5 Warning Signs of a Slab Leak

When you build your home on a slab foundation, plumbing pipes beneath the foundation can leak into the basement or crawl spaces.

Unfortunately, slab leakage can happen even to the most diligent homeowner since some leakage causes can be beyond your control, such as ground movement, old plumbing, or frequent earthquakes.

Slab leaks can weaken a house's foundation if left undetected for a long time. Fortunately, a few telltale signs can help you address the issue on time to prevent significant damage. Here are five warning signs that you may have a leaking slab.

1. You Notice Lower Water Pressure

If you experience unexplained low water pressures in the pipes connected to your bathroom or kitchen, the cause is likely a continuous slab leak.

A plumbing leak in the main water line feeding your home can leave you with insufficient water for your household needs and further damage your slab. Even a tiny slab leak can lead to a significant change in your water pressure.

Make sure you pay attention to your water pressure when you take a shower or wash your hands to stay on top of slab leaks.

2. You Notice Higher Water Bills

Mysteriously high water bills with little or no changes in your monthly water consumption could mean a serious slab leak. While you can expect some fluctuations during certain seasons, high water bills over a short period are a sign of a potential slab leak.

You can check your foundation to see if you can spot any leaks above ground. If you can't spot any water, chances are you have a leak beneath your subfloor that could lead to serious foundation damage.

3. You Notice Warmer Areas on Your Floor

If some sections of your floor feel warmer than others, your hot water pipe may be leaking into and under the concrete slab, causing the floor to warm up in different areas.

Older homes usually have a hot water slab leak due to deteriorating plumbing and sediment buildup. In addition, you can detect warm spots on hardwood floors, linoleum, tiles, or carpeted floors.

Other warning signs of a leaking hot water line include loose tiles or small warm water pools collecting on your floor.

4. You Notice Moisture In and Around Your Home

When a leaking slab worsens, water will seep through walls and floors since the leaked water has nowhere to go but up. Sometimes the water can also spread outward and collect at the exterior base of your home.

You may start to notice unexplainable puddles of water on your floor or moisture droplets on your walls, confirming a continuous slab leak. This is a clear indicator that the slab leak is so severe as to cause significant damage.

5. You Notice Foundation Problems

Put simply, water is a powerful agent and can affect the integrity of your foundation with increasing pressure. For example, a severe leak beneath your floor will affect the soil where the slab rests, forcing the floor to heave, sometimes to an extreme degree enough to lift parts of your foundation.

A severe slab leak can also manifest through cracks on the foundation itself or interior and exterior walls. If you notice cracks, fissures, or slightly raised floor areas, chances are the leak has worsened with time, so be sure to act as quickly as possible.

If left untreated, slab leaks can quickly create more complications, including unwanted mold and expensive foundation damage. Get in touch with Art Douglas Plumbing Inc. today if you have any reason to suspect a slab leak. We can help diagnose, locate, and repair leaky pipes before they cause further damage to your home.