What Causes a Slab Leak?

Despite what you may have heard in the past, not all plumbing leaks are visible to the naked eye, and we don’t just mean that they’re hiding behind your walls – leaks can happen anywhere, including under your home’s foundation!

While all problems with a home should be addressed by homeowners immediately, slab leaks are considered to be one of the more serious, which is why it’s so important to understand everything there is to know about them – what causes them, how to detect them, and what to do if you have one.

Today, we’ll start with the first – what causes a slab leak? (Check back later this week for a discussion on how to detect them and what to do if you find one) 

Slab leaks can be caused by a number of things, but more often than not, they happen if there was damage after installation or because a house starts to shift on its foundation. Of course this is not all though – some other possible causes include:

  • Soil corrosion. It’s only natural for the pipes under your home to come into contact with the soil that’s also under your home, but unfortunately chemicals within the soil don’t always get along so well with the pipes. As a result, pipes can begin to corrode, and thus, leak.
  • Pressure. When the ground or your home starts to shift, your pipes are bound to experience a little pressure. However, while pipes are strong and can withstand a lot of things, too much pressure can really take a toll on them and cause them to leak.
  • Poor construction. It’s not just damage that you have to worry about after pipes are installed – damage can also occur during construction and installation too if they are not installed properly. This is a huge reason why it’s so important to always work with professionals who provide quality work and guarantee their services!

Since water damage from slab leaks can be very troublesome, we encourage all homeowners to have the number of a plumbing professional on hand at all time. For our readers in Orange County, California, we at Barker and Sons Plumbing & Rooter are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and slab leak repair and detection is one of our specialties!

If you suspect that your home has a slab leak, just give us a call at 714.630.8766. Regardless of whether it’s day or night, someone will be available to personally assist you!