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Did you know there are almost half a million plumbers in the United States? Did you know they do more than just fix a clogged toilet?
In fact, they can help with a variety of issues that could potentially ruin your home. A slab leak is one of those problems.
A slab leak is what plumbers call leaking pipes that are hidden in your home’s foundation, usually under concrete or stone. As you might imagine, not fixing this problem can lead to serious damage and fixing this can be tricky. But since these pipes are hidden, just finding the leaks in the first place can be complicated.
This is why plumbers use a variety of slab leak detection tools to help pinpoint the problem and fix it. In this article, we will discuss some of the equipment a plumber could use to help you.
Video Inspection Tools
One of the best and most popular ways to find a leak is to use a “snake” as plumbers call it. This is basically just a long tube with a tiny camera on the end that plumbers can insert into a faucet or other pipe entrance in the house.
Then they just feed the tube down through the pipe and see where it goes. Since there is a camera on the end, they use a monitor and can see the insides of all your pipes and will be able to see any leaks or blockages.
Listening Discs
We have all heard that bathroom sink leaking in the middle of the night before, right? Well, pipes that are leaking below the surface of your home also make a sound, it is just too quiet for you to notice.
Plumbers use listening discs, which are basically like a stethoscope for your foundation. They can hold it up to a wall or floor and it will amplify any sounds coming from within. This way they can hear exactly where the leak is, or if everything sounds as it should.
Thermal Scanning Equipment
Water in pipes is usually either hot or cold, but once it leaks out it becomes more room temperature. By using thermal scanners, plumbers are able to check the temperatures in your foundation and visibly see where the leaks occur.
Electromagnetic Pipe Location Tools
Kind of like a bat’s echolocation, plumbers can send electromagnetic waves that bounce around the pipes and send back a signal that lets them know what everything looks like. Metal pipes can be tricky, but this method is great for other materials such as PVC pipes.
Slab Leak Detection is Not Easy
There are many ways to find a leak in your foundation, but as you can see they all require specialized equipment that you probably don’t have. Slab leak detection is a delicate process, and you will need a plumber who knows what they’re doing.
Don’t waste time trying to rent a snake to check the pipes yourself and just end up making things worse. If you have a slab leak, you need to get it fixed immediately. Just contact us and we’ll help you figure out how to get the problem taken care of as fast as possible.