The Problem with Untreated Slab Leaks

A slab leak can occur anywhere on your service line on a cold water supply line, a hot water supply line or a drain line. These leaks are enough to fill any homeowner will dread and you may be wondering if your homeowners insurance will cover the damages and how much you'll need to pay.

Unfortunately, these leaks often go on for some time before they're detected and you may not even realize you have a problem until you notice a wet spot on the floor. What's worse, homeowners insurance rarely covers the cost and you may be facing a cost upwards of $2,000 to fix the slab leak by hiring a plumbing company like Inland Empire Plumbing.

Still, these leaks do need to be fixed as soon as possible as the longer you wait, the worse the damages -- and cost. Here are some of the worst problems that can happen if you let the problem continue.

1. Damage to Your Foundation

Your home's foundation is basically just a piece of concrete with steel supports in it and damage will occur from a slab leak eventually. Slab leaks have been known to make your foundation crack, move or rise up, which compromises your home's integrity.

2. High Water Bills

Even a very small leak can cause you to waste thousands of gallons each month, potentially adding hundreds to your water bill every single month until it's addressed. While slab leaks can be expensive to repair, it can easily be more expensive to leave it untreated.

3. Floor Damage

With water leaking beneath your home's foundation, it will eventually run out of space and move upward. Slab leaks can destroy carpeting, cause tile floors to crack, make linoleum bubble and utterly destroy hardwood.

4. Mold Growth

Dangerous mold can become a real problem when water from the leak starts to get into your home. Drywall acts as a sponge, absorbing water from the leak and moving it through your walls, which is an ideal setting for mold growth. It takes only days for mold to start growing in the walls and mold spores can cause everything from asthma to an upper respiratory infection, or worse. Once it's in the walls, you'll also need someone who specializes in mold removal along with a Riverside plumber.

5. Musty Odors

Once the slab leak has been sitting for awhile, your home will take on an unpleasant musty odor. If the leak is in a sewer line pipe, you can just imagine how your home will start to smell in a week!

6. Destroyed Lawn

Slab leaks often occur in a sewer line or water main line and the leak could be under your lawn instead of your house. In this case, you can face thousands in damage from destroyed landscaping and dead grass. It can also cause structural damages if it occurs near a pool.

Why Do I Have Low Water Pressure? Part 1

Is there anything as wonderful as turning on your shower in the morning and feeling a nice strong blast of hot water? Unfortunately, an issue of low water pressure can give you little more than a limp drizzle of water. This problem doesn't just occur with shower heads, either; you may notice low water pressure, or low flow, at any faucet in your home.

There are a few possible causes for this problem so let's go over them one by one and help you decide when you need to contact a plumber in California.

Single sink faucet problems

If the problem is occurring with just a single sink faucet, it may be one of three things:

1. Faucet supply valve. The problem may be caused by the supply valve not being open all the way. This valve is located under the sink and has a handle to turn. Make sure the valve is turned all the way to the left (but don't force it!). You can also check if any flexible plastic tubes under the sink have a kink or have become crushed.
2. Faucet aerotor. If your faucet has an aerator (and most do) it may be clogged. This aerator is threaded onto the end so try removing it and look for debris like sand or mineral build up. Clean it then reinstall, testing both the hot and cold water.
3. Defective faucet. The issue may also be caused by a defective faucet. Follow manufacturer instructions to clean your faucet or contact a plumber from Inland Empire Plumbing who installs faucets to take care of the problem.

Whole house problems

If you notice the problem with every fixture in your home, there could be many possible causes, including corroded piping, a failed pressure relief valve or a valve that's left partially closed. In this case you'll want to contact a professional.

A note about low water pressure:

Low water pressure actually refers to low flow when at least one of the fixtures in your house aren't giving you enough water flow. While there's a relationship between pressure and flow, you can have good water pressure and still notice low flow problems.

In the next post we'll go over how to test your water pressure and explain in more detail some of these problems, including PRV or backflow preventors and how to fix partially closed valves.

Image: Steven Dopolo

Clogged Sewer Pipes: DIY Plumbing Task or Leave it to the Pros?

Courtesy of Wonderlane at Flickr

You can usually tell when you have clogged sewer pipes when your toilet or bathtub starts to bubble back up when you flush or drain the water. There may be other symptoms as well, including poor drainage and inefficient pipes. These clogs are caused by a very large obstruction that prevents water waste from being disposed of. This problem needs to be addressed right away as it could cause extensive damage to your plumbing if ignored. If you're thinking about taking care of the problem yourself without a professional plumber, here are some things to keep in mind.

Think Twice Before Using Drain Cleaner!

If you have PVC pipes in your home, you may want to think twice before you try to use drain cleaner. These cleaners are great at dissolving things clogging your pipes, although they can also attack the cement that's been used to weld your pipes together. You also can't use drain cleaner to get rid of a clogged sewer pipe.

Using a Plumbing Snake

Most clogged sewer pipes are actually cleared with tools like plumbing snakes, which you can rent at a hardware store yourself. Snakes can be fairly easy to use; just insert the cable into the pipe you think is blocked. When you feel like the cable is hitting the clog, you start to rotate the handle to force the cable through the block.

Clearing clogged sewer pipes is a dirty job and it may take you a few hours. You'll also face the expense of renting the necessary tools to clear the clog, including a plumbing snake. For most homeowners, it's easier and even more affordable to just call a professional plumber to clear the clog. Taking care of the problem as soon as possible can even reduce the expense of the repair! Contact Inland Empire Plumbing if you suspect you have a clogged sewer pipe to have your sewer drains inspected and fixed in no time.