The signs
- A warm spot on the floor, usually on a hot water line
- A water bill that jumps with no change in use
- The sound of running water when everything is off
- The water meter still turning with every fixture closed
- Damp carpet, lifted tile, or a musty smell with no visible source
- A drop in water pressure that came on gradually
A quick test you can do
Turn off every faucet and appliance that uses water. Find the meter at the street and watch the small leak indicator, usually a triangle or a small dial. If it moves with everything off, water is leaving the system somewhere. That does not confirm a slab leak by itself, but it confirms a leak.
Why it happens in this area
The 1950s and 60s tracts across southeast LA County and north OC were plumbed with copper under the slab. Sixty years of hard water, ground movement, and the copper rubbing against the concrete wears pinholes through it. It is not a defect in your house. It is the age of the pipe.
Finding it without tearing up the floor
Leak detection uses listening equipment and pressure testing to pinpoint the leak before anyone touches concrete. Mickey finds the spot first and then talks through the options. Guessing and cutting is how a small leak turns into a torn-up living room.
Repair options
A spot repair opens the slab at the leak, fixes the pipe, and closes it. A reroute runs a new line overhead or through the walls and abandons the leaking section under the slab, so nothing gets cut. A repipe replaces all the supply lines and is the right call when a house has had several leaks. Which one makes sense depends on the age of the copper and how many leaks you have had. The estimate is free either way.