Signs of a Slab Leak

A slab leak happens when a pipe underneath your house’s foundation begins to leak. Because you can’t see these pipes, you may not notice the leak until it's caused a lot of damage. However, if you know the signs of a leak, you can catch the problem quickly and possibly avoid expensive damage.

In the article below, we discuss some common signs that point to a slab leak, including:

Continue reading for more information on the slab leak symptoms.

If the pipes beneath your house’s slab develop a leak, you might notice an increase in your water bill. Leaks under your home’s foundation can result in a lot of wasted water, even if you don’t notice water damage in your house. Because these pipes sit below your home’s foundation, you probably won’t notice the water that comes from them. However, it’s likely driving up how much water your household uses.

Monitor your water bill month over month to keep an eye out for unexpected spikes. Even if you don’t notice any damp areas, upticks in water usage can be a sign that you need to set up a professional inspection.

Warm spots on your floor are among the most common telltale signs of a slab leak. If you walk barefoot and step on tile, wood, or carpeting that seems unusually warm, you might have a hot water leak underneath the slab. When hot water leaks out of the pipe, it eventually warms the concrete around it. This heat transfers to the subfloor and floor above it, eventually making its way to the surface and creating warm spots.

If your water bill suddenly runs higher or your water heater doesn’t keep up with your household’s demands, walk around barefoot. Look for any spots that are noticeably warmer. This might let you gain a general idea of where the leak is.

When water leaks underneath your house, it eventually accumulates enough to rise and saturate the subfloor and floor. This can cause visible changes, such as warped wood, damp or smelly carpeting, or changes in the grout color between tiles. If you don’t have an appliance leaking water, these changes might mean you have a slab leak.

In a lot of cases, slab leaks can cause mold or mildew to grow. This can result in noticeable smells, and it can cause health concerns like allergies. If you see signs of mold, it’s important to take care of it right away. That lets you avoid more extensive damage to your home and the costly repairs that might come with it.

A slab leak means that a lot of water gets diverted from your faucets and fixtures. You might notice the water pressure is different, especially if you have several faucets open at once.

If you have low water pressure in just one faucet, you might have a simple problem like calcium buildup. On the other hand, if you have low water pressure everywhere in your house, you might have a plumbing issue you don’t know about.

Slab leaks aren’t noticeable at first. However, after a while, the leak gets worse and starts to affect the water pressure. In other cases, the water pressure drops right away. Either way, you shouldn’t ignore the problem. You should call a professional right away. They’ll do a comprehensive inspection and help you figure out why your water pressure has decreased.

Another classic sign of a slab leak is the sound of running water. If you hear running water when there isn’t a faucet open or an appliance like a dishwasher or washing machine in use, there might be a leak. You might also hear something that sounds like a hissing noise, a whooshing, or a trickling sound, especially when the house is quiet. If you hear this, that might mean you have a slab leak.

To determine whether there’s a leak, make sure your faucets are closed and no appliances that use water are running. You should also make sure the taps outside are closed. Then, listen closely. If you can still hear the sound, water is escaping somewhere. This type of leak might be wastewater, which is a sanitation issue and can cause serious damage. You should call a plumber right away to schedule an assessment.