Slab Leak Location & Repairs in Frisco, TX

Slab Leak Repair McKinney

Have you been told, or do you suspect that you may have a slab leak?

Slab leaks are one of the most specialized plumbing services in the industry. Because of this, it can often be an expensive fix. Some companies “specialize” in slab leaks, but this does not necessarily make them the best. We find a lot of specialized slab leak companies are the “ambulance-chasers” of the plumbing industry. At Earl’s Plumbing, we’re unapologetically unfiltered, and we call it as we see it. If you’ve got a licensed plumber that’s only willing to do the big jobs, do you really want to work with them?

At Earl’s Plumbing, we do our own leak detections and locating work. We don’t rely on a 3rd party provider that specializes in leak detection and location services. We purchased our own leak location equipment so that we would not have to wait two to three weeks for a 3rd party provider. In many instances, we can do the leak detection, testing and leak locating the same or the next day that you call. If you suspect you have a slab leak, please give us a call!

Does Insurance Cover Slab Leaks?

The answer is: sometimes. Some insurance covers slab leaks and some do not. Before you move forward with slab leak repair, please ask your homeowners insurance provider the following question:
Does my policy have the required endorsement for coverage of slab and foundation-related damages caused by water leaks from both water lines and sewer breaks?

Surprisingly, about 35-40% of the homeowners that we do work for do NOT have this important endorsement. It typically costs less than $100 for the year to add the endorsement to your policy. Our owner, Brant Stacey, has a policy through USAA for only $75 for the year. This policy covers up to $15,000 of excavation or “access work.” Any interior home damage to flooring and furnishings should be covered by the regular homeowner’s policy.

Because we believe in calling it like we see it, we typically see the bigger, more well-known insurance providers cause the most problems for homeowners. They’re less likely to inform you of the slab leak or foundation endorsement and are more likely to issue denial letters. Their payouts are also typically smaller. One advantage of a bigger insurance company, however, is they tend to have more policies. Regardless of who you go with for your homeowners insurance, be sure to do your research, and make sure your policy has the slab leak or foundation endorsement.

The important takeaway here is that before you have a major problem and significant out-of-pocket expense, get yourself covered. A typical slab leak repair runs between $5,000 and $20,000 with the average being somewhere in the middle. And that’s just for the plumbing work part! Without the endorsement or coverage on your homeowner’s policy, this could be your out-of-pocket expense.

Signs and Symptoms of a Slab Leak

More often than not, a true slab leak doesn’t appear inside the home or cause damage to the interior of your house. In fact, it’s rare that a slab leak makes it to the interior surface before you know that something is not right. A slab leak will eventually show up on the interior of your home if left untreated, but you will likely notice one of these signs first:

High Usage Utility Notice – If your normal water usage jumps considerably, you will likely get a notice on your door or in the mail, making you aware of the need to identify and correct the problem. This notice has a fairly low threshold, so it could be something as simple as a leaking toilet. No need to hit the panic button just yet.
Water Bill – Sometimes, the first sign is your water bill shooting up in cost. A slab leak will usually indicate a $300 to $800 increase in your water bill from the previous 2-3 month average. But before you hit the panic button, consider changes to irrigation and pool usage.

Hot Spot on Floor – Seventy percent of slab leaks occur on the hot-side water lines. An unusual hot spot radiating through the floor that wasn’t there before is a telling sign. This is more noticeable in the colder months and on tile and wood floors than carpet. Oddly enough, pets seem to congregate and lay on these spots.
Running Water Sounds – Sometimes, you’ll hear faint sounds of hissing, spraying or running water when no fixtures are being used. This is usually more noticeable in the evening as things quiet down. Usually, this can be heard in the walls behind tubs & showers but also under cabinets through the shutoff valves. If you have a tankless water heater and/or a hot water circulation system, make sure that you don’t mistake this system working during its programmed times.
Water Meter Dial – If your water meter is registering usage (dial spinning or digital meter counting up) but no fixtures are being used, then this could be a sign. Don’t be overly alarmed because this could be registering other leak-related items that are far simpler to repair.
Flooring Damage & Differences – Wood flooring boards will start to swell and/or lift up becoming uneven and exposing the sharp edges. You will also see cupping and peaking as the wood boards expand with moisture absorption. Tile floors might be damp, puddling, and/or the grout will be darker than normal.
Exterior Symptoms of a Slab Leak – Another fairly obvious sign is standing water or muddy spots usually near the edge of the home or in low spots of the yard that never seem to dry. Sometimes the leak has progressed to the point where visible water might wick over the edge of the slab directly under the bottom row of bricks.

Testing, Diagnostics and Locating of Slab Leaks

The Visual Inspections

The initial process for a slab leak determination when it’s not obvious usually consists of a series of tests on the different parts of the waterline system. We need to rule out all other leak possibilities that are far less costly to repair. That is done by isolating and narrowing the scope along with a multiple system pressure test.

About 99% of the time, our techs are going to start by checking the most likely and easiest to identify source of potential water loss. That is typically going to be visual observations of the water meter, toilets, toilets tanks, interior faucets, water heater(s) and hose spigots. At that time, they would also take a quick assessment of any shutoffs that may be problematic for a full test to be performed.

Always Check The Meter

If the water meter is still moving after we’ve shut off all the water, there are a few more steps we need to take, including:

Isolate the irrigation system from the mainline and shut it off.
Shut off the main water shutoff valve. This lets us separate and isolate everything inside and under the house from the main waterline, AKA, the yard line.

If after all this, the water meter is still moving, we’ll head for the next step.

Static Pressure Tests

Our next step will be to perform a static pressure test on all of the domestic water lines in and under the house. To do this, we attach a pressure gauge to a fully functioning hose spigot. Then, we allow the home to fill with water. This may require more water shutoffs in the home.

Then, using the main water shutoff valve again, the house would become isolated. Any drop in pressure would then indicate a leak. A true slab leak is indicated by pressure falling immediately and steadily until it reaches zero. This test is performed for 20 minutes, and sometimes multiple times to rule out water heater and hot water line leaks.

Slab Leak Location in Plano, TX

For our slab leak locating service, Earl’s Plumbing uses the same leak detection equipment and processes as a well-known nationwide franchise that specializes in just “leak location.” Most plumbing companies outsource slab leak detection. In fact, we used to do this, but it could extend the project by up to three weeks. Now, we have the training, specialized equipment and expertise to perform slab leak detection in-house.

The leak location begins by listening for and finding the loudest two points in the house. It’s called a “points test.” Once this is identified, a frequency transmitter is attached to the water line. This produces a specific frequency that another locator device senses and detects. Understanding this locator and its various readings allows you to create a “blue tape map” of the water lines on the floor.

From there, we use acoustic leak detection equipment to listen through the slab. The best way to describe this is an amplified stethoscope. We have some controls to adjust sensitivities and measurement meter that allows us to gauge the loudest spots. The accuracy is largely based around the operators’ skills and experience but also how directly we can get our device and probes over the buried water line.

If the leak happens to be located inside a concrete beam and/or spraying in a different direction, it can be harder to pinpoint. In addition, the size of the leak and volume of water as well as the flooring type, cabinets, walls, and fixtures (tubs and showers) can all play a part and possibly interfere with getting an exact location. Our goal is to be exact but as long as we are within two to three feet, we can make that work.

It should be noted that we will occasionally be using other devices and methods to pinpoint the location. The most common are:

Compressed nitrogen – this gives a different sound than spraying water
Infrared thermometers – used to get temperature readings and differences
FLIR thermal imaging – used to see heat & cold differences behind structures

It’s very rare, so rare that we’ve only seen it twice, but occasionally there is a second smaller leak on the system that doesn’t present itself until the first leak is repaired. Therefore, the initial repair quotes will always have some language that allows for additional repairs steps and pricing flexibility.

Slab Leak Repairs in McKinney

Earl’s Plumbing makes slab leak repairs in three different ways, and all are dependent upon the situation and location of the leak. These three time-tested processes are the only ones that we know definitively address and permanently correct & repair the leak problem. Those three are listed below in order of preference:

1) Tunnel Excavation to Point of Leak

Tunneling is used in about 85% of the slab leak repairs that we complete. The reason that this is the preferred method is because:

Timing — It’s usually the fastest method start to finish. It is usually one full day to excavate plus the repair & testing and then a half-day to backfill.
Seamless execution – other than a huge pile of dirt in the yard and some weird noises and talking coming from under the house, you’d never know we were there. There is minimal to zero in and out traffic.
Reduced exposure for unintended damages – what this means is that when you’re jackhammering concrete, there’s the possibility that interior damage could occur. The biggest unknown and possibility is the accidental cutting of a post-tension cable that could add several hundred to the total. This method reduces that risk.
Far less mess and cleanup – with any tunnel job, there is going to be dirt from the excavation. However, there won’t be any concrete dust from the jackhammer and patchwork. There also aren’t any flooring repairs.

Possible Complications

There are some unknowns that cannot be determined until the work begins that create difficulties, thus affecting the final price is:

Soil conditions – excess brick, rock, shale, or sticky clay
Beam locations – how many beams have to be transversed and/or if the leak is located inside the concrete beam requiring us to chip and cut concrete away.

Tunneling may sound crazy and hazardous, but other than the confined space and limited airflow, it’s really not that bad. Typically, on longer tunnels we bring fans in to push and pull air into the excavated area so that the high temp torches will reach their max ability. The other issue is water accumulation, which sometimes requires pumps to remove the water. Regardless, we’re equipped to handle the job.

2) Concrete Slab Penetration and Excavation

The second most likely option for a slab leak repair is via a slab penetration. This is typically less than 15% of the repairs we make because of the many inconveniences that go along with the job.

This requires the removal of the flooring in that area (which may already be damaged) along with jackhammering a hole through the concrete slab. Once the slab is removed and hauled away, an excavation is usually required to get to the pipe that is leaking, and that is all dependent upon the location of the leak and the entry hole. It’s rare that excavation work is not required, especially if the leak is under a wall, cabinet or on one side of the beam when we’re trying to avoid flooring damage that is unaffected.

Although a tunnel repair is usually the best option, a slab penetration might be better for the following reasons:

The cost of a slab penetration is less or considerably less than a tunnel. This is usually due to distance and starts to come into play at or around 20 linear feet.
When the flooring is damaged and/or is being replaced.
When cabinetry is damaged and/or being removed / replaced.

Slab penetration repairs typically take longer to complete. Depending upon numerous factors, a slab penetration is at least 3 days and sometimes 4-5 days spread out. Factor in the flooring repairs and you could be in for a very intrusive couple of weeks. We do our best to keep the area clean, but dust tends to come off of the slab penetration, no matter what.

Other factors and unknowns that may affect the total price for the insurance provider or the homeowner during a slab penetration that need to be considered:

Allergies – if you’re allergic to dust, this option is probably not the best for you as a multi-day hotel stay would need to be considered.
Deep cleaning will be required upon completion and may need to be done by a 3rd party that specializes in this type of work.
Accidental damage or cutting of the post tension cable system – sometimes these cables can be identified, and their location approximated but it’s not 100%. Sometimes these are stacked too close and/or crossed and when you factor in cabinetry and walls the tunnel option may be better OR the only realistic option. Although rare, in the likelihood this happens, this will typically delay completion by 2-4 days and add as much as $1500 to the job’s total.
Depending upon location, there may be several days or weeks that a particular room is unusable, making it necessary to stay in a hotel and/or eat out. This may also require furniture to be removed and stored.

3) Waterline Reroute

Waterline reroutes are really only realistic in single-story homes. And even then, much consideration must be given to how many fixtures may get dropped and need to be included in the reroute. Each fixture drop will require multiple drywall patches performed by a third party, adding additional costs and logistical work for you. This process also usually requires tile removal. This is certainly not our preferred method, but it’s something we’re capable of performing.

Choose Earl’s Plumbing for Frisco Slab Leak Detection, Location and Repair

Whether you have a slab leak or not, we’ll be the ones to help you every step of the way. We’re always honest about the real problem your home is facing, and we’ll fix it right the first time. If you’re in the Frisco, McKinney or Allen area, give us a call!

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