When you hear the words plumbing leak, you probably imagine something dramatic and obvious, like water spraying from a broken pipe under your kitchen sink.
However, not all plumbing leaks occur in easily visible locations, and they don’t always cause sudden gushes. Sometimes, a leak happens behind your walls, under your floors, or even under the concrete slab of your home’s foundation. This may seem like an impossible situation. But take heart! Plumbers have some high-tech equipment that helps them pinpoint the location of leaks so they can be fixed.
Symptoms of Plumbing Leaks
If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you are already worried that a leak may exist somewhere in your home’s plumbing. There are several indicators that you should take as warning signs that, even without a dramatic and visible gush, you have a leak on your hands.
- Increased Water Usage: You may notice that, despite not using more water in your home, your water bill is higher every month than it was the previous month. You may even be able to see the increase on a daily basis if you check your water meter.
- Damp Spots: Although a leak pooling on a hard floor may leave a puddle, a leak that soaks into other areas may just leave damp places on a wall or on a carpet.
- Water Damage: Swelling of wooden structures or bubbling of painted surfaces can be caused by water leaks.
- Mildew: Higher humidity in your home from leaking water creates an environment that is ideal for mold to grow. Sometimes that mold is in visible areas, but if you notice the smell of mildew, it may be growing somewhere that you just haven’t spotted yet.
- Cracked Concrete: A slab leak, which occurs underground, can cause the concrete of your foundation to crack over time.
Solutions to Sneaky Leaks
As you can see, even a hard-to-spot leak can be absolutely dreadful for your home. And the longer the leak continues to allow water to flow to places where it shouldn’t go, the worse the problems will get. It’s important to reach out to a plumber as soon as possible if you suspect you need help with leak detection in Sterling, VA. When our technicians come to assess the situation, they will be able to locate the leak using one or more of our specialized leak-detection tools.
- Seismic Detectors: Because flowing water causes a vibration, highly-sensitive instruments can detect that vibration and narrow down the location where it originates.
- Infrared Technology: This can be used to sense dampness or warmth from leaked water.
- Video Cameras: Just like cops in a hostage-situation movie, our technicians can feed a tiny camera through a small space. (In this case, it’s through your pipes, not into a bank during a robbery.) Cracking or damage can be seen directly, and the exact location can be precisely pinpointed.
AllTech Services, Inc. is your trusted resource for suspected leaks and all other plumbing needs. Contact us today!