to leaks in the hot and cold water lines within the foundation of a house. If your home has a slab leak, it is probably this type. Around 80% of slab leaks occur in the hot water lines, and the rest in the cold water lines. Because slab leaks happen under concrete, they are often difficult to notice at first. If you see cracking on the basement floor of your home, hear running water where there shouldn’t be any, or notice your water heater coming on and off at strange time, you may have a slab leak. Call a licensed plumber right away.

Slab leak detection and repair

A slab leak is not only a major waste of water, it can lead to damage to your house and water entering the basement. Only skilled professional plumbers can hope to access the buried pipe to repair it.

When plumbers come to a home to repair a slab leak, they first use special detection equipment (listening discs, ground microphones, pressure scanners) to pinpoint the spot in the foundation where the leak is happening. Sometimes they can use lateral techniques to bypass the leak with a new pipe. Other times, it’s necessary to dig with a jackhammer to reach the pipe. If you have top-level plumbers on the job, you can expect them to provide exactly what you need for a successful slab leak repair.

Call on Lifeline Plumbing, Inc. in West Dundee, IL for slab leak repair or any major plumbing service you require.

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Here’s a brief list of the more common causes of slab leaks:

• Friction on exposed pipes. Piping will expand and contract when hot and cold water moves through it, as well as in relation to the weather outside. (We have our share of temperature extremes in Illinois.) When that happens, the pipe can rub up against the bottom part of the slab or a similar hard surface. Over time, that can eventually create a leak: doubly difficult because the pipe’s placement makes it impossible to spot the problem until the breach has occurred.
• Damage from the soil. Corrosive materials, acidic minerals and similar content in the soil can eventually wear away the pipe until a breach occurs. As with friction, it can be difficult to determine the nature of this problem until it damages the plumbing.
• Damage from other projects. In some cases, a water line may be inadvertently breached by someone working on another part of the area. For instance, if you’re having a new sidewalk poured in, you might turn off the water to let the crew work more easily. If a crewman accidentally hits the pipe and causes a breach, it won’t show up until the water is turned back on (and the concrete has hardened).

Regardless of the causes of slab leaks, the prudent homeowner’s course of action is clear. In Wheaton, IL, plumbing repair service can be performed by the experts at Lifeline Plumbing. Turn off the main water line and give us a call. One of our trained technicians will arrive at your home, determine the source of the problem and discuss a plan for making repairs with you. Give us a call to set up an appointment today!

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