Leak Star Leak Detection Blog

Repercussions of Ignoring a Plumbing Leak

10/27/2017

Often, when we see a minor water leak, we ignore it. We take it less seriously thinking it's something we can easily fix. We don't call a professional right away until we've noticed something major has happened.

The bad news is it's often too late to make some easy repairs as the problem has quadrupled and has turned into something very complex. The good news is we have a competent group of repiping service experts who can get things done the right way.

Here are some issues you’ll surely expect when you ignore a water leak:

High water bills

Unattended plumbing leaks may cause a household to waste tons of water. For example, a continuously running toilet can waste up to 4,000 gallons of water every day. A faucet that drips once every second may also squander up to 8 gallons of water daily. Do the math, and you'll surely expect an increase on your bill by hundreds or even thousands of dollars per month.

Molds

One of the most serious effects of a water leak is mold and mildew growth. Molds can quickly spread throughout your home and can invade your furniture, carpet, and clothing. In some cases, molds can be difficult to get rid of and can also be costly. Worse, it can also lead to some serious health problems.

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More Common Signs of Slab Leaks

10/12/2017

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Leak detection is one of the most sought after and important services that plumbers offer to customers. Because the majority of the plumbing in a house is hidden, leaks are tricky to locate and repair. Worse, leaks can lead to structural damage, costly repairs, and high water bills if left undetected.

At Leak Star, we've seen some of the worst cases of water leaks, and chief among them is the slab leak. As noted in a previous post, a slab leak is a pipe leak that occurs in the concrete foundation of a home and can be found in the cold or hot water lines. Although pipes are buried for protection in thick concrete, they are not completely resilient to leaks caused by abrasion, corrosion, and ground-shifting. From slab leak Carlsbad down to San Diego, the signs are the same.

Slab Leak Detection

So how do you make an intelligent slab leak detection? Here are a few more things you should always be on the lookout for:

A higher-than-normal water bill
This easy-to-observe indicator deserves a second mention. Leaks would cause your water to run all day and night. So, if your bill is higher than expected and you're not sure why, a slab leak might be the culprit.

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OC Slab Leaks A Growing Concern

9/14/2017

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Slab leaks and water line leaks are always a potential problem and something homeowners are forced to deal with from time to time. However, Orange County, CA seems to have more than their fair share of these destructive plumbing issues. OC leak detection is a growing business these days with countless individuals looking to jump on the bandwagon.

What You Need To Know Before You Hire a OC Leak Detection Specialist

This leak detection boom is bringing in record numbers of trully unqualified individuals. A plumbing license is not required to provide leak detection. Be sure to check for a plumbing license when you consider hiring someone. It is important that the company you hire to do your leak detection understands the plumbing process. Leak detection can be complicated especially when you are trying to locate a slab leak relatively blind, under several inches of concrete.

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How to Locate a Ceiling Leak

8/28/2017

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Water leaks can manifest themselves in a variety of ways. Whether they originate from beneath a slab or from above the ceiling, all leaks require your immediate attention. They can lead to a variety of issues, ranging from humidity problems to severe water damage if left undetected.

One of the most common leaks found is a leaky ceiling. Like other types of leaks, ceiling leaks progress gradually, seeping into and saturating your drywall ceiling long before going noticed.

Ceiling leaks, just like slab leak detection Carlsbad, often require a plumbing expert’s assessment. Most typically, ceiling leaks will go undetected until you see the wet spots themselves, after the moisture has already soaked through to the bottom surface of the ceiling. Advanced tools are required to assess the scope of a leak and, most crucially, its origin point.

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Do You Need A Slab Leak Detection Specialist Or Will A Regular Plumber Do?

8/18/2017

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If you are an informed and savvy consumer and you have experienced a slab leak or any other kind of water pipe leak in your home, you have probably been doing your online research. Getting customer reviews, looking for the best price, etc. You have probably noticed a variation in prices from one plumber to the next. Why is that? Some are a bit more expensive. Why the difference and do you need a slab leak detection specialist in Ladera Ranch?

You should know that NOT all plumbers are qualified leak detection specialsts, but all qualified leak detection specialists should be qualified plumbers. Qualifed, that's an important word. There are plumbers of all sorts. Their skills can vary widely. There are the "handyman" plumbers. A handyman plumber is perfect if you have a hairball that needs to be removed your bathtub drain, or you have a dripping faucet or clogged toilet. Even in such cases you want to be sure that they are still qualified, they are licensed and have the proper equipment to do a complete job.

There are plumbers who are or who have been new construction plumbing contractors. They should have a deeper understanding of the plumbing of a building from the inside out. They should know what the plumbing codes are and apply them. A plumber of this caliber would also be capable of making the minor repairs described above. That may not be their specialty, but they are qualified.

Then there are qualified plumbers who specialize in leak detection. You should expect a leak detection specialist to not only be a licensed, qualified plumber, know the plumbing codes, and apply it, but they need to have the specialty equipment to perform a slab leak detection or any other leak detection inside of your home properly. They should be able to do this with out taking a sledge hammer to your walls or floor. There is no need for that.

You need a slab leak detection specialist in Encintas. Do NOT ever hire a plumber based entirely on their price. You will always get what you pay for. The nighmare stories we have heard from customers of plumbers who claimed to do leak detection would make you think twice about going the less expensive route. The cost in damage repair will by far ooutweigh the extra $50 you would spend for a qualified slab leak detection specialist. If a plumber doesn't have the proper equipment they will

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Repiping Your Home, Should You Do It?

8/10/2017

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Repiping your home, should you do it? Good question. You may have considered repiping in Carlsbad if your home is very old or you have had multiple plumbing leaks. Repiping in Encinitas is also a consideration for the very same reasons.

It is quite normal for older plumbing to start leaking. Pipes corrode over time and depending on the type of pipe that was used you might experience low water pressure due to build up narrowing pipes on the inside. Or simply joints become corroded and begin to fail.

In more recent years the problem has been copper pipes developing tiny pinhole leaks. The cause of this newer problem is believed by many to be the fault of corrosive additives in our water that corrode and pit the inside of copper pipes, eventually leading to these types of pinhole leaks.

In either case, repairs may be in your future. I specifically use the term "repairs", because in both these instances, this is not just a one time thing. Those problems whether due to age or chemical additives are happening all throughout your plumbing system.

A typical scenario goes like this. Plumbing leak is found, there may be water damage, it may be a slab leak under the concrete foundation. Drywall removal may be needed, repairs done, which could be a slab leak reroute of a single line. Then there will be drywall repair, possibly stucco & new paint at the least. Cabinets, flooring, furnishings could all be damaged. Those costs add up. Not to mention the distruption to your daily life.

Once repairs are made, believe it or not a few weeks later you experience yet another slab leak! This happens more often then you might want to imagine. So sad to see our customers have to go through the same experience that they did before. At this point you may chose to do another single repair or reroute to the single offending line.

The thing is, there are a minimum of 15-20 water lines running through even a small home. There are potential problems in any one of those lines. So at what point do you ask yourself, repiping my Carlsbad or Encintias home, should we just do it?

As leak detection and repiping specialists in Carlsbad and Encinitas, this is what we recommend to our customers. The first slab leak or water line leak, let's just fix it. If you have a second, still kind of up in the air. A third plumbing leak of this type, it's time to seriously consider repiping your Carlsbad or Encinitas home. It is no longer cost effective, nor does the time spent with your home in kaos make sense.

In the case of a smaller home after just 3 reroutes you will have surpassed the costs of completely repiping your home. We understand, the thought of repiping is daunting. Really it's not much worse than each single line reroute. It's going to take longer, but once complete, repairs to drywall made, than you can move on with your life. No need to worry when the next pipe will spring a leak. Just one less thing to worry about in your life.

Give us a call 760-519-8466. We will answer your questions, try to set your mind at ease.

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Pinhole and Slab Leaks Fixed the Leak Star Way

8/1/2017

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Water is a necessity inside the home and it's hard to live without it even just for one day. No wonder plumbing leaks are such an inconvenience in any household. Aside from the hefty bills you pay for the wasted water, the risk of having your property damaged is almost always imminent.

It just makes sense to hire a plumbing expert who knows and understands what he's doing. Fortunately, finding a quality repiping service Carlsbad has never been quick and easy.

Thanks to Leak Star Plumbing & Leak Detection.

Striving for excellence

For several years, Leak Star has continuously built a reputation for being a trusted plumbing company. Our scope is not only limited to plumbing repairs but we also specialize in plumbing leak detection. Some of the top plumbing issues we receive each year are slab leaks and pinhole leaks.

Slab leaks happen when the water lines under the concrete slab of your home leak. On the other hand, pinhole leaks are particularly nefarious nuisances that can occur anywhere. Even when signs of leaks are obvious, fixing them yourself is never easy.

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The Best Slab Leak Equipment Your Plumber Should Have

6/13/2017

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Slab leaks develop in piping beneath concrete, usually under a home’s foundation. This location makes slab leak detection somewhat problematic until the leak makes itself evident. Any kind of hidden plumbing leak whether in the wall or a slab leak require specialized tools to locate and then repair the leak.

Because slab leak repair Encinitas first requires locating the leaking copper pipes, precision equipment is necessary. A qualified plumber will always bring the best in slab leak detection equipment, including:

Infrared camera- This camera reads temperature variations and is the most valuable tool in slab leak detection. A skilled plumbing contractor will be able to locate slab leaks and water line plumbing leaks in walls and ceilings with this piece of specialized equipment.

Electronic amplification equipment- Also called the listening equipment, its sensitive sound sensors are designed to hear through layers of hardscape to locate the sound of spraying or dripping water. This conventional, standard device is also called the multi-sensor ground microphone.

Electromagnetic pipeline locators- Think radio antennae. These tools send out signals of electrons and allow the plumber to map out the pipe location under the slabs. They are extremely helpful when working with non-metallic pipes.

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Dangers of Slab Leaks You Need to Know

6/1/2017

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Slab Leaks rank among the most-feared home repair issues as they can be difficult to fix!

If a slab leak develops in your home, you’ll need to have a slab leak repair San Clemente expert fix it as soon as possible. A slab leak occurs beneath the concrete foundation of your house. If neglected, a leak of this kind can lead to serious problems, including the danger of rot and mold, or even cracks and holes.

Unfortunately, slab leaks can easily go undetected until they’ve already caused damage to your home. Serious potential issues that make slab leaks or any type of leak dangerous for your home include:

1. HEALTH ISSUES
Slab leaks that are not detected can surface above the concrete. Once there, carpet and drywall become wet turn them into breeding grounds for mold. Mold exposure can cause respiratory problems like coughing, wheezing, asthma attacks and other respiratory tract conditions. Children and the elderly can be at greater risk.

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Effects of Slab Leaks To Your Home

5/2/2017

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Treating your home and property with utmost care is every home owner’s priority. A water leak often a slab leak should be dealt with extreme seriousness. There can be different causes of water leaks below your home's foundation.

Where are these so-called “slab leaks” located? When do these water leaks occur?

A water leak under the slab occurs literally underneath the concrete slab of your home where a maze of water lines are found. Sometimes crowded and shifting soil or clay below the concrete can put heavy amounts of pressure in the concrete itself and cause the slab to loosen and crack giving way to a leak eventually.

More often than not, in the San Diego & Orange County areas, slab leaks and most other copper water line leaks are caused by a chemical reaction created between the copper pipe and the additives in our public water supply. This interaction causes copper pipe to literally erode from the inside. Small pits develop and as they grow they erode to the outside of the pipe, eventually creating a pin hole size leak which under pressure continues to grow.

Early slab leak detection is recommended, and expert slab leak repair San Clemente should be performed due to the following effects:

1.Extreme water damage to your home which will cost you more money in the end.

2. High electricity and water bills can also be prevented if slab leak detection and repair are performed early. Don’t wait once you suspect a water leak. You will save yourself a lot of money, time and frustration of dealt with early.

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