Try These Helpful Ways to Prevent Slab Leaks from Breaking Out in Your Home | Slab Leak in Arlington, TX

Try These Helpful Ways to Prevent Slab Leaks from Breaking Out in Your Home | Slab Leak in Arlington, TX

Slab leaks in Arlington, TX are no ordinary plumbing issue because they can be extremely damaging to the integrity of your home. They occur when pipes burst or break due to negligence or because of increased water pressure. 

Slab leaks tend to occur in places with extreme climates or in old and dilapidated homes. They can cause extreme damage to the home by compromising its skeletal structure. The damage can become irreparable at times if not treated quickly. 

What Causes a Slab Leak? 

Poor Installation 

Building homes is a very tricky business. Some materials are bound to be damaged during the process. However, if the pipes experience any damage,it could be the precursor to slab leaks. 

Installing the pipes incorrectly can also cause slab leaks in the future. This can include installing the wrong length pipe or buying cheap parts to save on costs. 

Shifting Foundation 

If the ground beneath your house is shifting, it will definitely cause slab leaks to occur. Pipes usually experience tremendous pressure if the ground around them moves. They will bend, and most probably break. Consider calling someone for slab leak detection in Arlington, TX if you detect even the slightest shift in your home’s foundation. 

Extreme Weather

Pipes naturally have to contract and expand slightly to accommodate pressure on their internal and external surfaces. However, it does take a toll on them during extreme weather conditions. Extreme heat can cause pipes to burst from outward internal pressure as steam builds up inside. Extreme cold can conversely cause the pipe surfaces to crack if there is ice build up inside. 

Corrosion 

Pipes are located underground, so it’s very natural for them to interact with the soil. This soil can contain chemicals like nitrates and sulphates which can cause the pipes to corrode. This corrosion ultimately causes slab leak in Arlington, TX, to occur. 

Abrasion

Pipes can rub against the surrounding concrete and gravel surfaces as they transport water around the home. This takes a toll as time goes on, but it can add up quickly if the pipes are made to transport high-pressure water more frequently than not. This includes extremely heated and cooled water

What Can You Do to Prevent a Slab Leak?

Slab leaks in Arlington, TX, not only compromise the structure of the homebut also put you in danger of attracting mildew and mold. This makes for a very unhygienic atmosphere inside the home. Here are some ways to prevent them from happening. 

Control Water Pressure 

It’s a clear sign that something’s wrong with the plumbing if you hear a clunk when you turn the tap on or off. This means that your water pressure is too high. Every time you turn the water on or off, the water gushes forth and crashes with the bends in your plumbing.

This can cause wear and tear over a long period of time and eventually cause pipes to crack and break. If you want to prevent a slab leak in Arlington, TX, simply adjust the water pressure with a gauge installed in your home.

This is perhaps the easiest way to avoid a slab leak. 

Test pH 

The pH of water is a measure of how acidic or alkaline it is. The scale ranges from 0 to 14. Anything below a 7 is acidic, and anything over is alkaline 7 is the mark for neutral water. You can get a cheap kit online to find out the pH levels for yourself. 

It goes without saying that acidic or alkaline water isn’t good for your health or foryour pipes. It will corrode their surfaces and cause a major slab leak in Arlington, TX. 

pH levels between 6.5 and 8 are considered to be normal. However, you can contact a professional service for slab leak detection in Arlington, TX to install a device to regulate the pH for you. 

Test for Water Hardness 

Water hardness is a technical term for the concentration of chemical ions in your water supply. If there is a high concentration of chloride, sulphate, nitrate, or hydroxide ions in your water, then they will most certainly react with your pipes and corrode them, thus causing a slab leak in Arlington, TX

While municipalities often take care of water hardness before the supply reaches your home, it’s always a good idea to check for yourself. A clear sign of water hardness is little to no lather from soaps or shampoos. 

In this case, you should get in touch with your municipality and inform them of the issue. You can also choose to get a water softener device. 

Don’t Use Chemical-rich Products

If you have a habit of using Drano or any other chemically rich drain opener every time you have a clogged drain, stop that right now. Over time, the alkaline/acidic contents of the drain opener will damage your pipes, causing a slab leak in Arlington, TX

The chemicals that you use will eat through the surfaces of the pipes, and you will eventually face a slab leak. Instead, buy some organic drain cleaners or some bacterially activated drain cleaners which will do little to no damage. 

Slab leak detection in Arlington, TX isn’t easy work and minimizing the damage and knowing how to act quickly are both specialized skills. If you want the best technical professionals to fix any slab leaks around the house, be sure to call Benjamin Franklin Plumbers