Plumbing can seem a little bit like magic: it’s largely invisible (behind walls or beneath your foundation), and if you’re not an extremely skilled practitioner, meddling with it can cause big problems! We’re going to make it a little less mysterious for you while we discuss slab leaks. You won’t become a qualified magician (or plumber) by reading this, but you’ll come to understand the special skills and tools that help the plumber do their job, and you’ll have a better idea of when to call a plumber.
Slab leaks are an especially mysterious aspect of plumbing because they don’t even occur inside your house. A slab leak is caused by damage or degradation to the pipes that run beneath your foundation. Most of the time that slab leaks occur, it’s from the pipes that carry hot water, but leaks in cold water pipes are also possible. There are a few clues that can help you to discover such a leak and some specialized approaches that allow a plumber to fix it.