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Should You Cut The Drywall or Break Up Your Floors To Repair a Slab Leak

5/2/2019

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On occassion we are just left standing with our mouths hanging open watching people try to save a few bucks by doing it their own way. For some reason a few despite our excellent reviews, chose to ignore our advice based on decades of plumbing experience. In a few homeowners minds it is better to break open their floors to make a slab leak repair than to cut a few holes in the drywall because they think they can save a few dollars.

We charge $2250.00 for a single line reroute. That is completely abandoning the failing line and rerouting a brand new line. We have not cut into a floor in 25 years, but still some believe they know better. In their defense there are still some insurance companies who recommend it.

Slab leak detection is a complicated process which includes an understanding of how a homes plumbing system may have been installed originally. Since no one can see through a concrete slab we rely on highly sensitive listening equipment. We can actually hear the sound of a leaking pipe spraying. That sounds simple enough, but consider that there are may be as many as 20 pipes running under the concrete slab of an average 3 bedroom, 2 bath house. As you can imagine, these pipes can parallel each other or even pass over each other. 

We have had some crazy stories when it comes to slab leak detection. Two pipes running closely together, both making quite a bit of noise, but one louder than the other. It might be concluded that it was the pipe making more noise that was the offender. That would be wrong. It was the quieter pipe making less noise. Water under pressure was spraying from the pinhole leak hitting the pipe nearby. Water shooting through a hole or water at high pressure hitting a metal pipe. Do you see the potential problem?

Vibrational sound from a water leak carry. Those traveling sounds can be heard in some of the strangest places, even across the house. But with expertise, the offending pipe can be pinpointed with a great deal of certainty.


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Slab Leak Detection

1/14/2019

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A hot spot on the floor immediately makes you shudder. A quick search on Google will tell you that this is very often an indication that you have a slab leak. You shudder again wondering how on earth is slab leak detection performed and then again, what about the slab leak repair once it's been located.

Let us assure you right from the start, that we are not going to be jackhammering up your floor in order to find the water leak in the slab. A slab leak is usually in reality under the slab, in the dirt, with the occasional leak appearing in the concrete itself in locations such as where the water line makes its way up into the interior of your home.

We specialie in leak detection and the technique we use when doing a slab leak detection requires very specialized equipment to listen and see through the concrete slab. 


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Understanding Slab Leak Repair

11/22/2018

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Slab leak repair
As a homeowner being told you have a slab leak it fairly unsettling. If this is you, then we want to help you in understanding slab leak repair. There are many misconceptions and misinformation out there. In fact insurance companies can give you really dated advice.

We want to clear all of that up for you. It's important that you fully understand the slab leak repair process because it will not only save you time, but added stress and even costly repairs of the demolition that some plumbers may tell you is needed.

Always hire a real plumber. Slab leak repair is not a job you should ask your handyman to do. This plumbing job requires an understanding on plumbing beyond that of changing out a garbage disposer or even a toilet. There are 20-30 pipes running under your concrete slab and it is really important to know exactly which pipe has sprung a leak. Poking exporatory holes all over literally making stabs is not necessary. A water leak in slab is not a job for anyone other than someone who is a slab leak specialist. They should have specialized euipment that with skill will narrow down the problem before any cuts are made.


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What To Expect In A Leak Detection

11/8/2018

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You think you might have a slab leak and you need to find a leak detection specialist. But what does that mean, what will they do? We want to prepare you for what to expect in a leak detection.

There are a few different types of leaks that might be encountered, but in this article will will focus on slab leaks. These are leaks that are located below the concrete slab of your home.

One of the most common indicators that home owners will notice is a warm spot on the floor. Especially if it is new, this is almost always a sure sign that a hot water pipe is leaking under the slab and is what we call a slab leak. A hot water slab leak can actually be seen using an infrared camera like shown in th picture to the left.

Unfortunately there won't be this obivious indicator if you have a cold water line leaking under the slab. You may be suspecting a slab leak because of an increasing, unexplainable water bill. Then the obvious and most problematic is when the water from below finds it's way up into the interior of your home by way off expansion cracks or where water pipes literally penetrate the cement slab.

​So, how on earth will a slab leak like this be located?


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Slab Leak Detection Doesn't Require a Wrecking Ball

10/3/2018

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"It only cost half of what the other guy wanted to do the slab leak detection and then they wanted to tear up my driveway in order to fix the slab leak." (Taken from an actual Yelp review) That is not uncommon to hear from our customers. Sadly there are some real hacks out there who claim to be plumbers. In fact there is even a video of someone demonstrating how to to do a slab leak detection, tearing up someone's concrete slab with a pick and hammer first then a small jackhammer. It took him a couple of days to locate the leak!! Do NOT listen to this person whether homeowner or plumber or even attempt to do it yourself.

A water line repair under the concrete slab doesn't mean you must tear up your floor, so stop worrying. A qualified plumber will be able to quickly perform your slab leak detection and do the repiping of a new line in less than a day, without ripping up your beautiful floors. In fact if you chose to use Leak Star, it will be over before you know it and with minimal damage to your drywall.


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Slab Leak Repair Options

9/1/2018

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Slab leak repair options
You have just been told you have a slab leak. Now what? You are probably envisioning a massive hole right in the middle of your livingroom floor in order to access the water line leak. Let us assure you, there are more than one slab leak repair options.

Insurance companies often will only cover slab leak repair and that ishaving  your plumbing contractor jackhammer up your floor. Why? We aren't guite sure, but they do. A leak under your concrete slab can be repaired by this method, but there are far less invasive slab leak repair options available to you. Having your floors torn up is extremely invasive.

Don't think you are stuck with the nightmare of an option and still get your insurance company to cover the cost of repairs.

One of the options is a procedure called epoxy coating. To explain it simply,


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Fair Price For A Slab Leak Repair

8/16/2018

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Fair Price For A Slab Leak Repair
Prices for slab leak repair vary quite a bit and you are likely wondering what is a fair price for a slab leak repair? There are several factors you will want to consider.

The first would clearly be the reputation of the plumbing companies you are getting price quotes from. Look for companies with an excellent review history. In that review history, you will find lots of information, like ability to complete the job as promised on time and for the price quoted. Did they arrive on time or notify you in advance of a delay? Were the knowledgeable? Were the experienced? Were they curtious and careful of previous customers needs? How much damage did they do? Did they clean up? 

Damage done is a very important concern. You may get someone who gives you a very low quote compared to the others. There is truth to the saying, "You get what you pay for". We strive to do as little damage as possible to our customers home. Sloppy and excessive drywall cuts can add up to expensive drywall repairs. So cheapest isn't always the best option in the long run and will probably end up costing you more, not to mention frustration and headace.


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What Is Repiping?

8/10/2018

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Repiping
If you have experienced a slab leak, then you have likely had a reroute. A reroute is the bypassing of a single failing line. So what then is repiping? Repiping could be losely applied to the rerouting of a single failing water line locate under the slab, but usually repiping is applied to all of the old water lines in the house being abandoned and new pipes being run.

You may wonder then, when would you need to consider repiping as opposed to rerouting. If you have had more than 2 water leaks in your plumbing pipes, whether due to a slab leak or a leak in the pipes running through your walls or ceilings, then it is probably time to start thinking about our repiping service for your home.


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What Is The Hot Spot On My Floor?

7/11/2018

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Infrared camera showing hot spot on floor from slab leak
You are here because you are asking, what is the hot spot on my floor. Likely you are suspecting that you may have a plumbing leak below your concrete slab floor. A slab leak is a very likely assumption. But before your call for slab leak detection Encinitas or slab leak detection in Carlsbad, let's consider a few things first.

There are a couple of other possibilites that it could be. As odd as a couple of these possibilites may sound, we have been called out to do a slab leak detection, only to find one of these. The sun shinning on the floor warming it up, the refridgerator motor blowing warm air on the floor and even a large dog napping on the floor, leaving a warm spot. I know what you are thinking, but people have paid us our slab leak detection charge to find out that they had just walked barefoot across the warm spot left behind by snoozing fido.


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Do You Need A Slab Leak Repair

6/29/2018

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Do you need slab leak repair is probably the first thing that crosses your mind upon finding wet carpet in your bedroom. Or maybe you have found a hot spot on your bathroom or kitchen floor. First call a "qualified" leak detection specialist who has the knowledge, equipment and experience to locate a slab leak.

Never trust anyone who comes into your home and tells you right off that you need to repipe your entire home without even doing any investigation. Unless you have had 1 or 2 slab leak repairs previously, repiping you entire home likely isn't needed. That explains the reason for the picture to the left. What does it have to do with slab leak repair?

If you hire a qualified leak detection company, they will be able to narrow down the precise leaking pipe responsible for your slab leak even if it can't be seen. Our specialists use the latest technology. Infrared cameras and highly sensitive listening devices. 

Once the offending water line is located, our team will abandon that line, run a new line, usually making just a handful of drywall cuts in the process. You should not need to move out and the job should be complete that day. 

From time to time, you will hear of concrete floors needing to be cut up in order to make the slab leak repair. In Southern California is a rarity to need to do that. Not that it never happens, but it is rare. I'm sure you would prefer a few drywall cuts as opposed to having your floors torn up and having a jackhammer in your living room. Sometimes insurance companies prefer tearing up the floors as opposed to a simple repiping of a single line. If that is the case, we have been very successful working with our customers insurance company.

Here is a slab leak repair done through an opening in the concrete floor. Another reason we do not recommend this is this.....only a very small section where the actual leak was happening. In our experience, once a copper line begins to fail, it will fail elsewhere along the same line sooner or later. That is why we recommend abandoning that entire length of pipe.

Give us a call
760-458-8958. We will be honest with you and give you a fair price. Check out our reviews in the column to the right.

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