Discovering a leak in your home can be very difficult to locate especially if it’s suspected that the leak is under a slab or concrete. But a professional plumber has the tools that are needed to detect these water leaks.

Finding that leaky pipe under that concrete (and then fixing it) can be a problem, it just depends on where it’s located. But rest assured that it can be detected and repaired.

Some homeowners prefer to do some investigating on their own before they call in a plumber for their leak detection services, so here are our recommendations on how you can detect any water leaks that may be occurring under concrete in your home.

We will assume that you have already determined that you do actually have a leak and that you simply suspect that it may be under a slab or concrete floor.

Signs Of A Leaky Pipe Under Concrete

Here are 7 signs to look out for that may help you to narrow down the location of that leaky pipe under your slab of concrete.

  • Cracks in the concrete is an obvious one and should be easily detected with the naked eye.
  • If you place your hand or bare feet on the concrete and feel that it’s damp.
  • If you hear what sounds like rushing water behind the wall or underneath the floor.
  • If you feel a “hot spot” on the concrete which may indicate that hot water is leaking out of a pipe.
  • Soggy carpeting or damaged flooring that is sitting on top of the concrete.
  • Check the baseboards as well to see if they are wet or damaged in any way.
  • Mold or mildew may begin to propogate around the damp area.

If you identify any of these then it’s highly likely that you do indeed have a leaky pipe underneath the concrete. The next step then is to get the problem fixed.

Repairing Water Lines Under Concrete

Getting that leaky pipe under a slab or concrete can be difficult depending on it’s location.

If it’s a slab or patio that’s outdoors, a Trenchless method might be the best solution.

What Is Trenchless Pipe Repair?

The trenchless pipe repair method is simply the process of inserting a new pipe into the old pipe and then pushing it through. This is done using one of two methods:

Trenchless Pipe Bursting

Wikipedia describes “pipe bursting” as “…a trenchless method of replacing buried pipelines (such as sewer, water, or natural gas pipes) without the need for a traditional construction trench.”

Basically, once the hole is dug at the beginning of the pipe, an expander head is attached to the new pipe and it’s then inserted into the old pipe and pushed through which in turn “bursts” the old pipe and at the same time replaces it with the new pipe.

Trenchless Pipe Lining

In this second method, instead of pushing a new pipe through the old one, a flexible tube that is coated with resin is either blown or pulled into the old pipe and then inflated.

Once the resin hardens, it essentially creates a new pipe within the old one.

Yes, the pipe itself will be slightly smaller in diameter (approximately 1/4 of an inch) but our experience is that this will not affect how your sewer lines operate to remove the waste from your home or office.

Both of these trenchless methods allow us to repair the broken pipelines without having to dig up the yard or concrete patio, or driveway, etc. Both are equally effective in repairing your damaged pipes.

It’s a cleaner and lest costly method than the traditional sewage line repair process.

For more information about trenchless pipe repair – click here.

Jackhammering Through The Concrete

If a trenchless method is not a feasible method to fix that leaky pipe then what is left is to go through the existing concrete to get to that pipe in order to seal it or replace it.

This normally requires a jackhammer to drill a holl through the concrete for access.

Of course, anything above that concrete (carpeting, wood floor, vinyl, etc.) would have to be removed.

This is, naturally, not something anyone wants to do simply because it will cost more to do the job and then replace what was damaged. But sometimes it is the only solution available.

Again, detecting and fixing a leak under concrete isn’t always difficult – it just depends on the location of that leak.

If you have any questions about detecting water leaks or suspect that you have a leak, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.