6 Reasons Your Fort Worth Home Might have a Slab Leak

NCT Plumbing is a residential and commercial contractor that is passionate about delivering dependable repairs that bring honesty and integrity to your property. We are confident that we are the best choice for your plumbing services because no one cares more!

NCT Plumbing is a trusted Fort Worth company that provides many services including Slab Leak Detection and repair services. We proudly serve the communities of Denton, Fort Worth and Keller.

If you think you might have a slab leak in your Fort Worth home, contact NCT Plumbing today!

A slab leak is a plumbing issue that begins in the water lines running inside or below your home’s concrete foundation. Your pipes can weaken for a variety of reasons and these leaks usually start small.

But, if you leave a slab leak unattended, it could saturate the soil underneath your home causing the floors to become inundated and slowly cause the building to sink. If you want to prevent your property from suffering a similar fate then you need to know what signs to look out for:

• Lower than normal Water Pressure
• Strange Odors, like the smell of mould or mildew
• High Water Bills
• Damp Carpet/Wet Floors
• Unexplained sound of running water

Depending on the extent of the leak, you could come across serious water damage to your appliances, furniture and more. It is important to know how a Slab Leak is caused so you can properly monitor your property and avoid big and expensive issues later on.

Six Reasons You May Have a Slab Leak:

Faulty Pipe installation

If the pipes were dented or damaged during installation then that can lead to further problems later on. If your pipes are laid onto a rough surface with gravel, debris or rocks, it can create dimples in the line. Usually, copper pipes are at a higher risk of suffering from corrosion as they are naturally more vulnerable to the elements. In some cases, a slab leak may require replacement instead of repairing.

High Water Pressure

High pressure can cause the pipes below your slab foundation to shift, crack or collapse. Hot water pipes are especially at risk of friction because they expand as they warm up. To verify if the water pressure in your unit is too high you can purchase a water pressure gauge. This sort of gauge is designed to monitor the pressure in your water lines.

Decaying Pipes in the plumbing system

When pipes are installed in the foundation of a property they are often close to other underground pipes, rocks, and tree roots. As time passes, the friction between the earth and the pipe will build and create weak points. These points can deteriorate causing the pipe to burst or crack and ultimately leak water.

No matter how new the plumbing system was when it was first installed, with natural wear and tear, eventually, it will need to be replaced.

Expansive Soil Shift

The American Society of Civil Engineers found that 1 in 4 of all homes in the United States experience damage to expansive soils. A slow slab leak displaces water into the ground beneath your home. In some cases, wet spots can develop and erupt like geysers, flooding the property. In Fort Worth, the soil is prone to cracking and drying which could cause foundation-threatening soil shifts.

Check out our Slab Leaks page for more information!

Water Pipe Problems

As temperatures change your pipes will naturally expand and contract. This happens more with pipes that carry hot water because they are affected by the temperature difference between within and outside the pipe. Older pipes are more at risk of cracking or wear and tear which can eventually lead to slab leaks.

Pipe Material

Water that’s too hard (Acidic) or too soft (Alkaline) can be equally damaging to your property's plumbing system. Hard water can leave mineral deposits on your pipes which can affect the integrity of your pipes and cause them to corrode. Soft water can also be a problem because it will attract minerals as it travels through the pipes, which can cause pinhole leaks in your system.

If you think you might have a slab leak, read about how to detect a slab leak, or contact NCT Plumbing today!