View Full Version : Happy Slab Leak Friday
dbcooper
10-12-2012, 12:07
ouch :wow:
Yes. Hot water no less. Ambient floor heating when I didn't want it. :upeyes:
gwalchmai
10-12-2012, 12:38
I don't understand (although I DO sympathize). Do you have hot water pipes running under or through the slab?
redbaron007
10-12-2012, 12:50
OUCH!!!
That's going to be a pain in the *#&^@!!!! :wow:
Sorry!
:wavey:
red
I don't understand (although I DO sympathize). Do you have hot water pipes running under or through the slab?
I guess. I have no clue but I guess we find out when the demo begins. Woke up with water in the garage, soggy, hot carpet in the master bedroom closet (backs up to the garage) and the tile in the laundry room is warm.
I feel $$$$$$$$ leaking from somewhere :faint:
I guess. I have no clue but I guess we find out when the demo begins. Woke up with water in the garage, soggy, hot carpet in the master bedroom closet (backs up to the garage) and the tile in the laundry room is warm.
Galvanized steel pipes? Mid-80s construction?
Copper pipes. Late 70s construction.
redbaron007
10-12-2012, 13:04
I guess. I have no clue but I guess we find out when the demo begins. Woke up with water in the garage, soggy, hot carpet in the master bedroom closet (backs up to the garage) and the tile in the laundry room is warm.
I feel $$$$$$$$ leaking from somewhere :faint:
YIKES!!! There will be some $$$$$ exchanging hands.
If its from the mid 80s construction....more than likely it is that galvanized crap....although (a rarity) it could be some aluminum or copper. The chems in the concrete sometimes causes the aluminum/copper to corrode, then a leakage.
:wavey:
red
Copper pipes. Late 70s construction.
Dang... that's just really bad luck then.
Sorry to hear, but take a tiny bit of solace that its isn's even worse. My buddy is going through the same, but its a sewer pipe!! Pretty crappy situation costing him $35k.
Oh that really does suck. Been there, done that and it ain't cheap.
I dunno why they just don't do pier and beam. Slabs stink but then again, I'm not a contractor.
Yeah, I'm not a happy camper today but I've really had very few maintenance type issues with this house.
The guy that is doing the work, is 'the family plumber' having done a lot of work for many other members so I'm confident I'll get a fair charge for quality work.
gwalchmai
10-12-2012, 13:15
My sister had to have one dug up in her living room a few years back. It weren't pretty.
racerford
10-12-2012, 13:19
Often the hot water heater is in the garage in the south. Sometimes they spring and leak and there is hot water everywhere.
How do you know it is under the slab?
What part of the country are you in? I am in the Dallas area and very little of the water piping is underground (main feed line into the house) and none of the hotwater.
Hopefully it is not as bad as you think.
The guy that pinpoints the leak is due in a couple of hours. The plumber will be back tomorrow. He said we may be able to re-route the plumbing but he won't know until we get into the wall to check out all the 'loops'.
I'm in Arizona.
Adjuster
10-12-2012, 13:37
Slab leaks are a very common insurance claim. Almost always a reroute is possible through the walls and attic eliminating the failed line. Less common is a reroute outside the home and then back in to the water fixtures. Make sure you contact your insurance carrier and file the claim. Not only are you going to have the water damages you will also have the wall and ceiling access damage to reroute the plumbing. You most certainly also have some personal property damage that was sitting on the wet carpet. I earn a very good income from slab leaks.
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Adjuster
10-12-2012, 13:38
99% of the time it is the hot water. Cold water leaks are rare.
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Adjuster
10-12-2012, 13:41
I am working a claim now where the copper pipe has been leaking under the foundation since the home was built in the 1950's. The original construction plumber forgot to sweat a joint.
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Adjuster
10-12-2012, 13:42
http://i50.tinypic.com/2l8jmux.jpg
Annoyedgrunt
10-12-2012, 13:43
Do they still build houses that way, with the pipes under or embedded in the concrete?
Do they still build houses that way, with the pipes under or embedded in the concrete?
Yep, here in the mid-south, we lay out the pex water pipe and sewage before concrete is poured. on top of that then the concrete is post-tensioned (maybe pre, can't remember, not an contractor) with re-bar and filled with concrete. For us, its the settling of the homes in the soil/clay that cause the copper piping to break.
So if you run the pipe in the attic, do you have to run some sort of heat stripping to prevent freezing?
GlockPride
10-12-2012, 13:51
Do they still build houses that way, with the pipes under or embedded in the concrete?
Yes, of course. It is still the most common and acceptable way. Most are using Pex now, though. Flexible tubing that has no joints in the foundation and cannot be 'frozen' and burst. It will literally swell up like a balloon (6 x original diameter) then when thawed returns to normal operation.
There are several versions of flexible tubing available. It is also done with most gas/propane as well. Though those are almost always attic runs in a slab house.
Adjuster
10-12-2012, 13:52
The water lines are poured in concrete here in Florida. It is generally a chemical type reaction with the water or galvanic corrosion that causes the copper pipes to fail here.
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redbaron007
10-12-2012, 14:23
Slab leaks are a very common insurance claim. Almost always a reroute is possible through the walls and attic eliminating the failed line. Less common is a reroute outside the home and then back in to the water fixtures. Make sure you contact your insurance carrier and file the claim. Not only are you going to have the water damages you will also have the wall and ceiling access damage to reroute the plumbing. You most certainly also have some personal property damage that was sitting on the wet carpet. I earn a very good income from slab leaks.
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The repairs to the line, digging out the concrete and such, aren't generally covered under the insurance policy...only the carpet and any personal property. If a reroute is needed, those repairs are on the homeowner. I put a caveat on this by stating if the lines burst sudden/accidental, the repairs would potentially be covered; however, if they are corroded and leaked, that isn't sudden and accidental, but the resulting damage to the carpet (floor covering) and personal items should be. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
:wavey:
red
I guess. I have no clue but I guess we find out when the demo begins. Woke up with water in the garage, soggy, hot carpet in the master bedroom closet (backs up to the garage) and the tile in the laundry room is warm.
I feel $$$$$$$$ leaking from somewhere :faint:
Flex tubing , crimp tool would be an inexpensive way to alter your problem .
So easy to work with even I could do it..........!
Adjuster
10-12-2012, 14:40
For my insurance carriers ( I work for about 20 of them) if the claim is covered (depending on carrier and policy) then everything is paid for except the actual pipe repair itself. Insurance will pay the most cost effective repair. Either reroute or open slab. If open slab insurance will cover excavating the concrete to expose the pipe and then to repour the concrete and of course any damaged flooring materials tile, carpet laminate etc. and also any water damaged items walls, flooring personal property etc.. The only thing not covered is the actual repair of the pipe itself which is a minimal cost once it has been exposed. If a reroute is more cost effective insurance will pay for all labor for the reroute, all plumbing materials and all repairs to ceilings and walls to run the new pipe plus all water damages from the loss.
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Adjuster
10-12-2012, 14:45
Flex tubing , crimp tool would be an inexpensive way to alter your problem .
So easy to work with even I could do it..........!
I use PEX tubing and cinch clamps along with Sharkbites. Bought my cinch clamp tool off Ebay. With these new materials anyone can replumb their home. I like cinch clamps better than crimp clamps. A crimp clamp has to be perfect. There is more margin for error with a cinch clamp and the tool is more 'automatic' so to speak.
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redbaron007
10-12-2012, 14:59
For my insurance carriers ( I work for about 20 of them) if the claim is covered (depending on carrier and policy) then everything is paid for except the actual pipe repair itself. Insurance will pay the most cost effective repair. Either reroute or open slab. If open slab insurance will cover excavating the concrete to expose the pipe and then to repour the concrete and of course any damaged flooring materials tile, carpet laminate etc. and also any water damaged items walls, flooring personal property etc.. The only thing not covered is the actual repair of the pipe itself which is a minimal cost once it has been exposed. If a reroute is more cost effective insurance will pay for all labor for the reroute, all plumbing materials and all repairs to ceilings and walls to run the new pipe plus all water damages from the loss.
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You are correct, if the policy covers it, if it doesn't...it's generally up to the HO. :crying:
Zonny, IMHO, I would call my carrier's agent first, then propose a 'What If' scenario to see if coverage is available. Don't admit to having a claim, but inquire in a 'what if' situation.
:wavey:
red
Adjuster
10-12-2012, 15:04
You are correct, if the policy covers it, if it doesn't...it's generally up to the HO. :crying:
Zonny, IMHO, I would call my carrier's agent first, then propose a 'What If' scenario to see if coverage is available. Don't admit to having a claim, but inquire in a 'what if' situation.
:wavey:
red
LOL I have to give the exact opposite advice. Never discuss or file insurance claims with your agent. Agents are only for purchasing and servicing your insurance policy. When filing a claim always call your insurance carriers 1-800 claims number directly.
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Yeah, I'm gonna talk to the plumber about it once he gets in the wall and knows exactly what's going on.
I really don't have much damage from the water itself. The carpet will have to come out of the closet but I won't be heartbroken over that. The bathroom adjoining is travertine so I will put the same in the closet. Hopefully, I won't have to tear out the tile in the laundry room because that ties with a hallway, the kitchen and family room. I doubt I would be able to match it. Perhaps some baseboard replacement in closet and garage will be necessary and of course, repair of the wall where the entry will be made to access/repair leak.
So much for my dinning room remodel I was going to make this year.
redbaron007
10-12-2012, 15:25
LOL I have to give the exact opposite advice. Never discuss or file insurance claims with your agent. Agents are only for purchasing and servicing your insurance policy. When filing a claim always call your insurance carriers 1-800 claims number directly.
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Unless the Agent is a captive agent...i.e. American Family, Shelter, State Farm, Allstate..etc. These can generally give you a quick heads up on coverage.....you won't be their first. :rofl:
Calling claims directly and saying...is this loss covered....(generally, not good regardless); then the inquiry is recorded as a frequency, even if zero is paid out. When the policy comes up for renewal, the Ins Cos will look at the frequency and # of paid claims to determine if you are a high risk; if so, they will non-renew the policyholder. :wow: Then you are out on the market trying to get coverage.
:wavey:
red
jakebrake
10-12-2012, 15:27
aww, zonny. that just sucks. i'm guessing it's part of the line out of the boiler/ loop throught the house?
Sorry to hear that Zonny. We had an issue a couple years ago, ice dam on the roof, waterfall cascading down inside.
I use PEX tubing and cinch clamps along with Sharkbites. Bought my cinch clamp tool off Ebay. With these new materials anyone can replumb their home. I like cinch clamps better than crimp clamps. A crimp clamp has to be perfect. There is more margin for error with a cinch clamp and the tool is more 'automatic' so to speak.
/
Yes and dry wall is much cheaper than demo , slab , etc........!
Sorry to hear this Kathy. :faint: But, on the bright side, you get to pick out new flooring! :wavey:
Angry Fist
10-12-2012, 17:06
Sorry to hear that Zonny. We had an issue a couple years ago, ice dam on the roof, waterfall cascading down inside.I remember that, Jami. Zonny, is your insurance company involved?
Steel Head
10-12-2012, 17:30
As someone who has fixed many of these types of leaks I hope for the best for you:wavey:
They can get ugly:faint:
OK. Pex, cinch clamps and shark bites it is. Couple (3) holes in the walls, new tile in the master closet.
Could have been worse.
redbaron007
10-12-2012, 18:04
OK. Pex, cinch clamps and shark bites it is. Couple (3) holes in the walls, new tile in the master closet.
Could have been worse.
WOW!!
That is great!
Congrats!
:wavey:
red
Happening @ 9AM. I may need valium by then.
I'll let you know the 'damages' when it's done.
Leak detector guy charged $180.00.
redbaron007
10-12-2012, 18:11
Happening @ 9AM. I may need valium by then.
I'll let you know the 'damages' when it's done.
Leak detector guy charged $180.00.
Bottle of good wine and relaxing night.....you'll be fine in the morning! :supergrin:
:wavey:
red
I will. I decided I'll paint the closet and hang new rods in there while I've got it mostly emptied out. So if the work is completed tomorrow, I'll do that on Sunday. Have a little touch up to do when the drywall is patched but no biggie. That, I can handle.
Thought I'd update now that the work is done. $180.00 for the leak detection/pipe routing guy and $550.00 for my plumber. I was pretty happy with that. He cut the copper and capped it then re-routed in the attic with the Pex.
Now, I have to get a drywall repair and tile guy in. 4 wall patches and I ripped the carpet out the the closet and will put down travertine.
Thought I'd update now that the work is done. $180.00 for the leak detection/pipe routing guy and $550.00 for my plumber. I was pretty happy with that. He cut the copper and capped it then re-routed in the attic with the Pex.
Now, I have to get a drywall repair and tile guy in. 4 wall patches and I ripped the carpet out the the closet and will put down travertine.
I'm glad that worked out well Kathy. :cool:
The new gig is great BTW. :supergrin: :wavey:
The new gig is great BTW. :supergrin: :wavey:
Excellent! :thumbsup: You'll have to tell me about it. :wavey:
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