What are slab leaks?
A slab leak is simply fancy terminology for a pipe leaking water underneath your concrete floor or foundation. While plumbing damage of any kind is never welcome, slab leaks add an additional challenge due to the nature of the concrete floor overlaying them – not least of all because they can sometimes go unnoticed until they become serious. Even if it is a slow leak, over time it is sure to worsen, and if untreated could cause expensive water damage in your home. Worse than this is the risk of mold growth, particularly underneath carpet, which can lead to grave health hazards if inhaled.
How to diagnose a slab leak
Below are a few signs that something may be amiss underneath your concrete floor:
- Damp patches on the floor that won’t go away
- A lingering smell of mold
- Mildew or excessive mold under your carpeting
- A high water bill, even with normal use
- Low water pressure
- The sound of running water can be heard, even when all of the faucets are off
- A persistent hot spot on the floor, where one did not exist previously
- Cracks in the concrete
If you notice these or other indications that something could be amiss with your water lines or plumbing system, act quickly!
Keep calm and call Rapid Plumber!
Though you will want to find the leak as quickly as possible, don’t be tempted to begin breaking up the concrete yourself to get to it. Without knowing the exact location of the leak, you could end up destroying large areas of floor unnecessarily and give yourself an additional costly repair job. Rapid Plumber engineers are trained to both find and treat the leak in a minimally invasive way that will require only a small access point in the concrete to reach the pipe.
How slab leaks are fixed
After shutting off the water in your home and creating a small hole in the concrete to reach your pipe, a Rapid Plumber system engineer will send a small HD camera into the pipe to locate and assess the damage. Cutting-edge trenchless sewer technology is then utilized – essentially, a tough epoxy resin liner is inserted into your pipe and cured in place. Depending on the type of liner, it is safe for extreme temperatures and for potable water. Best of all, it has a lifespan of up to fifty years – all without excessively damaging your concrete floor!