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Slab Leak

A leak under the slab won't show up as a puddle until real damage is already done underneath, so get it checked as soon as a warm spot or a jump in the water bill shows up.

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When this becomes an emergency

What a pro does

Finding a slab leak starts well before anyone touches the floor. A plumber uses acoustic listening equipment to trace the sound of water moving through pipe buried under concrete, narrowing the search to a small area rather than guessing at a location. Pressure testing on the line helps confirm there's an actual leak and roughly how large it is. Homes built on a slab foundation, common across many newer Iowa subdivisions, run copper or PEX supply lines directly under the concrete, so a pinhole leak in a copper line from age or soil chemistry is a common cause. Once the leak is located, the plumber can usually access it by cutting a small section of the slab rather than opening the entire floor. In some cases, rerouting the line through a wall or ceiling means the slab doesn't need cutting at all.

Frequently asked questions

A slab leak often stays hidden under concrete for weeks or months before enough water finds its way to the surface. The clearest early clues are usually a warm spot on the floor, a running-water sound with everything off, or a water bill that climbs for no obvious reason.
Not usually, though it shouldn't be ignored for long. The bigger risk is water undermining the soil beneath the slab over time or seeping into areas it shouldn't, rather than the leak itself threatening the structure in the short term.
No. Acoustic and pressure testing narrow the leak down to a small area first, so the access point stays as small as possible, and in some situations rerouting the pipe through a wall avoids the slab entirely.
Copper pipe corroding from the inside or from soil chemistry outside the pipe is the most common cause, especially in copper lines installed decades ago. Shifting soil, common with Iowa's freeze and thaw cycles, can also rub a line against gravel or concrete until it wears through.

Slab Leak?

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