Leakages are a plumbing issue that wastes a lot of water in the United States every year. According to the EPA, they waste about a trillion gallons of this precious resource annually. Identifying and fixing any leakages promptly is critical to saving money and water. The water lines supply water into your toilets, faucets, showers, laundry areas, and other parts of your Odessa, FL home. Unfortunately, they are prone to cracking and bursting, resulting in a water leak that might need immediate fixing by an emergency plumber.
One of the most dangerous leaks is a concrete slab leak, which isn’t uncommon. They arise whenever the pipes that run below your home’s foundation spring a leakage. Unfortunately, this is a plumbing issue that might take you a while to notice. Hence, it results in high water utility bills and more significant water damage. But what are some reasons you might be facing a slab leak?
Pipe Electrolysis
The next reason for the slab leaks is because of electrolysis. However, this commonly affects the copper pipes. It is a plumbing issue that arises whenever the water lines made from copper disintegrate or break down. Remember, the residual direct current flows through your home’s grounding wire to the water piping under your home’s slab foundation. The electrolysis of copper piping results in their disintegration and decomposition, making the water gush out from the water lines. This is a plumbing emergency that is better dealt with by an emergency plumber. You also might find an electrician handy to prevent the ground faults that might cause electrocution.
Poor Installation
The poor craftsmanship when installing the pipes is among the leading causes of slab leaks. This is bound to happen if an unqualified or inexperienced plumber laid the pipes and other plumbing fixtures below your slab or foundation. This is the worst mistake a homeowner can make and might quickly result in a plumbing emergency in case of a slab leak. Unfortunately, some homeowners either knowingly or unknowingly hire unqualified plumbers or DIY enthusiasts to save some money.
Unfortunately, this might prove catastrophic when the slab leaks emerge, prompting them to enlist the help of an emergency plumber. The quack will hurriedly and poorly fix the piping. This makes the pipes have dents or even bend soon after the installation. These bends and hollows might lead to large dimples in the pipes buried under the slab, resulting in leakages.
The slab leaks caused by the dented and bent piping are often mild and hard to notice for a homeowner. You can only see them whenever the signs start showing, which is too late, and the damage might already have happened. These signs include wet patches and mold growth on the flooring. Whenever you notice mold growth on your floors, immediately call an emergency plumber to inspect the waterlines, pinpoint where the leakage is, and take the necessary corrective measures.
Shifting Foundation
Homeowners in Odessa, FL, may experience this plumbing issue because of the shifts in the foundation. Your home’s concrete slab might move whenever the ground/earth moves because of a hurricane, tornadoes, earthquakes, or even floods. This issue might also be occasioned by the expansive soils that feature minerals that absorb water and expand.
In this case, how much the soils expand depends on the water-soaked in the soil. However, the pipes contract when the content of soaked water is low. Have you noticed any wet spots on your walls or flooring? You should enlist an emergency plumber’s services to inspect, diagnose, and repair the underlying problem.
The water lines and the connections beneath the concrete slab wends and become weak with the soil movement below the foundation. As the piping and piping connections weaken, your water lines spring a leakage. Slab leaks might result in serious changes in soil volumes, prompting costly repairs by a reliable and experienced plumber.
Piping Materials
What are the materials making your water line? How robust is it? There is a high probability that you know less about your water line, especially if you are the kind of homeowner that doesn’t value maintenance. The plumbing pipes made from copper, galvanized steel, cast iron, and brass have a high probability of corrosion. However, the metallic pipes can last longer if they aren’t exposed to hard or acidic water.
The chemicals in the hard water, such as magnesium and calcium, might contribute to the corrosion of the water lines. The rusting will result in pinholes and pipes bursting, resulting in mild and severe leaks. Whenever you notice any signs of a minor slab leak, immediately contact an emergency plumber for a prompt repair to prevent the issue from escalating into serious floods that can cause serious water damage.
Using Old Piping
The residential and commercial property owners that don’t invest in repiping and pipe relining their water lines are at a higher probability of experiencing slab leaks. If your home is forty years old and above, it most likely has copper or galvanized steel pipes at risk of corrosion. If you promptly contact an emergency plumber for a replacement or repair, they’ll fix the slab leak effectively before it causes more damage. Hence, to err on the side of caution, you must ensure that you have a plumber inspect the water lines and repipe them if they are made from corrosion-prone pipes. The professional can use new non-corrosive pipes such as PEX, PVC, and CPVC during the repipe.
Concrete Abrasion
Slab leaks can also be caused by scratching the water lines and concrete. The water lines that pass through a concrete slab and were sleeved incorrectly by an emergency plumber with no experience might develop scratches. Over time, this scrapping might erode the copper water piping, resulting in a slab leak. Abrasion of the water lines is highly common in heated water pipes since they contract and expand whenever the hot and cold water passes through. The persistent contraction, scrapping, and expansion of the water lines result in pinholes. Eventually, this results in a slab leak.
Your Reliable & Prompt Plumbing Professionals
Water lines are critical because they deliver all the water used at your home. However, they aren’t immune to leaks, but slab leaks are the worst. They aren’t easily noticeable because the pipes are buried deep below, and it is too late when the signs finally manifest. Have you noticed the signs of a slab leak in your Odessa, FL, home? Call our emergency plumbers at Holistic Homes today.