With the issues surrounding the drought growing more serious all the time, residents of Irvine, CA, are taking extra precautions to save water. An undetected slab leak could be a disaster at a time like this. Not only could it waste one of our most precious resources, but it could also leave you with a monstrous utility bill, or worse, fines for going over the allotted water amount. Cali’s Choice Plumbing & Restoration is here 24/7 to respond to slab leak repair Irvine.
What is a slab leak?
When a leak develops in the water or sewer line below your concrete foundation, it can be difficult to detect. These disasters are called “slab leaks.” A slab leak can be any size, ranging from a tiny pinhole in a pipe to a completely snapped pipe. Leaks often start out small and gradually become bigger, lasting a period of time where water is leaking and no one knows about it. Homeowners often first notice their slab leak when their utility bills start going up without explanation. This happens when the hot water line is triggered by the leak, requiring the water heater to run for no reason.
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Slab leaks have many causes:
Corrosion
When the chemicals in your pipes react with the surrounding soil, corrosion can happen. In time, this corrosion can wear away the material in the pipe and lead to leaks. If you have an older home with copper or galvanized piping, you might want to check for slab leaks regularly.
Temperature
As pipes repeatedly heat up and cool down, they expand and contract. This can cause the pipe to shift or rub against surrounding objects or materials, causing cracks. This is also sometimes caused by poor construction. If shifting wasn’t taken into account by the builders who designed the house, the pipes will be more likely to break within a few years.
Vibrations
The water running through the pipe itself creates minor vibrations that can slowly break down the material.
How Can You Spot a Slab Leak?
You may have a slab leak if you:
- Notice mold or mildew growing on the floor.
- Feel warm spots on the floor.
- Detect unexplained cracks in your floor, walls or foundation.
- Discover an unusually high utility bill.
- Hear water moving through your pipes when the house is quiet and no one is running a faucet.
Fixing the Problem:
Who Should You Call for a Slab Leak Repair?
Slab leak detection is the process of identifying a water source and specifically finding the point at which water is leaving the confinement of your water pipes. This could be almost anywhere, although the most common areas for water loss or leaks is in the joints of pipes.
Don’t worry, though, we don’t need to tear down the walls of your house just to find which pipe is leaking the most or shows signs of moisture. Our plumbers are equipped with the latest technology in our industry to facilitate the process of slab leak detection.
Specifically this includes using infrared devices to detect temperature differences through walls, which many times indicates a water source. We also use humidity detector devices to find areas that have lots of moisture in the air, another big indicator of a leak source. Make sure any professional plumber in Irvine or slab leak detection specialist is equipped with these items when identifying a leak in your house, otherwise you are risking unnecessary damage to your home by tearing apart walls and ceiling.
