Slab leak detection and repair in the Portland metro

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A slab leak is water escaping from a supply or drain line that runs under a concrete floor. You often notice the symptom before you find the cause: a warm patch on the floor, the sound of running water when nothing is on, a water bill that jumps for no reason, or a soft spot near a baseboard. The newer slab-on-grade subdivisions around Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Happy Valley are where most of these calls come from.

Signs of a slab leak

• A warm or hot spot on the floor, even when the heat is off
• Water running when every fixture is shut off
• An unexplained rise in the water bill
• Cracks in the floor, or a musty smell with no obvious source

How it's found

Locating the leak is the whole job, and it's done without breaking up the floor at random. A plumber uses acoustic listening, pressure testing, and sometimes thermal imaging to pin the point down to within a foot or so before any concrete is opened.

Repair options

There are three honest paths: open the floor and repair the pipe directly, reroute the line overhead so the slab stays intact, or, when the pipe is failing in several places, a partial repipe. The right choice depends on the pipe material, how many leaks there have been, and whether the run is supply or drain. The local pro who calls you back will walk you through which one fits your home.