Leak Detection

New Mexico Soil Shift Can Cause Plumbing Leaks

Plumbing lines buried beneath slabs are vulnerable to shifting soils. If the soil moves too much, plumbing lines can develop leaks. A slow leak beneath a home can cause the soil to shift more, which can make the leak worse. The potential for increasing damage makes early leak detection essential.  Even the smallest of leaks can yield devastating results. A leak the size of a pinhead, for example, can waste 360,000 gallons per year, enough to fill 12,000 bathtubs to overflowing.

In severe cases, the slab and flooring can erupt and flood every room on the ground floor, ruining floor coverings, furniture, water heaters and other appliances. When that happens, foundation repair is only one of several serious problems.  Or a leak beneath the slab can erode the soil and cause the slab to cave in. When the slab fails, the weight of the concrete breaks the plumbing lines beneath, causing a rush of water into the home.

Slab leak detection and foundation leak repair play a vital role in keeping your home’s foundation intact. We would much rather locate a suspected leak than to do major repair work afterward. But how do you know when to call your Santa Fe plumbing repair company, James’ Plumbing & Heating?

You need James’ Plumbing for leak detection if:

• Your water bill increases for no apparent reason
• You hear the sound of water running when no taps are open
• You see foundation cracks
• Grass of foundation plants grow unevenly
• There is a visible shift in the soil around your home
• You have warm spots on slab floors
• You have discolored floor coverings, such as darkened hardwood
• You smell bad odors coming from floors or walls

Preventive Plumbing: the Path to Early Leak Detection

Leak detection is a vital part of assuring your home’s plumbing system is functioning well and safely. You stand to save a lot of money on needlessly high water bills and avoid possibly having to spend tens of thousands of dollars on foundation repair and restoring a flooded home. 

James’ Plumbing recommends annual plumbing tune-ups as the best way to spot little problems before they have a chance to become big problems.