A slab leak is a leak in a water line running under or inside your home’s concrete foundation. It can run for weeks before you see it, wasting water and soaking the soil under your house. IMS Heating & Air’s licensed plumbers locate and repair slab leaks in Loveland and nearby communities and explain your repair options before any work begins. Call (970) 913-0868 if you suspect a leak.
Signs You May Have a Slab Leak
- Warm or hot spots on tile, wood or concrete floors (a leak on a hot water line)
- A water bill that keeps climbing with no change in use
- The water meter moving when every fixture is off
- The sound of running water when nothing is on
- Damp carpet, warped flooring or mildew near baseboards
- New cracks in floors or walls
- A water heater that runs constantly
- Lower water pressure throughout the house
If you notice two or more of these, shut off the water heater if you suspect a hot water line, and call us to confirm the source. If water is actively spreading across your floor, call our emergency plumbing line.
Why Slab Leaks Happen in Loveland Homes
The Front Range has conditions that make slab leaks more common than in many other regions:
- Expansive clay soils. Much of the Loveland area sits on bentonite clay that swells when wet and shrinks as it dries. That movement shifts slabs and stresses the pipes running through or under them.
- Freeze and thaw. Winter ground freeze followed by thaw moves soil around foundations, which adds stress to lines near exterior walls.
- Abrasion. Copper lines under a slab can rub against concrete or gravel as the house expands and contracts, slowly wearing through.
- Water chemistry and age. Over decades, copper pipes can thin from the inside, especially in older homes with original plumbing.
Slab-on-grade ranch homes and homes with lower levels poured on a slab are the most likely to have plumbing under concrete.
How We Find the Leak
The goal is to find the leak’s exact location before cutting into anything. Our plumber will confirm whether the leak is on a hot or cold line, isolate the affected section and pinpoint the location so any concrete work is as small as possible. You’ll get a clear explanation of where the leak is and what it will take to fix it.
If the leak is in a wall, ceiling or the water service line instead, see our pipe and water leak repair page.
