How does one deal with a Slab leak in Mansfield, TX?
The Term “Slab Leak”in Mansfield, TX is fairly common and can be caused by either a leaking Water-Supply Pipe, or a leaking Sewer Pipe.
Most home owners tend to think of any leak as a Water-Supply Pipe (also called water line) when they say Slab Leak. This type of slab leak is usually caused by a break or damage to the Water-Supply Pipe. As with most components within a home, Water-Supply Lines are subject to deterioration, erosion, and all other kinds of decay much like the human condition, due to aging and can wear out and therefore create a lot of chaos without exactly causing a dramatic change at any given point. More often than not, Water-Supply Line Slab Leaks are directly attributed to the cracking of the pipe usually for multiple reasons but mainly due to Slab Movement in Mansfield, TX area homes (due to DFW’s expansive-clay soil).
Your Mansfield, TX area home almost always has a concrete slab foundation. This is because it keeps the loamy clay soil beneath the base of all the foundations of the house and since concrete tends to be more robust than most materials that would qualify for such use concrete is also cheaper. During the construction period, the Water-Supply Pipes and Sewer Pipes are put into their respective places in the ground on which your humble abode shall abode as long as you dwell within. After all underground components are installed, a plastic water-vapor barrier is laid, and the cement is poured and dries to a very strong concrete slab, which supports the entire weight of the house.
Here Are Signs That You May Have A Water-Supply Pipe Slab Leak
- Water bill will suddenly spike above your typical usage.
- Water pressure appears to have dropped.
- Damp or molded carpet.
- Bucked or cupped laminate or hardwood floors.
- Cracks have recently occurred in tile floor covering.
- Cracks in your walls or the trim near the floor. This is from upward slab movement due to expansive-clay soil (under the slab) getting more and more wet and expanding in size.
- Interior doors that stop closing right stick or bind.
- A musty mossy spoilt odor
- Apparition of random puddles of water on the floor inside the home.
- There is a rather small but deep puddle of water in the lawn usually against an exterior wall of your home. This can also be inside the house if your basement foundation’s integrity has been damaged
- You might be able to hear constant hissing.
If The Slab Leak Is On A Hot Water Line:
- You are suddenly running out of hot water when consumption has not changed.
- Water heater is running more than usual, or it is always running.
- Somewhat increased energy bills.
- Warm spots in the floor.
- In winter, a cat or dog is spending time in a new location (they found the warm spot).
You Can Likely Determine If You Have A Water-Supply Pipe Slab Leak
These Steps should guide you into responsibly checking your house to see if you can identify and locate a Slab Leak:
- Be sure all water faucets (inside and outside) are turned off
- Locate and watch the water meter. It’s typically inside a green colored box near the curb at the street in front of your home.
- These boxes often require a special tool to get the top off and work your magic. You may have to call your slab leak repair company in Mansfield, TX.
- If the meter’s red needle, or its red “gear” it’s moving, you have a leaking water pipe causing the slab leak
- The water meter’s red needle and red “gear” display even small amounts of water usage.
Slab leaks in Mansfield, TX are like house cancer. They must be identified and repaired as soon as they are discovered. This is usually considered the best practice as it is done in order to prevent damage to the concrete slab foundation of your home which prevents it from sinking into the loamy soil around the house.
Slab leaks are not typically your “I’ll get around to it” issues as it can really not be taken lightly. As time progresses we can see how water collecting under the house can create massive problems for all the neighbors too. This water then later damages not only your house but rather the entire neighborhood and can become a locality nuisance. The water that is added under your home will then cause the expansive-clay soil under the house to expand and therefore it will increase drastically in size as it soaks up water much like a cotton ball. As this occurs, the soil below your home will exert more and more upward pressure on the slab, causing it to be caught in a bad angle which in turn would eventually damage and finally break the slab. This would end up causing serious structural damage to the house, as well as the neighboring homes that would then be facing the same leaky loamy slab clay-soil. Over time, the increasing upward pressure can damage the slab, the foundation the pipes as well as all other things that are being operated from either within the soil or even use the soil. Not to mention the evident risk of breathing a moldy air.
The best thing to do in this case is for one to turn off all water and call the local slab leak repair company in Mansfield, TX. This would ensure that things are much simpler and easier for the plumber. Another added benefit here to you would be that while fixing everything and watching the house heal from the damage the plumbing service in Fort Worth that you hire will also be making the effort inexpensive for you.
Once the leak is repaired, the soil below the home starts to dry out. As the soil dries and shrinks, the upward pressure on the slab (from wet soil) will disappear. If enough water leaked from the pipe, there may have been soil erosion & movement. This can cause a void under the slab, and the soil can no longer provide appropriate support for the slab at that location(s).
If you suspect you may have a slab leak in Arlington, TX, call us at 817-405-0434 or Click Here to visit our website for professional slab leak detection and repairin Arlington, TX.