Any household can experience one or more leaks at a point in time. These things are quite natural and require only a small repair or maintenance to get the job done right. However, slab leaks are a different issue that you cannot keep unnoticed in any situation whatsoever. This is especially dangerous as it can hamper the foundation of your building structure, thereby creating a hazardous atmosphere for you to live in.

The main issue with a slab leak is that it is very difficult for you to detect and hence requires a specialist who can get the job done for you efficiently. However, a common question arises in homeowners’ minds as to when is the perfect time to request a slab leak detection service. In this article, we will discuss all the possible warning signs that will help you decide the time to call for a professional and get the slab leak repair service in Anaheim. Furthermore, we will see all the reasons that lead to a slab leak and exactly what you should do if you are facing one at this moment.

Possible Causes Of Slab Leaks

There can be multiple reasons behind a possible slab leak. The reasons can deviate from one home to another. However, here is a list that will explain the basic causes that lead to a slab leak.

1. Improper Installation Of Pipes

This is the basic reason that leads to a slab leak. It is a mistake that took place when building the foundation and installing the piping system in your home. It may have occurred that the water pipes were damaged by any means at the time of fitting that caused the pipes to leak. If you have installed copper pipes, there are high chances of damage due to corrosion. This is a result of the chemical reaction with the elements surrounding the pipes. However, copper pipes are especially found in older homes rather than new ones. If the pipes are made of copper and facing a slab leak, the best option available to you is to replace the whole water piping system.

2. Hard Water

The acidic materials or the presence of alkaline in the water is another factor that can cause a serious slab leak. It is a result of the corrosion that the presence of acidic components or alkaline is causing to the pipes. Therefore, every homeowner should do detailed research on the water’s pH level, and based on the reports, they should move forward with professional plumbing installation.

3. Collision Of Pipes

When a household is using the water pipes, it faces collision with other materials present nearby. These can be stones, gravel, or other water pipelines. The constant friction gradually leads to stripping off the layers of the pipes and making them weak with each passing time, thus causing them to start leaking. Another reason can be the temperature in its surroundings. At higher temperatures, the pipes tend to expand, and during cool times it contracts, thereby weakening the body of the water pipes throughout the years and leading to slab leaks.

4. Old Pipes

Time is another factor that leads to a gradually degrading water piping system of the house. Copper pipes were commonly used in older times. Galvanized steel was another component that was used to make the water pipes. These two categories erode gradually over time; thus, with yours, it starts to lose its strength and leads to a situation where the homeowner has to change the complete water piping system.

What Are The Signs To Look For A Possible Slab Leak That Calls For A Slab Leak Detection Service?

Early detection can prove to be highly beneficial for you if you are looking for a cost-effective process. If not taken care of, a small slab leak can cause serious damage to not only your property but also to your life and your family’s life. Therefore, if you see any of these signs of a possible slab leak, immediately call a professional to conduct a thorough slab leak detection process. This will ensure no corner of your home stays unnoticed and efficiently locate the exact source of the leakage. There are multiple signs to look for a possible slab leak. If you are one of those who want to avoid any worsened cases of or simple slab leak, look for the following signs.

1. High Water Bills

A spike in your home’s water bills is the first and foremost signal of a possible slab leak that is present in your home unnoticed. However, a slab leak is not always the right reason for an increased water bill. But if it continues for more than a month and there is no explanation for it, then there are high chances that water is continuously leaking from your pipes somewhere within your home. In such cases, you must conduct a thorough check throughout your house to find any possible leakage in your outer pipes. If you cannot find any such leakage point, it indicates a possible slab leak.

2. Less Water Pressure

If you have a possible slab leak, water is continuously draining from the pipes resulting in weak water pressure. Normally, people experience this phenomenon when they are using more than one water fixture simultaneously. However, if you experience less water pressure even though the other water fixtures are not being used at that time, it can be a possibility that you are having a slab leak somewhere within your home from where the water is escaping continuously. Therefore, if water drains constantly, it is time to seek a top slab leak detection service from any professional with good experience.

3. Foul Smell

If there is a hidden slab leak present underneath your flooring, water is bound to leak upwards. This will increase the moisture level, creating the appropriate atmosphere for molds and mildew to form underneath the floor. Often, these are hard to detect since they start growing beneath the floorboards or in the inner layers of the drywall, thus making it difficult for the members to detect the areas. However, as bacteria begin to form on them, they start giving out unpleasant odors that your nose can easily detect. If you find the smell coming from your floors, it’s time that you immediately call a professional as it indicates that your house has a slab leak and is gradually spreading, leading to the growth of molds and mildew.

4. Wet Or Damaged Floors

If there is an unseen slab leak in your building’s foundation, the water is bound to move upwards towards the floor. If you find water on top of your home’s flooring, it is a significant indication of a slab leak that is growing for quite a while and has possibly caused significant damage underneath the base. If you are having a carpet laid on your floor, you may experience it damp and even dark-colored suggesting the heavy moisture content in it. In case you have wooden flooring, it might appear to wrap due to water content. In this situation, your repairs or replacement expenses will increase significantly due to the cost of repairing damaged floors and the slab leak itself.

5. Stagnant Water

In case of a slab leak, water will collect and move upwards. You don’t need to find it only on the floors of your house. The water can find its way outside your home as well. In this case, keep a watch on the surroundings of your home, lawn, and backyard. Also, you may find small pollings of water outside your home. However, the only answer for water gathering is a possible slab leak if there is no fountain or any other water bodies present nearby. If you experience pooling water inside your home, it can be due to a leak in a water fixture nearby. If you cannot find such appliances, the main reason for this stagnant water probably is a slab leak.

6. Warm Floor

Since the water gushing out of a slab leak does not have any other place but to move upwards, you might feel hot areas on your home’s flooring. This is a signal of a hidden slab leak from where water has reached underneath your floorboard. This you can experience, especially if it is hot water that is running through your piping system. The warmth of the moisture raises the temperature of the surroundings, thereby making the floorboard feel warm. If you also have such an experience, immediately contact a person who can conduct a professional slab leak detection process without getting too late.

7. Sounds Of Gushing Water

When any of your water fixtures are open, you can hear the water running through your pipes. It is a common scenario that each household gets to experience. However, what if you can still hear the sounds of water running down despite the water fixtures being closed? It is an indication that somewhere, the water is still running out from such a place that cannot be detected easily. In such a case, if you can’t find any Leaking outside pipes, the only possibility is a slab leak. This will ultimately result in high water bills and low water pressure from water fixtures. This calls for immediate expert attention to perform customized-based slab leak repair in Anaheim depending on your home’s piping system.

Things That You Should Do Immediately On Suspecting A Possible Slab Leak

If you have found either one or more indications of a possible slab leak, it is better to fix it immediately before the condition worsens. A slab leak is a serious issue that can cause a serious hazard to the health and life of the members living in the building if not handled at the right moment. Therefore, every homeowner must conduct annual slab leak detection to ensure no hidden leakage is present in their property. This acts as an investment that gives a healthy and safe living as a return.

Effects Of A Slab Leak

If a homeowner leaves a slab leak undetected and unrepaired, it can be subject to significant damages like:

Serious damage to the home’s foundation
Becomes a bearer of diseases
An increased amount of expenditure on water
Damage to the drywalls due to the formation of molds

These are only a few and the most important ill effects of an untreated slab leak.

Conclusion

Thus from the above points, we can conclude that whenever a person detects any one or many indications of a possible slab leak, it is better to call an expert. They can thoroughly perform a slab leak detection process to identify the source and apply all applicable remedial measures, thereby safeguarding the people living in the building from any possible threat.