A slab leak is a water leak that happens below your home’s foundation. Slab leaks can cause a significant amount of damage underneath a home, leading to both mold and structural problems. The earlier you catch a slab leak, the easier it will be to repair. Here are some obvious signs of a slab leak that you may be able to catch before it’s too late.
Expensive Water Bill
Slab leaks are often not visible to the naked eye. Instead, one of the earliest signs that you have a slab leak will be an increase in your water bill.
Water prices fluctuate from time to time, so you need to look at the actual amount of water you’re using rather than the bill amount. If your water bill has gone up substantially without any change in habits throughout your household, then there is some form of a leak in your house. Even if it isn’t a slab leak, you need to hire a plumber to assess the situation as soon as possible.
Decrease in Water Pressure
If you have a slab leak, the water pressure throughout your home may decrease. The decrease in the water pressure of one room may indicate a leak inside your walls or within the structure of your home. But if the water pressure has decreased all over your home, water is more likely entering your home from an outside source.
Either way, you should contact a plumber who can figure out the reason for your decreased water pressure.
Warm Spot on the Floor
A warm spot in your floor may indicate that there’s a hot water leak somewhere in your slab. You may even see condensation building in certain areas of a hard floor. A warm spot is actually a good early warning sign because it indicates exactly where the leak is.
Sometimes you may not be the one to notice a warm spot on the floor. It may be a four-legged family member. Cats and dogs are often drawn to these warm spots, and they may start sleeping in those different areas.
Cracks in Tile
One of the first signs of this is cracks in the floor tiles. Floor tile will shift and crack if positioned over a slab leak as the slab itself begins to move. One of the reasons a slab leak is so dangerous is because a slab leak will eventually lead to the concrete foundation cracking and shifting. Other physical signs of a slab leak include cracks in the wall or near the floor trim.
Water Running
Do you hear water running in your home even when none of your faucets are turned on? If you’re frequently hearing water running, then water is running somewhere. If there isn’t a leak in your slab, it’s somewhere in your walls, floor, or ceiling.
Water Damage in Your Flooring
Warped hardwood or laminate floors are an early sign that the humidity in your foundation has increased dramatically – generally due to a leak. If you have carpeted floors, you may notice a musty odor. If you pull up the carpet at a corner, you may see mold growing beneath the carpeting, the padding, and the subfloor.
Water damage in your flooring is always a bad sign. It not only means that your flooring is going to have to be replaced but also that there’s a substantial amount of moisture in your slab already.
Once a slab leak is detected, it has to be mitigated as soon as possible. If you suspect that you have a slab leak, the time to act is now. Contact us at Justice Plumbing and call (817) 318-7932 for an at-home consultation.