Not all leaks in your household occur in the same size and magnitude. Specifically, slab leaks are notorious for the damage they can cause to not only your concrete foundation, but also to floors, drywall and other areas in your home. To make things worse, they develop in places where they are extremely hard to detect without the help of professional slab leak repair services in San Diego, CA.
However, there are some ways to discover if you have a slab leak in a timely manner and avoid costly damage slab leaks can inflict. Read on to find out just what these include.
How do I find a water leak under a concrete slab?
There are a couple of reasons homeowners might suspect they have a leak in their slab. Unless you have taken precautions such as waterproofing your concrete foundation, here are some of the symptoms you can expect to see:
- A sudden increase in your water bill
- The sound of running water when all water sources are turned off
- Water gathering inside your home, especially near cracked tiles
- Your floor gets warmer in some areas due to leaking hot water
- The development of mold and mildew
- The water meter outside your home is constantly running
Be on the lookout for these phenomena, and if you want to be even more certain that you have a leak problem, here are the steps you can take:
Turn off faucets and water appliances
To check your water meter for signs of a leak, turn off every faucet and water-using appliance in your house. Don’t forget to shut down your irrigation system as well.
Open your water meter box
Water meter boxes are normally located near the front curb of your house in a concrete box. In order to open it, you’ll need a special meter box key. Alternatively, a flathead screwdriver will do.
Check the water meter for activity
Each water meter has a method for keeping track of water activity. They typically use a sweep hand (a clock-like hand covering the meter), a leak indicator (a small triangle, sailing wheel, or other object), or an odometer (a row of numbers). To check if there’s a leak, look for:
- A sweep hand that moves dramatically within a few minutes
- A leak indicator that keeps turning
- An odometer whose numbers are constantly rising
While this will tell you that you have a leak, it won’t be a direct indicator of a slab leak problem. Therefore, if you suspect that one is setting in, get professional help since plumbers have a special way of identifying slab leaks and handling them effectively.
Is there a tool to detect a slab leak? 
There are several pieces of equipment that are used to detect slab leaks. In general, you are most likely to come across the following three tools:
- Acoustic microphones: A plumber employs these to amplify the sound created by leaks in pressurized pipes and pinpoint the location of a slab leak.
- Pressure sensors: These search for temperature and pressure changes which point to the place where water is leaking.
- Video pipe cameras: These devices are commonly designed with a high-resolution video camera on their tip. Plumbers use these to inspect the interior of pipes and accurately establish if there’s a slab leak.
The top slab leak repair services in San Diego, CA always make the grade
Water damage is just one of our areas of expertise. Here at KIC Restoration, we also provide superb fire restoration, mold and asbestos abatement, as well as in-depth poria removal. Therefore, whenever there’s an emergency in your house, just give us a call and we’ll deal with the issue in no time.
You won’t find a more reliable team than KIC Restoration near San Diego Bay and beyond. Just reach out to us and we’ll make sure your home looks intact.