What Is a Slab Leak? | Tips from Your Richardson, TX Slab Leak Repair Expert
You have a lot of things to keep an eye on as a homeowner, so the best thing you can do is educate yourself about the basics of keeping your home in good shape. While you might know about some of the more basic plumbing problems, slab leaks are one thing that a lot of people are unaware of. Understanding slab leaks is important because slab leak repair is a big job. If you want to avoid major plumbing problems and structural damage in your Richardson, TX, home, here’s what you should know about slab leaks, how to identify them and how to deal with them.
The Basics
In plumbing terms, there are various types of leaks. For example, pinhole leaks are used to describe tiny leaks that only let a little bit of water out. Slab leaks, on the other hand, are classified as any leak that occurs under the concrete slab foundation of your Richardson, TX, home. Because of where slab leaks occur, repair is a big job.
While a slab leak isn’t necessarily a pinhole leak, there are times when a slab leak may start out as a pinhole leak. The only thing that makes a slab leak a slab leak is the location in which it occurs. As a matter of fact, there are times when slab leaks involve a pipe that’s completely busted or cracked, in which case slab leak repair is even more critical.
What Causes Slab Leaks?
As is the case with a lot of things in plumbing, it’s difficult to identify the exact cause of a slab leak. However, there are a handful of common causes of slab leaks that you should know about.
Some slab leaks occur as a result of faulty installation. This is often the case when these pipes are run by beginner or DIY plumbers, but that’s not the only potential cause. If the pipe that was being installed beneath the foundation suffered some sort of damage before it was installed, it could be installed the right way but still cause problems.
Since slab leaks are underground, a lot of slab leak repair calls are caused by the ground shifting. There’s no way to prevent the earth from moving a bit, but those shifts can cause serious problems when it comes to repair.
Like any pipe in your home, the copper pipes where slab leaks occur are susceptible to corrosion and abrasion. There are a lot of things that can cause abrasion and corrosion, so it’s tough to pinpoint the exact cause in any case. Having hard water, too much chlorine or pipes that rub on surfaces can cause a lot of issues in terms of wearing your pipes down. These are some of the most common causes for slab leak repair calls.
Signs of a Slab Leak
The best thing you can do to take care of the plumbing in your Richardson, TX, home is to know how to spot problems with your plumbing. When it comes to slab leak repair, there are a lot of things you may notice that signal a slab leak problem.
If you hear water running or notice your water meter dial is moving when no water is in use, it could be because of a slab leak. This can also cause a spike in your water bill all of a sudden, which is another common sign that you need slab leak repair.
Slab leaks can also cause a lot of moisture problems, so you may notice you have a slab leak because of excess moisture or mildew underneath your carpeting. In some cases, the floors in your home may feel damp or warm, or you may smell mold and mildew with no identifiable cause.
One easy way to tell if you need slab leak repair is to look around the base of the outside of your house. Since slab leaks happen in the foundation of your home, a bad slab leak will leave standing water around the perimeter of your home. If you have standing water around the outside of your Richardson, TX, home, it’s crucial that you call a plumber as soon as possible.
How Are Slab Leaks Fixed?
When it comes to a pinhole leak in a pipe that’s not below the foundation, there are a lot of different options. However, things become a little more limited with slab leaks because they’re often a bit more severe and they’re located in a hard-to-reach spot.
While some plumbers will recommend simply jack-hammering the foundation to figure out where the slab leak is, that’s an expensive operation with a lot of cleanup involved. As an alternative, a lot of slab leak repair experts choose epoxy restoration or re-piping to fix a slab leak.
The fact of the matter is, a plumber will have to do a little bit of demolition to fix a slab leak because of where the leak is. However, epoxy restoration and re-piping are both methods that minimize the amount of demolition and cleanup involved in the job. While re-piping is a good way to prevent future leaks and shore up the whole system, pipe re-routing is a better option if you only have a small leak and want to avoid making too much of a mess.
The Wise Choice
You have a lot to contend with when it comes to taking care of your Richardson, TX, home, so educating yourself is the best thing you can do. As long as you know what slab leaks are and how to spot the warning signs, you’re ahead of the average homeowner.
If you do think you have a slab leak, the best thing you can do is hire a slab leak repair expert right away. At bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of North Dallas, we can help you detect and fix a slab leak in no time at all. Give us a call at (469) 214-2582 to schedule an appointment today.
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