Leak detection in McKinney Texas homes is getting easier.
Most homeowners understand that plumbing leaks can lead to grave consequences in their homes.
Normally, leaks in slab plumbing can be hard to detect, leaving water to pool and ruin your slab and foundation.
But there’s good news:
Using plumbing pressure tests can quickly identify slab leaks and plumbing leaks so that they can be treated.
Hydrostatic pressure tests stop slab leaks from getting worse, minimizing the cost of slab leak repair services.
This is exactly why you need to get in touch with professional plumbing services in the McKinney Texas area as soon as you suspect a slab leak.
Here’s more about the hydrostatic test or hydrostatic leak test and why it’s a great way to find out what’s going on underneath your foundation.
What is the Hydrostatic Plumbing Test? How to Test Plumbing For Leaks
Hydrostatic testing is a fast and simple way of monitoring the water levels in your home plumbing system.
This effective leak detection test identifies when a drop in pipe water pressure occurs, which could indicate a leak.
So how does this work exactly?
A Hackler Plumbing expert will fill your plumbing system with water, close the system, and check the levels to look for changes in the water pressure.
A pressure gauge is used to monitor the pressure over time.
- If the pressure remains constant—good news, there are no leaks in your plumbing system (at least not in the section being tested).
- If the pressure test indicates a pressure drop, then that suggests a leak somewhere in the pipework.
- If the water pressure drops quickly, you have a major water leak.
This test will be performed on every water line in your house to determine which line to focus on to fix the problem.
What Happens if You Don’t Test Plumbing for Leaks? The Importance of Leak Detection
There are many possible outcomes for those who fail to test when they suspect a plumbing leak.
It is especially dangerous for plumbing pipes under your property.
For example, when under-slab piping fails, it can become very expensive to repair depending on the location.
The cost tends to increase the longer the plumbing leak goes undetected.
Why is that? Water leaks in your slab usually lead to water buildup. This can wear away at your foundation and lead to foundation damage.
Under-slab pipe leaks are one of the most common reasons for major foundation issues.
Plumbing leaks have a literal trickle effect.
A small leak can trickle and turn into a large puddle on your foundation, which grows and eventually seeps into the cracks and starts to break it down.
What started as a small leak turns into thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars in foundation and home repair.
When you consider all the other repairs that will have to be made, the cost can be considerable.
To put it simply, here are the two best reasons to test your plumbing:
All this can be avoided with a simple plumbing leak test right when you sense there is a problem.
Better yet, your insurance company might cover the costs of this.
Why Use Hydrostatic Plumbing Leak Test
Testing for any leak is important to minimize the cost and damage of foundational damage, and to spot other kinds of leaks like a pinhole leak.
But why hydrostatic plumbing testing?
Hydrostatic testing is the best method for detecting plumbing leaks.
Unlike some of the other methods, hydrostatic testing provides safe and reliable results for any McKinney leak detection issues.
It’s also one of the most affordable methods out there. In most cases, hydrostatic pressure testing can be performed with minimal disruption to your home.
Other methods are more costly because they have to dig up your property to find and fix a leak in your yard or foundation.
Instead, with hydrostatic testing, plumbers can perform the test quickly without the need for expensive tools.
When Should You Pressure Test Your Water Line
You could have a slab leak and you might not notice it.
But over time, water builds up under the slab causing serious foundation issues. And if it’s wastewater, it will also cause many serious health issues.
That is why you need to get in touch with a professional at Hackler Plumbing as soon as you notice a problem.
When You Notice Irregular Water Use or Plumbing Malfunctioning
You need to perform a hydrostatic pressure test as soon as you spot a problem.
Left untreated, loss of water use, power disruptions, and even more problems can develop.
Some warning signs of a slab leak or leak in your plumbing system might be:
- An increased water bill
- Damp smells in the house
- A wet smell in a crawl space
- Dark spots on your slab floor
- Weird fluctuations in water pressure when running your faucet
- Abnormally low water pressure
- Inconsistent and high water pressure
In Older Home Construction
Most homes in the McKinney, Propser, Allen, Plano, Frisco, Denison, and Sherman TX areas use plastic PVC pipe and Pex pipes that are much easier to repair.
However, if your home was constructed before the 1970s, it probably has cast iron piping.
This piping system is more vulnerable to leaking and should be tested even if you don’t suspect any leaks.
Pressure test plumbing in older homes more often so this does not become an issue.
When Preparing to Sell the Home
Indeed, pipe leaks have emerged as the number one reason for foundation issues according to industry experts. It can cause or worsen foundation damage due to the excess moisture.
If you let a pipe leak get worse, then it could damage your foundation. If you are unaware of this damage and you try to sell your home, then you may be in for a nasty shock.
Foundation leaks may emerge during a property inspection upon the sale of your home.
This can make it harder to sell a property for the asking price once the problems are discovered at closing.
The last thing anyone wants is for their home to lose value or require significant costs due to plumbing leaks that go undetected.
After a Cold Snap and Thaw
In the last few years, there has been an increase in frozen pipes underneath slab foundations in this part of Texas.
The changing temperatures and the freezing and thawing of water in your pipes can lead to pipe damage.
Using plumbing pressure tests can avoid major surprises down the road.
For Regular Home Monitoring
Sometimes you just aren’t sure if you have a plumbing leak or not.
Luckily you don’t have to wonder and worry.
The plumbing experts here at Hackler Plumbing are skilled at testing for pipe leaks.
Conducting a hydrostatic test is just one of the techniques we use in the field to quickly isolate the problem.
Consider regular hydrostatic testing annually to ensure you’ve caught a dangerous problem before it gets worse.
Hydrostatic Leak Test in McKinney Texas: Let’s Recap
Plumbing leaks cause serious problems, particularly when left untreated.
But if you catch under-slab piping as it starts to fail, the cost to repair is less. It becomes much more expensive the longer it keeps leaking.
If you suspect an under slab leak—or have an older home—you should get a plumbing leak test!
If you have any concerns about plumbing leaks in your home, call the Hackler team of plumbing experts today to discuss your situation.
We’ve gained a wealth of experience during our many years in the local plumbing industry, and we’ll always offer the best pricing for conducting tests.
Our plumbing services extend far beyond the hydrostatic pressure test, and we can meet all of the city code requirements if repairs are in order.
Nothing is worse than thinking you might have a leak that could cause significant damage to your property.
Think you need a pressure plumbing test? Don’t delay.
If you think you need a water pressure test, please give us a call: 214-585-1499
FAQs About Hydrostatic Plumbing Test
How do you pressure test a water line?
While you can get a pressure testing kit, this is something left to professionals. It requires the right equipment and experience to not damage your plumbing system.
What tools do you use to test water pressure?
The tools you will need are basic plumbing tools along with a pressure regulator, water pressure gauge, and a pump to apply the pressure.
What is hydrostatic pressure in plumbing?
Hydrostatic pressure is used to find leaks in plumbing systems. It can be used to detect leaks in wastewater pipes that are underground.
