Your home is built on a concrete foundation. This foundation is not a solid piece, the pipes that bring water into your home and the sewer lines that take waste out of your home pierce the foundation. Sometimes, though, these lines break and can cause water to accumulate underneath the concrete. A slab leak can cause extensive damage to your home and foundation if you leave them. To keep from damaging your home any further you need to know how to detect one so that you can have it repaired immediately and avoid extensive damage.
One of the first signs that you might be dealing with a slab leak is a sudden increase in water or electric bills. The water might not have puddled enough for you to see it but if your water bill has jumped suddenly then you have a problem somewhere. If you have someone come out and inspect your lines to keep it from getting worse. Seeing a sudden spike in your electric (or gas) bills is because of the hot water that is being constantly siphoned out, meaning that your water tank is working extra hard to keep the warm water going to your home.
Another sign that you might have a slab leak is if your water pressure is less. When you have cracked pipes you will eventually lose pressure to the rest of your house. As the crack gets bigger, the water will be going under the foundation rather than into your home. This reduced pressure should be a red flag for you to contact a licensed plumber to come out and help you find the problem. Even if you are not sure that the problem isn’t located under the foundation it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have the pipe inspected to make certain that you don’t have a larger problem.
If none of the other signs warn you to the possibility of a slab leak then the puddles in the floor are a certain indicator. As the leaks get worse, you will eventually see water on the floor. This means that the water has leaked to a point where it is actually coming up through the foundation. By this point there might be some damage to your home. You will definitely need to hire someone at this point to come in and correct the problem before any further damage happens to your home. This can include the foundation settling and cracking the walls in your home.
Slab leaks are no laughing matter. They can be very costly, causing a lot of damage to your home and your belongings. If you suspect that something is wrong with your home then you should take the time to call in a certified plumber to take care of the problem. This will keep your home from being damaged any further.
