A meter check
A running water meter gives the first clue. With every fixture and appliance off, a meter that still turns means water is escaping, and the plumber can confirm a leak exists before anything is opened.
Leak Detection and Slab Leak Repair in Caldwell
Is the water bill climbing, a wall damp or a patch of floor warm? Any of these can mean a hidden leak, in a wall, under a concrete slab or in the pipe between the meter and the house. Leak detection locates it before a floor or wall is cut open.
The ways a plumber locates a leak, how slab leaks are handled and what follows once the leak is found are set out below.
How a hidden leak is found
Pressure tests
A section of pipe is closed off and a gauge is watched. If the pressure falls, that run is leaking, and the plumber has narrowed the search down to it.
Listening gear and thermal imaging
Acoustic microphones hear water hissing out of a pipe, and a thermal camera reveals warm or cool patches in walls and floors. Between them they mark where to open up.
Slab leaks
Pipes under a concrete slab can leak while the floor feels warm, the carpet is damp or the meter turns with everything off. Opening only the spot that was located is less work than opening the whole floor.
Fixing the leak
With the leak located, the plumber can repair the pipe in place, replace the damaged run or, where several sections are failing, talk through repiping the house. Finishes on walls and floors are put back by other trades.
Leaks between the meter and the house
A leak in the pipe between the meter and the house can show as a meter that turns with everything off or as a soggy patch of yard. The plumber traces which stretch of the line is leaking.
Pipes that keep leaking may need repiping, active flooding needs an emergency call, and the full list of services is on the homepage.
Call for a free plumbing estimate
Call us to discuss your current issue and how we can assist you. The call is free and you get a free, personalized estimate with no obligation. We're here to help.
Call (855) 321-3426