Ultrasonic Listening, Identifying House Leaks

It’s one thing to notice a leak in your house, and an even more difficult thing to locate the source of the leak if behind walls or under floors. It can involve ripping out walls and tearing out floors, and that’s a mess. It has to be done so the leak can be stopped and fixed before it causes even more damage. But if your home is built on a concrete slab, the job of identifying the source of a leak with plumbing encased in cement, is an even more difficult job.

Slab Leaks

In California, many houses are built on concrete slabs given that state’s water table levels. So, if you are a homeowner in California, a slab leak in Sacramento is very likely. And even the smallest leak in a pipe can cause lots of damage and cost you lots of money in unused water.

A leak under or encased in a concrete slab can erode the dirt creating air pockets. The air pocket will only get bigger and bigger as time goes by and more and more water seeps deeper and deeper under the house. This could potentially cause the concrete slab to crack and even break. One way to know if you have an invisible leak is to check your water bill. If you see a spike in the amount, and you haven’t filled your swimming pool or done excess law watering, you may have a leak. In the case of a slab leak, this may be the only way to tell you have a problem.

Detecting the Problem

Slab leaks are not the job for your average plumber. Instead, look for a plumbing company that specializes in finding a slab leak in Sacramento. These companies are trained in leak detector diagnoses and use special equipment with an ultrasonic listening devices. They use a digital radio detection pipe line locator to check all pipes and valves in a house or business, and then create a map of the entire plumbing system.

Once the leak is identified in the slab, the repair work begins. First, the crew will tape off the area floor to ceiling with heavy-duty plastic. Things will get dusty and this way household furnishings will be protected. The crew will cut through the concrete slab with a concrete wet saw. With a sledge hammer and chisel they will break up the concrete and carry away. Then they will dig around the leaking pipe and clear the area for the repair. The easy part is fixing the leak with new copper or PVC piping. Once the repair has been tested, new concrete will be mixed and the area filled in. The plastic will be taken down so the wet concrete can dry and cure properly. Once the concrete is dried sufficiently, flooring can be replaced. If the floor had been carpeted, the carpet can be rolled out and retacked around the edges. In the case of hardwood floors or tile, the entire floor may need to be replaced.