How to Spot a Slab Leak | Tips from Your Mansfield, TX Slab Leak Detection Professionals

How to Spot a Slab Leak | Tips from Your Mansfield, TX Slab Leak Detection Professionals

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When it comes to slab leaks, early slab leak detection is vital because it can mean the difference between paying a few hundred in slab leak repair bills or thousands in slab leak damages. Slab leaks form around the foundation of your home in Mansfield, TX, so when left untreated they can literally cause the foundation of your home to heave. In addition, they are often responsible for large amounts of water damage.

The problem with slab leak detection is that slab leaks are hidden from plain site. Unlike a leaky faucet or pipe that is dripping down onto the ceiling, you can’t see a slab leak through the cement. This makes detection quite hard for someone that is not a plumber in Mansfield, TX. However, slab leak detection is not an impossible science, because there are usually subtle clues that can point towards an issue.

If you are a homeowner, it is vital that you know the following signs of a slab leak, so that you can take prompt action before too much damage is done. The following are a few signs that you should definitely take seriously if you see occur. While some may have various causes, a collection of these signs is a serious indicator that something is wrong with your plumbing.

What Is a Slab Leak?

Before getting into the signs, it may be helpful to learn what a slab leak is if you are not too familiar with the world of construction. A slab leak is a leak that occurs in a pipe that is laid under our foundation. These pipes run through the concrete foundation of your home, which is what makes them invisible to the naked eye and thus makes early slab leak detection a challenge. They are aptly named slab leaks because when the pipes leak they seep into the slabs compromising the structural integrity of the foundation and causing water damage in Mansfield, TX.

Spots Popping Up on Your Floor

Sometimes a spot is just a spot, but if you start to see spots along the floor and they happen to be warm to the touch it may be time to call a plumber for slab detection help. Sometimes the spots indicate that the hot water pipes are broken. When spots are warm to the touch and you don’t have heated floors, chances are something is making them this way. Many times, it is the warm water from leaking pipes. Sometimes the cause may be more innocent such as leaking valve located close to the slab, but either way the innocent issue can become severe if it’s not stopped before water damage occurs.

Sound of Running Water

Most plumbers will automatically tell you without even getting out any slab leak detection tools that you have a leak if they hear running water in the walls. If you know all of the water in the house is off, but you can still hear running water in the walls you know there is a leak. This is also a great little slab leak detection trick you can try on your own if you are suspicious about a leak. Turn off all the water in your home and then quietly listen for sounds from the walls. While the water is off, also take a peek at the water meter outside of your home. If the pointer is still running despite turning off all the water in your home, then water is still leaking from some source. Now that you know you have a problem in Mansfield, TX, it’s time to get an expert in slab detection into your home to locate where the leak is originating from so you can get it fixed.

Water Pressure Is Lower Than It Used to Be

Low water pressure in your home can be caused by a variety of factors. Most plumbers in Mansfield, TX will usually start looking at causes such as faulty valves, debris in your water, or mineral buildup in your pipes. They then will look for general leaks that may be causing the drop-in water pressure. If all of these potential causes check out okay, then a plumber will start looking at slab leaks as the likely culprit.

You can try to do a little slab leak detection on your own by running the water in various locations of your home to determine where the water pressure is low. Investigate the locations where the water pressure is at its lowest and look to see if the place is close to a slab. If there is, then chances are there is a slab leak nearby as well. Of course, the leak could be anywhere along the slab, so even if you have a good idea there is a leak you still need a plumber to confirm it with actual slab leak detection tools. You will also need them to then repair the leak so you can get your water pressure back and stop paying for wasted water.

Sky-high Water Bills

On the topic of wasting water, you are also likely wasting money each month on your utilities if you have a slab leak under your home. Water bills that are suddenly much higher than usual are a sign that a slab leak may be present if there is no other leak or excess water usage in your home. Due to the hidden nature of slab leaks, you may be wasting water daily without any idea until you have a plumber come out with some slab leak detection tools. Whether the culprit is a slab leak or not, you should always have a plumber check out your plumbing system if your bill jumps in price because chances are something is wrong that can be corrected.