How Can You Tell If You Need a Slab Leak Repair? | Tips from Your New Orleans, LA Plumber
Most homes built in more recent times have been built upon a concrete slab. When a leak occurs beneath this concrete slab, the result is called a slab leak that will need repair. Homeowners in the New Orleans, LA area, need to know that slab leaks are a very serious issue that can cause thousands and thousands of dollars of damage should they go without slab leak repair.
What Can Cause Slab Leaks?
Unfortunately, the potential causes for slab leaks are just as numerous as the potential causes for other leaks in other locations. Still, there are some potential causes that are more common than others, as shown by these examples:
Poor Installation
Poor installation can cause a very wide range of problems when it comes to a concrete slab as well as the home that will be built upon the concrete slab. For instance, it can weaken the pipes that are installed beneath the concrete slab, thus increasing the chances of them either leaking or suffering from some other issue.
Foundation Shift
Sometimes, a home can shift on its foundation. Perhaps this is because of the movement of the earth or perhaps this is because of placement upon clay soils that expand when wet and shrink when dry. Whatever the cause, this can increase the pressure that is placed upon the pipes that run beneath it. Generally speaking, these pipes possess a lot of strength because they are expected to put up with some very tough conditions. However, there is a limit to what they can and cannot endure, meaning that a foundation shift in the right place can cause them to break with potentially catastrophic consequences.
Corrosion
There is nothing that can last forever. Unsurprisingly, this includes pipes, which might be built to last but are nonetheless susceptible to corrosion as well as other issues that can cause noticeable damage to them. Over time, said issues can cause a build-up of wear and tear, which will eat into the pipes’ material until it has weakened enough to produce a leak.
Abrasion
It is perfectly natural for pipes that experience a degree of expansion and contraction thanks to the water that passes through them. Naturally, this process of expansion and contraction will cause some stress on the pipes’ material, meaning that it is one of the causes of its accumulating wear and tear. When pipes are placed next to either gravel or some other kind of hard material, that can increase the rate at which their material builds up wear and tear, thus putting them that much closer to a slab leak and thus that much closer to a need for a slab leak repair.
How Can You Tell that You Have a Slab Leak?
There isn’t a very easy way for individuals to check to see whether they need slab leak repair or not. After all, slab leaks are situated beneath the foundations of their homes, which aren’t exactly the most accessible of places. However, there are potential warning signs that a place needs repair, which are definitely something that homeowners will want to pay attention to.
Here are some examples:
Sudden Increase in the Water Bill
A sudden increase in the water bill without a dramatic change in water usage should always be considered a major warning sign. It isn’t necessarily a sign that interested individuals need to call in plumbing professionals for slab leak repair, but it is a sign that interested individuals need to call in plumbing professionals for some kind of plumbing issue that needs to be fixed sooner rather than later. After all, if they procrastinate, they are going to continue getting charged the higher price in month after month because the leak will continue to run on a 24/7 basis. In fact, if interested individuals have seen a sudden increase in their water bill, they should check their water meter to see whether it says that they are using water even when their pipes seem still.
Pooling Water in Unusual Places
One of water’s most notable characteristics is that it has a very easy time getting just about everywhere. In particular, it is important to note that when a slab leak occurs, the leaked water will build and build until it reaches the point that it starts seeping out. One of the places where it can seep out is around the concrete slab on which the home is built. As such, if interested individuals notice pools of water around their home’s foundation, they need to call in plumbing professionals to get their plumbing problem looked at sooner rather than later.
Flooring Damage
Speaking of which, there are cases in which the leaked water will have no choice but to escape upwards, which can have horrible consequences for the flooring of a home. Due to this, if a homeowner notice that they have either damp carpets or warped flooring, they might want to call in plumbing professionals for what could be a need for slab leak repair. This is even more true when they see either mold or mildew in their carpeting, which is an indication that the problem has been happening for some time.
Fall in Water Pressure
If people in the New Orleans, LA area notice that they don’t seem to be getting as much water out of their faucets as they should be, that suggests a fall in water pressure that might be caused by a leak somewhere. If they can’t find the leak in a place that they can see, that increases the chances of it being a slab leak, which will need correction via slab leak repair.
Contact Us
When homeowners notice warning signs that they need slab leak repair, they need to call in reliable and reputable plumbing professionals as soon as possible. Should the problem go uncorrected via slab leak repair, they can experience an enormous amount of water damage within a very short period of time. Those of us at bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of New Orleans can be trusted to figure out whether interested individuals actually need slab leak repair or not before providing whatever services are necessary to fix the source of the problem.