# Should have looked better



## jointrunner (Nov 20, 2011)

I went to a job today with a leak under the concrete slab. The homeowner had located due to the hot spot on the floor. The water heater backed up to the garage that had been enclosed with vinyl siding. I removed the siding and located the copper header. One 3/4 and one 1/2 pipe. When I turned the valve on at the water heater the 3/4 would get hot but the 1/2 remained cold. I turned the washing machine on hot and tthat 1/2 line would get hot. The leak was on the 3/4 hot line. The closest fixture from the water heater besides the washing machine was the K-sink. So that kinda told me the 3/4 looped to the sink wall before heading to the bathrooms. So half way through the job I find the whole kitchens interior walls have a full brick with paneling covering it. There is a stud cavity but this is on an outside wall with very little access to drill from the attic. I may have to cut the back out of one upper cabinet and then brick out behind it. Then more brick out from under the sink to get the new pipe into the base cabinet. I wish I would have noticed that wall was brick.........I would have charged a bit more but I had given the older lady a firm price. Its going to cost me just a couple hours more work but it could be alot worse I suppose.


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## MSilver (Nov 15, 2011)

Are you sure is the line between water heater/Kitchen? 'cause it can be the line from kitchen to bathroom/s, unless you check the manifold in the kitchen and don't get hot without running any fixture... hot spots in the concrete help a lot, problem is that not necesarily mean the leak is there.

Concrete walls... bummer!!!!


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## jointrunner (Nov 20, 2011)

MSilver said:


> Are you sure is the line between water heater/Kitchen? 'cause it can be the line from kitchen to bathroom/s, unless you check the manifold in the kitchen and don't get hot without running any fixture... hot spots in the concrete help a lot, problem is that not necesarily mean the leak is there.
> 
> Concrete walls... bummer!!!!


Yes,I could turn on the hot water and it would not get hot at the header under the kitchen sink but when I turned on either bath the header would get hot. Thats how I determined what was the infow and the outflow of the header under the K-sink,along with running the K-sink also to verify the incoming hot. The original plumbers looped 3/4 from the hot water heater to the K-sink and then to the bathrooms.

Yes it sucks,they have paneling,brick,stud cavity the fiberboard,airspace and finally the outside brick. I need to hit the stud cavity for my new pipe to slide down the wall. I'm going to insulate all of it and install it under the current insulation in the attic. The heat radiating through the drywall should help to prevent freezing. They have the copper ice maker line in the attic and the owner says it has never frozen. I bet it has


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

At least you have found a path.

Talking about the "Hot spots" I had one a few mo. ago that the floor was scalding hot in 1 spot. it was on a PEX line so I couldn't track it as well as I would have liked to.

I had air in with the water and my meter was saying it was on the opposite wall. Well, I went with the hot spot, vaulted ceiling, so I couldn't reroute. 

I broke out the floor and the plumber had put his scrap pipe in the ditch, along side the drain line, and it was carrying the water to a footing then pooling up.

I went back to my locate and there it was. I replaced the section between the 2, but I had given them a price for 1 hole. Should have trusted my equipment.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Sometimes you have to cut and cap a line in the manifold in order to figure out which line is feeding what fixtures. Then, after figuring out where the lines are feeding, you can then isolate what line is leaking.


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## jointrunner (Nov 20, 2011)

I knew the kitchen sink was involved in the leaking line some way because with the valve off at the water heater you could turn the hot side of the k0faucet on and it would suck air,turn the valve at the water heater back on and it would blow air. There were only two pipes entering the slab behind the water heater and I had for sure isolated the 1/2" line at both ends. It fed the washing machine. The wall below the washing machine had deteriorated and was removed due to washing machine overflows.


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## jointrunner (Nov 20, 2011)

Maybe she will pay me cash and I can buy a new Glock to protect my van,company issue:thumbsup:


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

How are you going to resolve the problem?


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## jointrunner (Nov 20, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> How are you going to resolve the problem?


Bypass the leaking line under the slab with a new plastic line through the attic. Some plumbers around here use cpvc but i like to use pex and make the loop all one piece if I can. pex takes the cold a bit better than cpvc.


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

jointrunner said:


> Bypass the leaking line under the slab with a new plastic line through the attic. Some plumbers around here use cpvc but i like to use pex and make the loop all one piece if I can. pex takes the cold a bit better than cpvc.


 




Where I'm located, freezing temps in winter are not a real concern, so looping a new line up overhead is a good option. But for my northern colleagues, an un-insulated attic could pose a problem.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Tommy plumber said:


> Where I'm located, freezing temps in winter are not a real concern, so looping a new line up overhead is a good option. But for my northern colleagues, an un-insulated attic could pose a problem.


But we have basements... :laughing:


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Redwood said:


> But we have basements... :laughing:


 




I know. That is a luxury around here....

Having slab-on-grade construction has given rise to the term 'slab leak'. 

Up north, if you say that term to someone, they'll look at you like your from Mars....:blink:


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## plumber666 (Sep 19, 2010)

Oh good, he's gone


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## MSilver (Nov 15, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> I know. That is a luxury around here....
> 
> Having slab-on-grade construction has given rise to the term 'slab leak'.
> 
> Up north, if you say that term to someone, they'll look at you like your from Mars....:blink:


Yep, right here in So. CA "slab leaks" are very common, you are suppose to repair them with silver solder and if you have post-tension slab you must to re-route the line. (Lot of legends about breaking the cables inside the slab….)


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