Noticed one of these and wondering if it’s a slab leak? Call or send a few details, and a local slab leak plumber will get back to you about checking it out.
The water bill jumped
This is the one most people notice first. Usage goes up and nothing in the house has changed: no new sprinkler schedule, no pool, no houseguests. A pressurized pipe under the slab leaks around the clock, so even a small one shows up on the bill.
You hear water running
The house is quiet, every faucet is off, and you can hear water moving somewhere. It might sound like a faint hiss in a wall or a trickle under the floor. Pay attention at night, when it’s easiest to hear.
A spot on the floor is warm
A warm patch on tile or concrete, especially one that seems to spread along a line, is a classic sign of a hot water leak under the slab. Pets sometimes find it before you do. See hot water slab leaks.
Damp carpet, swelling wood, or cracked tile
Water forced up through the slab soaks the carpet pad from below, cups hardwood, and lifts or cracks tile. If a baseboard is wet and nothing’s leaking above it, look down.
Water heater won’t stop running
If the heater fires up constantly, or you run out of hot water sooner than you used to, hot water may be leaking out under the floor as fast as the heater can make it.
Low water pressure
A big enough leak steals pressure from the rest of the house. If one shower suddenly feels weak and nothing else changed, that’s worth checking.
Mildew smell or water coming up
A musty smell with no obvious source, or water actually seeping up at the edge of the floor or in the garage, means it’s been going for a while. See water coming up through the floor.
Check the meter before you call
The fastest way to tell if there’s a leak at all is the water meter. Turn off everything that uses water and see whether it’s still moving. Here’s how.
Notice any of these? Call or send the details.