Why is a Slab Leak So Dangerous?

Slab leaks are among the least wanted home repair issues. These are leaks that occur in plumbing below the concrete slab foundation of your house, so they are not easy to fix. If your home does develop one, you need to fix it as soon as you can because the leaks bring with them the danger of rot and mold. Unfortunately, one of the main causes of slab leaks is something that many homeowners have no choice but to deal with: shifting soil.

As soils contract and expand in response to temperature and moisture changes, anything on top of the soils will shift. That includes your home’s foundation. If the soil shifts enough, the pipes running under the slab can crack, either through the pipe itself cracking or a leak opening up in a connection between the pipe and the foundation.

You can identify slab leaks by looking for one or more of the following:

• A hot spot in the floor — this usually indicates a hot-water pipe leak
• Unexplained mildew on your floors or under carpets and pads
• Sounds of water running or dripping when your faucets aren’t dripping
• Unexplained high water bills

If you know there’s already a crack in the slab, that’s something you should get inspected for plumbing leaks. Just having a cracked slab doesn’t mean you’ll find a leak, but it does increase your chances.

Water that’s left to leak, uncontrolled, leads to mildew and rotting materials. That can affect your health and the integrity of your home’s support structures. The longer you let a slab leak run, the more work will be needed to fix whatever’s gone wrong. Slab leaks aren’t always noticeable when they first start, which means they could have been going on for a long time by the time you notice them.

So if you think you have a slab leak, or if you just want to get an inspection to ensure all is still well with your home, contact us at (407) 275-0705. We’ve been helping Orlando residents stop slab leaks since 1969.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about slab leaks and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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