There
are many things in life that can be ignored, a slab leak is not
one of them!
Finding a leak in the Water Line
Slab
leaks occur in two places, either the incoming water line,
which is under pressure or the sanitary sewer line which
is not pressurized.
If
your slab leak is constant and spreading it is probably a
pressurized water system leak, an unusually high water
bill is also a sign of a pressurized water line leak, which
can be seen at the water meter if the center circle or triangular section
is spinning or turning. Leaks may become apparent if moisture
becomes evident, however some leaks are absorbed by the the
ground or spread under the house throughout the sand fill
layer and therefore never seen. The water system in your
house starts where the main water line comes in, generally
next to the water heater, where copper pipes split off the
main line and run in the slab to each branch of the house
and then split off to each fixture / toilet, sink, tub, etc.at
which point the copper pipes go into the walls to each fixture.
All of this copper pipe can develop pinholes. Often the culprit
is electrolysis caused by copper pipe touching the rebar in the
slab. The electrical current created causes a pinhole in the copper
pipe.
( see Corrosion and Magnesium
Anodes for more information on this subject)
To find your water line leak look for water or moisture in the
house or use sounding equipment to narrow the search. When the
leak is located...
Pinpoint the leak :
- Cut the two walls where the copper piping runs through and
locate the pipe coming out of the slab,
- Cut the section of copper pipe and cap one end, attach an
air gauge to the other end,
- Fill the section of pipe with air,
- If the air gauge moves downward, and air pressure drops, you
have found your leak.
|
| The best method to repair a slab leak from a water line is
to reroute the entire section of copper pipe. This is done by placing
another section of copper pipe into the walls where the original
section ran and capping off the line from the slab. The new pipe
is then run overhead from the fixture into the attic and brought
down to the main line, completely bypassing the old section of
pipe. Traditionally with slab leaks the first thought is to break
up the concrete and repair the copper pipe, but with this new method
there are several benefits:
- The slab is not compromised by breaking it
apart,
- No concrete dust is spread throughout the house
while breaking up the slab,
- The floor finish is not ruined,
- No possibility of repeated problems with the
same section of pipe.
|
|
