Plumber Tips: Warning Signs Of A Slab Leak And What To Do About Them | New Orleans, LA
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Slab leaks are undoubtedly a challenging plumbing issue. If your New Orleans, LA home is built on concrete slabs, it may be vulnerable to such leaks. The problem arises when the water line under your property’s concrete foundation develops a leak.
Water pipes that corrode or have holes expose your home’s foundation to excessive moisture. Neglecting this issue may weaken your structure’s foundation causing cracks in your flooring and walls. At such times, the immediate intervention of a qualified plumber prevents extensive damage.
Slab Leak Warning Signs
In New Orleans, LA, residential properties, especially when older and having copper pipe installations attract plumbing issues. Slab leaks are one such disastrous outcome of corroding copper pipes.
Should you notice the below-listed warning signs indicative of a slab leak, do not delay in requesting the urgent assistance of our trained plumber:
Warm Spots on Flooring
When you have carpeting or thin linoleum on your flooring, you experience warm spots if your water line bursts. On hardwood or tile flooring, these spots are harder to feel.
If you ignore warm spots, the water emanating from a leaky pipe invariably seeps into your home, wetting your carpet and flooring. Irrespective of your type of flooring, our experienced plumbing professional capably investigates and takes corrective action.
Unusually Low Water Pressure
Plumbing fixtures, including faucets and showerheads, release water with low pressure when your plumbing system has an active leak. Using a shower and dishwasher may become lengthy owing to a drop in water pressure. A sudden and unusual dip in New Orleans, LA, water pressure can be attributed to a slab leak.
Soaring Water Bills
Leaks result in enormous water wastage and cause a significant spike in your water bill outgoings. Your monthly bill amounts are very revealing, and keeping a close watch on these figures is in your interest. An unusually high water bill is often the result of some plumbing issue.
Call our specialized plumber to examine your plumbing mechanism so you can curb your unnecessarily high utility expenses. Our pros draw your attention to dripping faucets, leaky slabs, and corroded water pipes. Once we address the root problem, it rules out inflated water bills arising from sheer wastage.
Emergence of Random Puddles
Ignoring leaks forces the water to make its presence felt somehow. You may find random puddles on the interior or exterior sections of your home. Water pooling around your property’s foundation, especially on a warm day, demands you contact a plumbing company pronto.
Slab leaks could lead to water stagnating around your washing machine or under your cabinets. The moment you suspect a leak, act fast by connecting with our agency and requesting a plumber to visit your home on priority.
Causes of Slab Leaks
The concrete floor that lines your basement is the slab over which your residential structure is constructed. Either your water line is positioned below the slab or embedded in the concrete flooring itself.
We encourage you to regularly schedule a visit from our skilled plumber, who can alert you on any plumbing irregularity. A thorough examination of your home’s plumbing allows our competent team members to proactively address issues that could spiral out of control.
Following are some typical causes of slab leaks:
Poor Installation
If a dented or bent pipe was overlooked during the installation process, the gushing water would wear down the compromised section in time. Even if the resultant leak is a pinhole size, that will escalate if not attended to by a specialist plumber.
Corrosion and Abrasion
Hot water pipes expand and contract as the water temperature rises and falls. This movement of the pipe against surrounding abrasive elements like rocks, concrete, and soil creates leaks.
Excessive hardness or softness of water running through your pipes tends to corrode the pipe faster. It is not considered corrosive when your water quality reflects a pH in the 6.5 to 8.5 range.
External Pressure
Should the ground under your home shift because of an earthquake or soil erosion, it puts excessive pressure on your water pipes. Such strain results in a potential burst pipe or leakage, especially when your otherwise sturdy water pipes were installed poorly by an amateur plumber.
Safeguard Your Property
A slab leak not addressed on time is an invitation for costly and extensive property damage. This problem is fixable, particularly when outsourced to expert plumbing professionals. If you attempt to undertake such challenging repair work, you will have a bigger disaster and heavier expenses to contend with.
Our capable plumbing professionals are trained to immediately work towards rectifying the issue at hand using the enumerated approach:
Identifying the Leak’s Exact Location
We do not believe in destroying your home to fix the leak by ripping your concrete slab apart. Instead, our experienced technician first establishes the exact location of the leak and digs up that portion to attack the root cause without further delay.
Following Necessary Safety Protocols
When undertaking such major work, the surrounding atmosphere is infested with an abundance of dust particles. We equip our plumber with the requisite gear like goggles, a breathing mask, hardy clothes, and footwear to safely carry out the repair work.
Also, before commencing the actual work, our systematic agent relocates all your furniture, electronics, and other valuables to a safer spot. Emptying the space where all the action is concentrated ensures that you do not ruin your possessions in the process.
Deploying Equipment Fit For the Job
Heavy-duty plumbing tools like a jackhammer helps in the slab excavation process. Our professionals undergo extensive training to rule out serious bodily harm and foundation damage while attempting to access the leaky pipe. Expert assistance is a must in the case of repairing slab leaks as we are trained in such precision work.
Hire a Trusted Plumbing Company to Deal with Slab Leaks
Trust the bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of New Orleans team, as we are adept at resolving your slab leak woes. Every plumber we assign to handle such challenging tasks is a specialist in this domain and effectively addresses all related concerns.
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