A water leak that develops anywhere on your property is always bad news. It’s not only a waste of an important resource, it can also mean spending hard-earned money on repairs.
The situation can get complicated if your leak is located beneath the home because it can lead to a weakened foundation. If the leak is left alone, a sinkhole could eventually result. Thus, if you believe that you have an underground water leak, you can try looking for them by taking notice of several signs.
Signs of Underground Water Leaks
The following are indications that a leak may have sprung in an area of the house, and this could be beneath the ground:
1. High Water Bills
If you’re consuming the same amount of water daily, and you suddenly notice a major increase in your monthly bill, there’s a good chance that a pipe in your plumbing was damaged. If your exposed plumbing fixtures are not showing any signs of water leaks, the culprit could be located underground.
2. Low Water Pressure
If you notice this when you turn on the shower or the faucet in the toilet, it’s best to consider this as a sign that you might have a home leak. To confirm this, flush the toilet and open the shower simultaneously. If water stops coming out of your shower, you have a leakage down your plumbing pipes.
3. Driveway Cracks
An underground leak can also cause the slabs in your driveway to crack. If left unchecked, the problem can get worse as the crack could extend to the garage floors, and to the main flooring of your house. If you have concrete steel reinforcement, this can expand and eventually become weak before finally collapsing.
4. Dirt in the Water
The water that comes out of your shower is normally clean and safe. However, if this is accompanied by dirt, mud, and sediments, your underground pipes might have been seriously damaged, allowing soil, grime, and other particles to mix with the water.
5. Foul Smell
An underground water leak can sometimes produce unpleasant odors. When your sewage pipes are damaged, sewage is unable to move properly. Eventually, its stench could make its way into your home.
Causes of Water Leaks
Listed below are the common reasons a leak can occur in your plumbing.
1. Broken Seals
Sealants serve to link or connect the different pipes in your home plumbing system to one another. These are not designed to last forever though. Over time, sealants become exposed to the elements, causing them to break. When this happens, a leak will likely spring from your pipes.
2. Corrosion
In many old houses, the plumbing is usually installed underground. In this case, finding underground water leaks can be difficult. This is because many of the materials used to build the house are likely weak, if not seriously damaged. This includes the plumbing pipes from which corrosion may have already set in, making them susceptible to leakage.
3. Incorrect Pipe Laying
In many plumbing designs, water moves against gravity. Given this, it is crucial that your pipes are laid out correctly. If not, your plumbing fixtures could end up damaged, which can result in a major leak.
4. Damaged Pipe Joints
Pipe joints are important components of your plumbing system. Unfortunately, they are also vulnerable to damage. Exposure to extreme temperatures can cause pipe joints to deteriorate. When they do, leaks will likely occur.
5. Soil Erosion
Although this occurs naturally, soil erosion is dangerous. It can cause your underground pipes to move out of their original position, producing small gaps where leaks can come out.
6. Strong Water Pressure
Although this is good when you’re taking a shower, if the water pressure is too strong, it can cause plumbing pipes to break. The damage could prove to be significant if the water pressure carries more force.
How To Check for Underground Water Leaks
When searching for a possible leak underground, there are places inside and outside the home that you can focus on. From the inside, a noticeable sag in the flooring should be further examined to determine if this was due to a leak. It’s possible that the home floor was simply exposed to varying furniture weights, causing it to sag.
Outside the house, check your yard for strangely muddy areas or for plants that are a lot greener and taller than the others. In these are present, it’s possible that you have a leak under your yard, which provides extra water to the plants.
Seeing potholes in the garage is also a possible sign of leaks. These can weaken the concrete foundation of the area, exposing the family car to unnecessary danger.
Key Takeaway
Leaks that spring from below pose many dangers, and this should be enough reason for you to call a professional plumber. Determining water leak location is not easy if the problem started from beneath. However, an expert plumber can locate them with ease, especially if he has in his arsenal various advanced plumbing equipment like leak detectors.
Although leaks are common household problems, this does not mean that you can leave them alone, thinking that they will go away. They won’t, and if they are located underground, the problem can only worsen in time. It’s best if you let a plumber find them early to prevent a plumbing disaster from happening.
Leave your leaks in the expert hands of A Better Plumber.
Even if you only have a suspicion that there’s a leak below your home, it’s best that you take action right away. Check if you can locate the leak, but if you’re not comfortable doing this, you can always reach out to A Better Plumber
Our plumber in Castle Rock, CO, utilizes advanced plumbing equipment to detect the presence of leaks anywhere in your home, including under the ground, and make the needed fixes. Call us today.
