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Slab Leaks.
Many homes are built without
a basement or crawlspace, instead locating the larger
comfort systems (HVAC, water heaters, etc.) in the attic
or utility rooms. These homes are supplied with water
in the same manner as others, but the waterline penetrates
the home through the slab, or the solid concrete foundation
on which the home is built. The main waterline generally
penetrates the slab at or near the water heater, but branches
out underneath the slab to different parts of the house
to feed the home's plumbing fixtures, jutting up through
the slab at each location and supplying the faucets, toilets,
etc. In older homes, the waterlines were made of gray
poly (see "Water
Line Repair" section), and were subject to
constant problems. Being buried in the ground under the
slab, the gray poly lines would frequently burst or split
due to contact with rocks, or suffer similar problems
due to temperature changes. But most of all, it was due
to gray poly's inferiority as a product. Copper pipes
were also used under some homes, and were less prone to
leaks. Often times, leaks on copper waterlines under the
slab were attributed to the pipe not being properly wrapped
or protected. Regardless, water leaks under the slab were
problems for obvious reasons, with access to the pipes
being impossible without destroying sections of the home's
foundation.
When a slab leak occurs, the most common sign is a dramatic
increase in your monthly water bill. On occasion, if a
hot waterline is the culprit, you will feel a temperature
increase on the floor while walking in bare feet. Whether
the break is on a hot or cold line, leak detection (see
"Water Leak Detection"
section) services will be necessary to determine the exact
location of the leak. We offer this service at a very
competitive rate, and will work the cost into the cost
of the repair. Leak detection requires very specialized
equipment designed to pinpoint water leaks in almost any
location within a home. The equipment is very accurate,
usually within inches.
Once the leak has been successfully located, accessing
the leak is the next step. To do this, Any flooring in
the area must be removed, stripping down to the bare concrete
slab. Cutting or jack hammering of the concrete is then
necessary to open a hole around the leak. Even then, the
waterlines are buried to a depth up to 18 inches. After
digging down to the waterlines and clearing away the mud
caused by the leak itself, the repair can be made. After
this is complete, the lines are pressure-tested to ensure
proper operation. The repair is then wrapped, and the
dirt is filled back into the hole. We then re-pour the
concrete that was removed, leveling and smoothing the
surface flush with the surrounding floor. After this new
concrete is allowed to dry, the flooring can be repaired
or replaced as necessary.
At times, drain lines under slab homes suffer breaks as
well. This is often due to faulty initial construction.
The drain lines sometimes separate or crack. The problem
usually presents itself as a clog or slow-draining fixture,
and can only be located with a drain camera. With the
camera, the exact location of the problem can be determined,
and the slab removed as with a waterline leak. The repair
process is similar; fixing the piping, filling the hole,
and concreting back over the spot, smoothing it out again.
Before the concrete is re-poured however, we camera the
newly repaired section once more to ensure that all repairs
were successful. We then test the line with water to check
for leaks. Once everything is covered up, the flooring
may be repaired.
All slab leak repairs (on copper pipe) are warranted for
12 months as usual. However, gray poly leak repairs cannot
be warranted due to the faulty nature of the product.
Once it begins to fail at any point in the home, more
leaks usually follow within a short amount of time. We
recommend that a complete house re-pipe be performed to
rectify this problem, as repair costs will quickly exceed
the price of fully replacing all the water piping in the
home. For the price of about two or three slab leak repairs,
all the lines in the home could be brand new and fully
warranted.
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Save More Money
Take Advantage of This Special Offer When Fixing Your
Home Water Line
or Sewer Line.
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Written Estimate.
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