One of the plumbing issues you are likely to experience as a homeowner in Dalworthington, TX, is leaking. However, not all leakages are equal. You could say that there are leaks, and then there are slab leaks. Repairing the slab leaks is challenging because the slab leaks can result in severe issues. Unfortunately, some homeowners don’t even know what slab leaks are.
This article will guide you into slab leaks, their causes, and the signs. You will also learn the benefits of having the slab leaks repaired immediately you notice the signs at your home. At the end of this article, you’ll learn why a slab leak isn’t just any other leakage. You will learn why you must have a plumber inspect the plumbing system, especially those buried below the foundation and deep behind the walls.
What’s a Slab Leak?
The plumbing leakages come in various magnitudes and types, and slab leakages are trickier than most other leaks. Slab leaks arise when the pipes buried beneath your house spring leaks that begin seeping out through your slab. Whenever there is a leakage at your home, it is on a visible pipe without digging into your plumbing system. Conversely, slab leaks arise in the copper pipes beneath your home’s foundation. Hence, they can quickly result in severe damage before noticing the signs. Fortunately, the slab leaks are usually found in a short time. However, it does not take a lot of time for the slab leaks to damage that could eventually collapse the concrete foundation at your home.
Repairing the slab leaks is challenging because they arise at a spot where you aren’t likely to notice them in time. Unlike a leaking bathroom or kitchen, the slab leaks are hidden at a spot that could fester and result in severe damage. If you do not take due care of your slab leaks quickly, it could result in severe issues on your foundation and even encourage mold growth. Hence, it is critical to know the signs of slab leaks. But before that, let’s cover what causes slab leaks to ensure that you can take the necessary avert them in your home.
Causes of Slab Leaks
Just like most plumbing issues, several things might result in slab leaks. However, the essential thing is that you call a plumber immediately if you notice the signs of leaks at your Dalworthington, TX home to ensure the problem doesn’t worsen. Sometimes, the slab leaks can also be caused by damaged or incorrectly installed pipes. Other times, the shifts in the foundation of the ground exert pressure on these pipes, making them break or crack, resulting in a leakage. However, these aren’t the only factors that can cause slab leaks.
The main causes of slab leakages are abrasion and corrosion. Unfortunately, the two are hard to avoid. Copper pipes will ultimately corrode regardless of your actions to avert the issue. Whenever the pipes rub against gravel or concrete, abrasion will break them faster. A professional plumber can help you determine what caused a slab leak at your home to ensure that you can take steps to prevent it from ever arising again. Unfortunately, the issue generally comes back to abrasion or corrosion in one form or another.
Slab Leak Signs
Fortunately, if you are a keen homeowner, you can notice some telltale signs that indicate it is time to have a plumber come over for a slab leak repair.
Water Pools
One of the very obvious signs of a slab leak at your home is water accumulation in different parts of your house. After it runs off the spaces under your home, it escapes upwards and enters your house. Besides your kitchen and bathroom, you can also find water pools outside your house, such as on your lawn or yard. Whenever you notice this at your home, contact a reliable plumber near you to fix the leaks quickly.
Mold and Mildew
The growth of mold and mildew at any spot on your floor for a long time is a sign of a potential slab leak. If water accumulates and remains stagnant for long in an area for a long time, mold begins to grow at that spot. You could also notice that the spot is producing a foul smell. If you cannot notice the mildew or mold using your eyes, you can notice it through smell. Regardless, whenever you see spots of mold or mildew growing on your floor, enlist the assistance of a reliable plumber for slab leak repair.
Warm Flooring
Have you noticed some hot parts or spots around your Dalworthington, TX home? Then you should call a reliable plumber to come for a plumbing inspection. Hot spots on your flooring mean that the hot water pipes might have sprung a leak. This means that you could spend a fortune on energy and water utility bills, not forgetting the damages this could cause to your foundation. The exposure to heated water heats your floor. Unfortunately, feeling the warmth can be difficult if you have carpeted floors rather than wooden or tiled flooring.
Reduced Water Pressure
Leaks in your plumbing system result in reduced water pressure. Therefore, whenever you notice less water flowing out of your faucets and other plumbing fixtures, the culprit could be a slab leak. The water leaks take away the required pressure in your showers or taps. However, enlisting the services of a reliable plumber to fix the slab leak could see the pressure back to the required levels.
High Utility Bills
Has there been a sudden increase in your water and energy utility bills that cannot be explained in the recent past? The slab leak can be the culprit if you cannot justify the extra consumption. If there’s a slab leak, the water flows out into the ground night and day. Though the leakage might be minor, the continuous leakage will result in wastage of water. You could even hear dripping sounds when the faucets are off. Hence, if you notice a sudden increase in water and energy utility bills that you cannot explain, reach out to a professional and reliable plumber in Dalworthington, TX, to inspect the slab for leaks and repair them.
Damp Carpets or Warped Hard Flooring
Like the cold or warm spots on your flooring, if you notice water damage on your carpet or the floor, that is a clear sign that you might have a slab leak. It means water is coming from the leaking pipes under the slab, moving upwards. Hence, your carpet might remain wet while your valuable hardwood flooring continues warping. Whenever you notice this sign, enlist a plumber’s help promptly fix the slab leak.
Sprinkler Leaks
Do you use a sprinkler for gardening? Then you should thoroughly inspect them for leakages. Carefully inspect the irrigation lines and sprinklers. Is there water around them? Then that is a sign of a slab leak. The sprinklers and irrigation lines could be broken because of a slab leak. Hence, you should enlist the assistance of a plumber to inspect the plumbing, including the sprinklers, and if any slab leak is detected, they will take measures to resolve it.
The Importance Of Slab Leak Repair
As mentioned above, slab leaks are tricky and anything but a minor plumbing issue for your home. If they are left unnoticed for long, they could be detrimental to your home. Because they happen beneath, they can remain undetected for a long time. The pipes are hidden from view, making it highly difficult to detect the slab leakages.
If a slab leak isn’t detected on time, it could result in severe and irreversible damage. Whenever you notice either of the signs above, enlist a plumber for a slab leakage repair. Ignoring the signs will only make the problem more serious, something you could regret. Below are some of the reasons why you should have a plumbing expert fix any slab leaks immediately you see the signs:
Avoid An Irreversible Damage to Your Home’s Foundation
One of the serious issues with unnoticed slab leaks is they result in significant damage to your home’s foundation, and this is a situation that you don’t want to be in. It could cost you a fortune to hire a plumber to repair the leaking pipes below the slab. Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter what your home’s foundation is made of, steel or concrete; they cannot withstand the severe damage from a slab leak. This has a direct bearing on the structural integrity of your home.
Whenever a slab leak arises, the leaking water creates pressure that may shift your home’s foundation. One of the best ways of spotting the early signs of such is being on the lookout for the apparent cracks at the base of your home. If the cracks aren’t fixed immediately, they might become larger or deteriorate later so that your house’s foundation might begin showing signs of collapsing. Hence, undetected slab leakages that a professional plumber doesn’t address in Dalworthington, TX, could damage your entire house.
This is why the professionals recommend that if your home is over 30 years old, you should watch out for the signs of slab leaks to have it fixed immediately. Remember that the slab repair costs are much lower than losing your house because its structural integrity is damaged. This might happen if the damage to the slab or foundation is irreversible. Hence, do not think of the short term; instead, consider what’s more valuable to you in the future.
Avoid Huge Expenses
Enlisting a plumbing service provider in Dalworthington, TX, for a slab leak repair immediately you notice the signs may save you a fortune. If you delay enlisting the professional help of a plumbing expert to fix the slab leaks, the problem becomes more pronounced, meaning that you’ll have to pay more for an issue that could have been quickly fixed at a cheaper price. If the problem becomes more pronounced, there are many other costs besides the plumber fees that you might have to incur.
Slab leak repair might be highly expensive if the leakage is detected late. This is due to the fact that besides the damaged pipes, the cost will further escalate. Unfortunately, if the repair costs are over a certain amount, they might not be covered by the home insurance company.
Slab leakages might damage some critical parts of your home like furniture, carpets, tiles, and other expensive equipment. Additionally, your toilet fittings might also be damaged should the slab leak remain unnoticed for an extensive period. Such expenses put a strain on your bank account or wallet. Therefore, if you do not enlist a plumber for a slab repair, you might have to spend more money on it than if you had contacted the professional earlier.
Avoid Health Issues
Besides the damage to your house and the expensive costs you may incur because of a slab leak, health is the other reason you should enlist a plumber to fix the slab leak in your Dalworthington, TX home. If the slab leakage isn’t repaired on time, it could harm your family’s health. This is primarily because of the mold growth that happens when water accumulates beneath the foundation. Mold spores cause various respiratory complications such as sneezing, coughing, and wheezing. It also takes a toll on people with respiratory preconditions, such as asthma.
Your Plumbing Professionals In Dalworthington
Slab leaks aren’t just any other type of leak. They have dire consequences if left unchecked for long. Therefore, you should watch out for the signs above and immediately seek the help of a plumber when you notice any. But instead of reacting to this serious plumbing issue, why not take a proactive approach? Enlist a professional plumbing company for routine maintenance and inspections of your plumbing systems. DO you need any plumbing repair, inspection, or maintenance? Call our reliable and licensed plumbers at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth today.