Common Signs of a Slab Leak

Don’t have a crawl space? This means that it was built on top of a concrete slab. If you’re house is single story then the plumbing pipes were roughed in as the concrete slab was poured. So just realized most of your home’s main pipes and lines are actually located underneath your home. This at the time simplified the building process for routing supply lines, but just realize that if leaks occur they can go undetected for long durations of time and cause major damage.

Being aware of the common signs of slab leaks can help you save time and money, you can address the issue earlier on, maybe mitigate the extent of the damage, and hopefully save yourself in future costs of repairs. In short, those signs of a slab leak are an increase in your water bill, water on flooring/around your home, mold, and mold.

Your Water Bill Has Shot Up

If you’re the type of home owner that checks their water bill, you’re likely to notice spikes in your water usage that you’re being billed for. Because a slab leak means water is running all hours of the day, you’ll certainly see a spike in your water consumption. The amount may vary depending on the size of the leak, but any large change in your regular water bill is worth investigating as a potential slab leak.

Reduced Water Pressure

If there is a leak in your home’s slab foundation, you sometimes may notice that the water pressure being less than normal at some of your faucets. This is due to some major leaks can reduce the static pressure charged in your supply line water pipes.

Hot Spots in Your Floor

Most often leaks in slabs are from hot water lines. When the hot water leaks out through the slab this can cause the flooring above the leak to be warm or even hot if you touch it. If you’ve noticed that some areas of your flooring feeling slightly warm when you walk on it, this should be investigated as a possible slab leak. This will be most noticeable on solid flooring types (basically anything other than carpet).

Wet/Discolored/Warped Flooring

When leaks are severe enough, they can also cause damage to your flooring. If you have carpet in most of your rooms be on the lookout for unexplained damp spots and/or a darkened appearance. On hardwood, linoleum, and laminate type flooring, you might notice that the floor has a warped appearance or has some discoloration that is localized to one area.

Mold or Mildew Smell

With slab leaks it’s common for moisture to get trapped underneath your floors. This can lead to mold and mildew growth, which may result in a noticeable musty smell in your home. These mold spores can be dangerous to your health, but also mold can easily spread to walls, closets, and other rooms in your home.

In the event mold and mildew spread and cause widespread damage, it may have to replace flooring, drywall, and other affected areas. This, of course, can be costly for the home owner.

Hearing Rushing Water

If you think you hear a rushing water sound try turning off sources of water in your home (faucets, dishwasher, washing machine, etc.). Then listen for rushing water carefully. If you still hear water running through the pipes, this is a surefire sign of a slab leak that needs to be addressed as soon as possible. It’s also possible that a toilet that constantly runs could be the cause, so if you’re unsure you may want to have it properly diagnosed by a plumber.

Water Pooling in or Around Your Home

There may be cases where there’s pooling of water from a slab leak inside or outside of your home. If you do see water pooling around the outside of your house on an otherwise day where it hasn’t rained, this should be investigated as a possible slab leak. Also be on the lookout for standing water inside your home, especially if it’s on the main floor and located nearby plumbing appliances like your washer and dryer.