As homeowners, we do everything we can to be on the lookout for potential maintenance problems around our houses. Although many maintenance problems are easy to identify with a quick inspection, some may develop that aren’t within eyesight. One of these problems is a slab leak, which means that there’s a break in a pipe running beneath the concrete foundation of the house. When a pipe breaks, the water seeps into the ground and the foundation of your home. A slab leak may occur either in the sewer lines or water lines. This type of leak can cause significant and expensive damages, so detecting the leak early-on is very important. The best way to catch this type of problem is to understand what the warning signs are. It’s essential to fix a slab leak as quickly as possible, so here are the causes of a slab leak, signs of a slab leak, and how to fix the leak.
Causes of a Slab Leak
If your home doesn’t have a basement, it most likely has a concrete slab foundation, which is a layer of concrete that is poured over soil or gravel. Unfortunately, if this is the case, any damage to the slab can undermine the structural integrity of your entire home. There are several possible causes for a slab leak, including:
- Corrosion – Underground pipes are in direct contact with the soil and the metals found in the ground. This may cause galvanic corrosion, which happens when there is contact between two different metals. This type of corrosion can cause holes to develop in the pipes, resulting in a leak.
- Excess pressure – Underground pipes are typically placed under heavy pressure, which may cause them to crack. This type of damage is common in areas with clay soil, which expands when wet and constricts when dry. This causes the ground under the concrete foundation to shift and put pressure on pipes and the slab.
- As water flows through pipes, it causes them to vibrate and rub against concrete, gravel, or the rebar, causing the pipe’s metal to wear out. Once the metal wears away, a hole will develop, which causes leakage.
Symptoms of a Slab Leak
It’s important to note that a slab leak may resemble other types of plumbing problems, making it challenging to identify. Common signs of a slab leak may include:
- Sounds of running water
- Higher than the usual water bill
- Wet or warm spots on the floor
- Buckling or cracking in the foundation
- Mildew or mold in carpeted areas
Fixing a Slab Leak
There are various ways to fix a slab leak, some of which are more invasive than others. Depending on the location and type of leak, your plumber will opt for one of three techniques:
- Repair the damaged section of pipe – If the leak is minor and the pipe is in good condition, our team can replace the section of the leaking pipe and the related fittings.
- Rerouting or re-piping the entire pipeline – This technique is often used in older homes where there are chronic and frequent leaks. If the leaking pipe is old or in bad condition, repairing the leak in one spot may cause a new leak to happen somewhere else. In this situation, it’s often best to close off the pipe at its closest manifold and reroute it, which typically occurs above the ground.
- Pipe coating – This type of treatment is usually for pipes that cannot be easily fixed or when it isn’t cost-effective to repair the line by opening the foundation. Instead, the pipe is repaired from within with the use of an epoxy pipe coating. I
If you notice signs of a potential slab leak, you need to contact a plumber as soon as possible. The sooner you address the slab leak, the less water damage you will have to deal with under the foundation and inside your home.
