For one, household leaks collectively waste 1 trillion gallons of water per year in the United States. On average, each household wastes about 10,000 gallons of water per year.
Leaks are wasteful and cause property damage and other problems. The urgency to fix a leak becomes multiplied anytime you’re dealing with a slab leak.
What are slab leaks? Why is slab leak detection so important? We have the answers that you need. Here’s a crash course on slab leak detection that’ll help you out.
What Is a Slab Leak?
A slab leak is a leak that happens beneath your home’s concrete foundation. A foundation consists of solid, well-laid concrete that sits on top of sturdy copper pipes. When those pipes leak for any reason, it creates a slab leak deep in your home’s foundation.
Slab leaks vary in degree, but always deserve your attention when they occur.
What Are the Dangers of Slab Leaks?
Slab leaks can create big problems with your property. When you understand the severity of these problems, you’ll act quickly to get the issue under control.
Here are a few reasons that slab leaks pose a problem to your house:
Slab Leaks Breed Mold and Bacteria
A slab leak deserves your undivided attention because your foundation will soon become a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. There are more than 100,000 different mold species, including acremonium, fusarium, and Alternaria. With these fungi lurking the longer water sits on your foundation, your home is at a greater risk.
Mold that is unchecked can spread to the rest of your home, creating potential skin irritation and respiratory issues. Since this moisture sits close to the Earth’s soil, it will also invite pests and other forms of life into your structure. Nipping a slab leak in the bud keeps your home sanitary and prevents it from being overtaken by foreign bacteria.
It Can Create Spreading Water Damage
The longer the slab area of your house is allowed to leak, the further you can expect water damage to spread. This will potentially permanently damage the building material of your home. Water will eventually spread to your belongings, creating other types of damage and total losses.
These leaks become unpredictable and difficult to manage when they are buried so deeply into your home. It takes a professional to quickly pinpoint the source of the slab leak followed up by action.
Your Foundation Is at Risk
Perhaps most importantly, a slab leak puts the integrity of your home’s foundation in jeopardy. Your entire structure is built on the quality of the foundation, so it compromises your entire house.
You’ll inevitably need to get some serious foundation repair work if the leak isn’t fixed ASAP. People pay an average of about $4,700 for foundation repair, and these costs get as high as $30,000. Protect your foundation at all costs by nipping these issues in the bud.
Foundation Damage Can Wreck Your Property Values
When your foundation experiences damage, it decreases your property value. The foundation is essential to your home, so you can’t expect your home to hold much equity with a bad foundation.
Since your home is a large piece of your wealth and financial portfolio, protect its value by finding and containing the leak.
How Can You Detect a Slab Leak?
Now that you understand more about slab leaks, you have to learn how to detect them. There are some signs you can pay attention to that might point to slab leaks, such as:
- Your water bill is becoming unusually high
- The foundation has puddles of standing water
- You hear water dripping
- The water pressure in your home is low
- Your foundation and floors are starting to swell up
- The walls and ceilings are cracking
- You see mold or smell mildew
These signs are among the most common that you’ll find. When you’re noticing two or three of these signs, you almost certainly have a leak somewhere. Consider these signs as you learn how to detect a slab leak, but always leave the final diagnosis to a professional.
How Can You Work With a Slab Leak Repair Company?
Look for a company that can handle your leak detection and slab repair. After you’ve noticed some signs, a plumbing company will come out and run tests to make sure they find the source of the leak. Choose a company that you can put trust in based on their background and experience.
These professionals should have several years of experience in the business, along with an extensive understanding of slab leaks. Check out the company’s business license, and whether or not they’re members of the Plumbing, Heating, Cooling Contractors Association of America (PHCC) and other organizations.
After you’ve found the most vetted and qualified plumbing pros, they’ll inspect your slab area and then quote you a price for the work. These initial consultations aren’t free due to the level of work involved, so ask upfront about the slab leak detection cost.
You’ll generally pay between $125 and $400 for slab detection services.
Handle Your Slab Leak Detection
As you can see, these tips are valuable for anyone in need of slab leak detection services. Tackle these points step by step so that you’re in a better position to keep your foundation dry and take care of your home as a whole. Never hesitate to reach out to professionals that can handle every bit of the work for you.
In the meantime, rely on us if you’d like to learn more about home improvement and getting the most out of your property.
