{"id":665,"date":"2021-11-15T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-15T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/?p=665"},"modified":"2025-04-29T09:23:27","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T13:23:27","slug":"what-slab-leaks-major-problems","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/plumbing-service\/what-slab-leaks-major-problems\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are Slab Leaks? Are They Major Problems?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/slab-leak-crack-in-foundation-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Visible crack in concrete slab, a potential sign of water damage requiring slab leak detection.\" class=\"wp-image-666\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/slab-leak-crack-in-foundation-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/slab-leak-crack-in-foundation-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/slab-leak-crack-in-foundation.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>One of the most important jobs that plumbers do for homes is to locate hidden leaks. Leaking pipes not only waste water, but can also cause significant damage to building material and lead to the growth of dangerous molds. Unfortunately, many homes experience hidden leaks, and these leaks often remain disguised for too long. To avoid long-term damage and high utility bills, it&#8217;s crucial to know <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/plumbing-service\/when-do-need-call-plumber\/\">when to call a plumber<\/a> and schedule timely <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/plumbing-service\/reasons-home-low-water-pressure\/\">water leak detection<\/a> services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And no type of hidden leak is trickier or more potentially damaging than the <em>slab leak<\/em>. So to answer the second part of the question in the post title first, yes, slab leaks are major problems. You\u2019ll need the help of expert plumbers with the best tools to locate and repair them.&nbsp;For additional advice on managing plumbing issues, consider <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/plumbing-service\/is-it-a-diy-project-or-do-you-need-plumbing-contractors\/\">if it\u2019s a DIY project or requires plumbing contractors<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now we\u2019ll go deeper into what slab leaks actually are \u2026 as well as how you might tell if your <a href=\"\/service-areas\/green-hvac-plumbing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">plumbing in Green, OH<\/a> has them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Slab Leak Basics<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A slab leak is any pipe leak that occurs below the granite foundation slab of a home. Although you might think that any pipe buried in granite would be safe from damage that might cause leaks, there are numerous ways for slab leaks to start:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Chemicals in the water can cause pipes (even copper pipes) to corrode with time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The pipes can move around, causing abrasions with the granite. This is more common in the hot water lines, which change size when they heat up.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shifts in the ground can put pressure on the pipes and cause them to break.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Because you can\u2019t see the pipes down in the granite slab, you\u2019ll have to look for other warning signs of slab leaks. Here are the most common indicators:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unusual behavior from the water heater, such as turning on at times when there is no hot water demand. This is due to leaking hot water lines, which account for 80% of slab leaks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cracks on the basement floor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Warm spots on the floor.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Extremely high water bills.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re facing unexpectedly high water bills, it could also indicate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/plumbing-service\/extremely-high-water-bills-may-have-a-hidden-leak\/\">hidden leaks causing excessive water waste<\/a>. If you suspect a slab leak, check your water meter. Don\u2019t use any water in the house for an hour, and then recheck the meter to see if it\u2019s increased. If it has, you have hidden leaks somewhere, possibly slab leaks, and need plumbers on the job. In situations like these, especially if water is visibly affecting interior floors, it\u2019s worth reading up on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/plumbing-service\/why-is-water-coming-through-my-kitchen-floor\/\">why water may be coming through your kitchen floor<\/a>\u2014a red flag often tied to overlooked slab leaks that require immediate attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Slab Leak Detection and Repair<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you bring in our plumbers for slab leak detection, we\u2019ll use special equipment to pinpoint where the leaks are happening. These devices include acoustic listening discs, thermal scanners, and video pipe inspection equipment. Once we\u2019ve found where the leaks are located, we can determine the best way to repair them. We won\u2019t necessarily have to use a jackhammer to get through the granite and reach the pipe. In some cases, we can use lateral technology to create a pipe bypass around the damaged area.\u00a0\u00a0Learn more about why even small leaks shouldn\u2019t be ignored by reviewing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/plumbing-service\/a-plumbing-leak-can-waste-a-lot-of-water\/\">how a plumbing leak can waste a lot of water<\/a>, reinforcing the value of early <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/plumbing-service\/situations-that-require-expert-plumbers-to-help\/\">slab leak detection<\/a>. Learn more about related issues, like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/plumbing-service\/why-is-water-coming-through-my-kitchen-floor\/\">why water might be coming through your kitchen floor<\/a>, for a comprehensive understanding of potential plumbing problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you live in an older home, we may recommend more extensive repairs: repiping. This will help stop future leaking issues, not only in the slab but in other parts of the house. You can trust that we\u2019ll look out for your best interests and always offer you honest advice. We\u2019re a family-owned business and we know how to look out for families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"\/contact\/schedule-service\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Look to Crown Group Ohio to help with your plumbing needs.<\/strong><\/a><strong> Your Comfort Experts Since 1963.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>No type of hidden leak is trickier or more potentially damaging than the slab leak.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[96,98,118],"class_list":["post-665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-plumbing-service","tag-green","tag-leak-detection","tag-slab-leak-detection"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=665"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/665\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1314,"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/665\/revisions\/1314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.crowngroupohio.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}