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With more and more plumbers relying on sewer cameras, we think it’s important everyone knows what a sewer camera can and can’t find.

Check out the infographic below to find out why a sewer camera cannot be used to find leaks. And you’ll also learn the proper uses of a sewer camera.

Read our blog post about sewer camera inspections for more in depth information.

Make sure you’re armed with all the best information so you don’t get ripped off! And as always, we’re here to answer any questions you have.

Feel free to call us anytime at 972-494-1750.

Recently two homeowners reached out to us for advice after reading our post Why Your Flooring Problem Might Not Be Plumbing Related.

Both homeowners, one in Mesquite and the other in California, had problems with their hardwood floors buckling. And the homeowner in Mesquite also found black spots on a small area near a bathroom.

In-House Plumbing Company Owner Shawn Bucklew spoke with both homeowners on the phone. After they explained what was going on with their floors Shawn’s best guess—not being a hardwood floor expert—was that the most likely cause was either condensation on the slab or the wood didn’t have enough (or any) time to acclimate to the rooms.

Convinced these issues were not plumbing related, they wanted to know what their next steps should be. The homeowner in Mesquite was in a particularly tough situation because the flooring company that installed her floors wouldn’t return her calls.

Is It Worth the Fight?

After trying to get ahold of the flooring company to no avail, the homeowner in Mesquite also had fresh water and sewer leak tests done by another plumbing company. Both tests came back with zero leaks found. With no leaks and no returned calls from the flooring company, she was at a loss as to what to do next.

Shawn spoke with the homeowner for about 30 minutes listening to her struggles and then explained what he thought she should do moving forward.

Knowing there were no leaks, her biggest issue at the time was that the flooring company wouldn’t call her back. Clearly the company was not standing by their work.

So the first question: Is it worth the fight?

What to Look For in a Home Service Provider

If it’s not worth the fight, or if you need a problem fixed ASAP, the first thing to do is find someone to fix your problem.

So how do you do that with so many companies to choose from?

Research.

Of course, you can always ask friends and family for referrals but make sure you check out the companies before calling and setting up an appointment.

Company Website

You can tell a lot about a company and its people from the company website. Check out the homepage. Read the About Us page. Is the site one or two pages with little information? Is there a blog or a resource page for you to read to help you make a more informed decision? What about reviews or testimonials?

Shawn recommends finding someone with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a sales person. Take for example the blog here on the In-House site. Yes, In-House is a business but we also value arming our customers with valuable information, educating them so they know what is going on with their own plumbing systems and homes.

If a company’s site is only trying to sell you something, look elsewhere.

Google

When you search a company’s name, you should be able to find a lot of information about them.

Check out their Better Business Bureau listing. Look for other online reviews that might not be on their site like Google or Angie’s List.

If they have social media business pages like on Facebook or Twitter, see if people are talking about them there or have left any reviews.

You might also find a YouTube channel for the company like the one we have here for In-House. Again, you’re looking for a company wanting more than just the sale. They also provide information or education.

Trust Your Gut

Don’t overlook your instincts. If something feels off about the company you’re investigating, trust that feeling.

We’re not saying everyone you feel uncomfortable with is going to rip you off or pull a fast one on you. It could be the employee you’re dealing with is inexperienced or isn’t the right fit for the problem you have. (Like a plumbing company for flooring issues.)

Finding a Flooring Company

Most flooring companies tell homeowners to call a plumber with issues like moisture on the floor or wood planks buckling. But as we explained in the flooring post linked above, it is highly unlikely if not impossible these types of issues are caused by plumbing problems.

For the case in Mesquite, Shawn recommended once she found a seemingly reputable flooring company to not tell them she had had the leak tests. Instead have them come out and check out the floors first.
If he then tells her to get a leak test to let him know she already did. If he says the tests were wrong and to get another one, that isn’t the right company and to keep looking. The goal is to find a company who have dealt with similar issues and can offer solutions.

So what if the fight is worth it?

When It IS Worth the Fight

If you find yourself in a situation like our homeowner in Mesquite, the original company isn’t responding to your repeated calls and/emails, you do have options.

It’s probably not worth it to take them to small claims court or to sue them. Attorney fees, court fees, these add up and could end up being more than the cost of the work. And even if you win, getting the company to pay is a whole other potentially costly battle.

But sometimes all it takes is the scare of a lawsuit. If you can, try to find a lawyer to send a letter pro bono. The goal is to get the original company to stand by their work. And if the fault is theirs, they need to cover the cost of the repairs. They can do this by either doing the work for free or paying another company to do it.

If they agree to do the work for free, do your research to find someone you trust and offer to pay them to come out and supervise the work. We’ve offered to do so for free in the past when a customer came to us frustrated with another plumbing company.

But if you have to pay them anything at all, don’t. They’ve already proved to be untrustworthy and unreliable. Put your money into someone else.

Another option is to contact your local news stations and newspapers. Which ones? All of them!

Either give them a call or check the websites for a submission form or a place to report “tips” like at NBC 5 Responds or WFAA Investigates.

Know When to Say When

There does come a time, though, when it’s better to cut your losses and move on.
If you’ve done everything you can—or if it’s just not worth the effort—it might be time to chalk it up to a lesson learned. In the end what matters is getting the work done by a company you can trust and peace of mind.

And of course, if you ever have any questions about something you read here or something going on with your home, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

You can always give us a call at 972-494-1750 or email us at [email protected]. We’re happy to help!

Recently we performed a sewer leak isolation test at a home in Plano. With our test we found two leaks, both in a Jack and Jill bathroom near the front of the house. One leak was at the tub and the other at the toilet. We then gave the homeowner an estimate based on our results.

About a week later we got a call from the homeowner. Turns out he had been paying a small yearly fee to a company that provides a plumbing pipe protection program.

This company is not in any way related or connected to his homeowner’s insurance policy, and it is not insurance. It’s a separate company that offers a plan that covers his under slab pipes kind of like a warranty.

When the homeowner called to find out if the repairs we recommended were covered by his plan, they sent a plumbing company to verify our findings. The plumber performed a sewer camera inspection and said there were no leaks but there were roots in the area where we found the leaks. And because roots in the pipes are a maintenance issue, it is not covered by his plan.

So of course, the homeowner called us back confused and wondering who was telling the truth.

What We Know About Sewer Camera Inspections

If you’ve followed our blog for any amount of time, you know how we feel about sewer camera inspections.

In short, sewer cameras can’t locate leaks.

In fact, we feel so strongly about this, it bears repeating. You cannot use a sewer camera to determine if there is a leak or to locate leaks. The only way to determine if you have a leak is with a hydrostatic sewer leak test. And the only way to find a leak or leaks is with a sewer leak isolation test.

Leak or No Leak?

So the company offering the pipe protection coverage, who gets a nominal yearly fee, sent a plumber out to verify our findings. And the plumber from the other company didn’t find any leaks when we found two.

There could be a few possibilities for this:

1. The plumber from the other plumbing company inaccurately believes (as many do) that a sewer camera inspection is the right way to find sewer leaks
2. Under slab repair is expensive so the coverage company will find any way they can to not have to pay for the repairs
3. Our test was wrong

As to the first two, that’s speculation and we can’t really say.

But consider the fact that the other plumber said there were roots in the line. How would roots from outside of the sewer line get inside the pipe? There would have to be a be a break in the line. And what causes a leak? A break in the line.

In-House Company Values

Regarding the third possibility this is what we can say.

First and foremost, honesty and integrity in everything we do is of the utmost importance. After working for dishonest business owners in the past, Shawn started In-House with a commitment to run an honest company.

Shawn spoke with the homeowner on the phone for about 30 minutes to better understand what happened and discuss the homeowner’s concerns.

After explaining why it’s impossible to find a sewer leak with a camera inspection, Shawn then recommended the homeowner call the coverage company back and request a hydrostatic sewer test. And if they agreed, he offered to send a team member from In-House to be there on the homeowner’s behalf free of charge.

Additionally, Shawn explained that he is so confident in the original test results and his team that if In-House repairs the leaks and it turns out there are no leaks anywhere in the house, we won’t charge the homeowner for any unnecessary work done by In-House Plumbing Company.

You can read more information about our guarantee here.

Shawn also advised the homeowner that if the coverage company does end up covering the cost of repairs done by their approved company, he should get another hydrostatic sewer test done by a company he trusts to verify that ALL the leaks were repaired. It’s an unfortunate truth that many in the industry will go in, fix one leak, and leave.

And if all the leaks are not fixed, the homeowner could end up with potential foundation problems. This translates into, at worst, more money for a bigger repair down the line. And at least, more money for additional excavation and repairs.

Are Plumbing Pipe Protection Plans a Scam?

So what happened?

The homeowner followed Shawn’s recommendations and pushed back. The coverage company then asked to speak with someone from In-House.

They said the plumber they sent out should have done a hydrostatic sewer leak test and they don’t know why he didn’t. They called the other plumbing company who agreed to have another plumber come out to the house to do a hydrostatic leak test. And we agreed to come out for the test as promised.

They scheduled the test between 9 AM and noon. One of our team members, the plumber who did the original testing, got to the house a little before 9 AM to wait with the homeowner for the other company’s plumber.

Someone showed up a little before noon, a different plumber than the one who did the sewer camera inspection. He asked our guy what happened who told him about our original tests and the results.

The other plumber said OK, well if that’s what you found (two leaks) then that’s what we’ll tell the coverage company. He didn’t do the hydrostatic sewer leak test or even run another sewer camera in the line. He went back with our original results.

As you can imagine, this left us baffled and with questions. What would have happened if we hadn’t been there? Would he have done the test? And would he have been honest about it? Or did he and the coverage company know they had been “caught” so to speak?

But What About the Repairs?

The actual repairs themselves also turned out to be more difficult and confusing than they needed to be. Long story short, the plumbing company sent to do the repairs tunneled in from the outside of the house and found the leak at the tub but said the leak at the toilet was in a concrete beam.

He recommended work which cost well beyond what the protection plan provided and also lied to the homeowner about needing a permit from the city.

Before agreeing to the work, the homeowner called us and we discovered (by calling the city and asking) there was no need for a permit. We also went out to the house and found there was no leak in the beam but there was one a little further out from the toilet.

So we repaired the leak at the tub and also dug to the second leak and repaired it. We tested for leaks again and found there were no more leaks.

We told the homeowner to call the other plumbing company back and let them know they just needed to backfill the tunnel. The other company said they wouldn’t backfill the hole without an inspection and permit from the city and even then would only backfill what they dug. Meaning the little that we dug they would leave.

However, if they had done that, there would be no way to get to the part that we dug leaving a hole under the house. Or they would backfill to where we dug and leave. We would then have to go and backfill the small portion we dug. And then the other company would have to come back and backfill the rest. In either case, the homeowner is left greatly inconvenienced.

The homeowner called us again so we decided to just backfill the entire tunnel.

So in the end, we have to wonder about the companies offering these “protection plans” and the plumbing companies working with them.

What would have happened if we hadn’t been involved?

Would the homeowner still have leaks? If the plumber had found leaks, would the homeowner have been charged for unnecessary work?

Without our help in this case, the coverage company and possibly the other plumbing company come out winners and the homeowner the loser.

Is this a case of ineptitude? Or is the whole thing a scam?

What do you think? Do you have a coverage plan for your pipes? And has it worked out for you? Let us know in the comments. We want to know!

You can also call us at 972-494-1750 or fill out the contact form on the Contact Us page.

 

 

We often get calls from homeowners asking for an estimate to repair issues found by another plumbing company. Sometimes the homeowner has a sewer camera video. And other times they have sewer leak test or leak isolation results from the other company.

If the homeowner provides us with enough information when describing what the other company proposed—amount of tunneling, number of leaks, a diagram, etc.—we can give a ballpark estimate.

In some cases when there isn’t enough information, we will go out to the house to get a better idea of their particular situation before giving an estimate.

(The only information we don’t want is the other company’s pricing or estimate. The best way for you to know we are giving you an honest and fair price is by leaving out the pricing details given by another company.)

However, with each estimate, we include the cost for us to verify the other company’s test results by performing our own investigations.

Sometimes, though, homeowners worry this is just a money grab by us. And we can completely understand why a customer might think this.

But as anyone who knows us and has worked with us will tell you, this is far from the case.

There are a couple reasons why we do this.

The Problem With Sewer Cameras

First of all, many plumbing companies use sewer cameras to find leaks. But as we’ve said before, it is impossible for a sewer camera to determine if you have a leak and to find them.

Additionally, because a sewer camera significantly magnifies the images it captures, it’s easy to misinterpret the images on the screen. In fact the image is so magnified, sometimes what looks like tree roots in the line turns out to be a single strand of hair.

In either situation, it could be the case of an unscrupulous plumber or just sheer lack of experience.
But because we know sewer cameras can’t find leaks and that videos are sometimes misinterpreted, it is necessary for us to verify the problems.

In-House Plumbing Company Guarantee

Second of all, we guarantee every In-House Plumbing Company customer never pays for any unnecessary work that we told them was needed.

So let’s say we come out and determine from one of our own sewer leak tests, you have a leak. We then come out and do a a sewer leak isolation test. Based on those results, we go under the slab to repair the leaks.

And let’s say once we get under the slab we find the leak is not where we said it was but is instead three feet from there. In this case, we have to dig an additional three feet. But because the leak wasn’t where we originally said it was, you don’t pay for the extra leak location or for the extra three feet of digging.

Even if the leak is 20 feet from where we originally said, you will not pay for any unneeded work.

Or in the extremely rare situation that there is no leak at all: We went under the slab to repair the leak we said was there and it isn’t. And then after a whole house test if we find there are no leaks anywhere, you won’t pay for any of the work we did to get under the slab or the excavations. And we refund the money for the leak isolation test. So in this situation, you only pay for the original sewer leak test.

Of course, every house and every case is different. So it’s impossible to lay out every possible variable in a blog post. Just give us a call at 972-494-1750 and we’re happy to discuss your specific situation with you.

Essentially, we guarantee you will not pay for any work we do based on our own investigations and recommendations.

Because we guarantee this—we put our own money on the line—we won’t make that guarantee with another company’s results.

Dishonest Plumbing Companies

It’s an unfortunate truth there are a lot of dishonest plumbing companies out there. We have firsthand knowledge of this as everyone from the owner to the team members worked for other companies before In-House.

Before starting In-House in 2001, Shawn worked at a company where they would break through the slab, excavate to the leak only to find it wasn’t there. When this happened, the owner told his team to cut a piece of the pipe and “repair” a made-up leak. Then he had them find the actual leak and charge the customer for both the real and made-up leak repair.

So we won’t gamble our own money on a potentially dishonest company’s work.

It is our opinion that anyone who accesses pipes through the slab is responsible for the problem being as it was presented whether they presented it or not. So we won’t do that unless we presented the information in the first place. This is for our customer’s protection as well as ours.

And we can’t stress this enough: You should never let anyone access under a slab (by either going through the slab or tunneling under the slab) unless you trust that person. You must feel confident the person you hire will tell you the truth about what they find and never charge you for any unnecessary work if those findings are inaccurate.

If you have any questions, you can reach out to us anytime. Call 972-494-1750 or send us an email at [email protected].

Nobody wants to think about a sewer backup. It’s gross and messy and can potentially cause a lot of damage to your home and your health.

 

If you have a simple clog, it’s easy to pull out the plunger or yank out that clump of hair from the tub drain. But when you find the tub overflowing because you flushed the toilet; or the kitchen sink won’t drain no matter how many time you run the disposal or clean the trap, you might be dealing with a more serious problem.

This might be a case of a serious sewer stoppage problem.

Causes of Recurring Sewer Backup

There are a few common causes of these backups that keep happening over and over again.

Tree and Shrub Roots

Tree and shrub roots crave water and will make their way toward any moisture. So even the smallest crack in a sewer line will attract roots.

And as trees and shrubs continue to grow, so do the roots causing a potential blockage and possibly creating more cracks and holes. The roots can also grow around and crush a sewer pipe.

And don’t think just because you don’t have any trees near or in your yard means this can’t happen. Roots can reach your lines from your neighbor’s yard or even from surrounding city land creating undesired sewer backups.

Sewer Clogs

Sewer systems are designed to handle a lot of crap. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take care with what goes into those pipes.

Here are a few main culprits that could be causing serious clogging in your sewer pipes:

• Fats, oils, grease – Never pour these into your kitchen sink. Even if you run really hot water with it, these substances still stick to your pipes and solidify. Aside from building up on their own, there’s the added bonus of catching any other debris and food stuffs that might make it into your pipes creating very stubborn clogs.
• “Flushable” wipes – Just because you can flush these wipes down the toilet doesn’t mean you should. Utility companies around the world are finding these wipes congealing with other debris creating “superknots.” And testing by Consumer Reports have found some of these wipes don’t break down as advertised.
• Paper and feminine hygiene products – These are just not meant to be flushed. They don’t break down like toilet paper. Toss them in the trash instead.

Broken or Sagging Sewer Lines

Cracks and holes left unrepaired lead to broken sewer pipes. A broken sewer pipe leads to backups. Older homes constructed with cast iron or clay pipes are more susceptible to breaks.

And a sagging—or bellied sewer pipe—create recurring backups, too. Because a sewer line is designed to use the power of gravity, if a pipe is sagging, it can’t drain leaving water and debris to settle in the sag causing backups.

Determining the Cause of Your Sewer Backups

One thing you don’t want to do when you have a sewer backup is reach for the Drano or some other liquid drain cleaner. The chemicals in these products can cause more damage to your pipes creating an even more expensive problem.

Instead, call a licensed professional plumber to diagnose your sewer stoppage problem. As we’ve explained in a previous post, a sewer leak cannot be found with a sewer camera inspection but sewer stoppages can.

Once the cause of your problem has been found, a plumber will then lay out the best course of action.

If you have any questions about sewer backups, give us a call at 972-494-1750. We are happy to discuss any issues you’re having, and always keep your specific needs and budget in mind.

It should come as no surprise that we feel pretty passionate about water conservation here at In-House Plumbing.

Of course, taking measures to save water saves you money by lowering your water bills. But when you also consider water is a finite resource—meaning we can run out of it—it only makes sense to conserve water in as many ways as we can.

The earth is 70% water. But 97% of that is salt water—undrinkable and mostly unusable. And 2% of the remaining 3% is locked in ice caps and glaciers leaving us with only 1% of water for all our needs: farming, livestock, manufacturing, community, and personal daily consumption.

Fun water fact: The earth has the same amount of water now as it did when it was first formed.

The average American uses up to 100 gallons of water a day. Multiply that by the number of people living in your home and that’s a lot of water.

But don’t worry. We’re not suggesting you stop showering and letting your lawn turn to dust.

7 Water Saving Tips

Here are 7 simple tips to help you save water.

Check Pipes and Faucets for Leaks

Fixing a leaky faucet is one of the easiest ways to conserve water.

A single drip from a dripping faucet may seem inconsequential. But add those drips up and we are wasting gallons of water and dollars every day.

Check out this drip calculator on the United State Geological Survey site to determine how much water you are losing thanks to a leaky faucet.

And if you have a leak in your fresh water pipes, it’s like leaving the water on all day long making it incredibly important you get those leaks fixed as soon as possible.

If you think you have a fresh water leak, Call us now or fill out our contact form and we can help determine if that’s the case.

Is Your Toilet Running?

If so, you could be wasting thousands of gallons of water a year.

A few possible culprits in this situation is the flapper is warped or stuck and won’t close, a bad flush valve, or the chain is too long, too short, or tangled.

Don’t Flush Trash

Ever throw a tissue or some other small bit of trash in the toilet and flushed? Older toilets use up to 7 gallons per flush, and low flow toilets use about 1.6 gallons per flush (GPF).

That’s like using one and a half milk jugs to get rid of one small piece of trash. Throw your trash in the trash instead.

Composting

Instead of running a garbage disposal, look into composting your food waste.

Even if you don’t have a backyard, there are small composting bins you can keep on a balcony or patio. There are even countertop composting containers.

Choose the Dishwasher

Dishwashers today are much more efficient than hand washing. It might seem counterintuitive but it’s true.

The average kitchen faucet uses about 2 to 3 gallons of water a minute. So if you leave the water running for 10 minutes to hand wash your dishes, you’ve used about 8 to 10 gallons of water. A dishwasher uses 6 gallons of water per load and Energy-star rated dishwashers use 4 per load.

You’d have to be pretty fast at hand washing to beat that, and that includes the time it takes for your water to heat up.

Of course, we’re talking about a full load and no pre-rinsing which can actually decrease the effectiveness of your dishwasher. If you don’t have enough for a full load, you can always use the rinse and hold cycle. This still uses less water than pre-rinsing or hand washing.

However, if you insist on hand washing, consider filling one side of the sink with hot soapy water and turning off the faucet while you wash the dishes instead of leaving it running.

Bonus tip: Use a bucket to collect the cold water that runs while you wait for it to heat up. Then use this to water your plants.

Bonus tip #2: You can do this with shower water, too.

Turn Off Faucet When Brushing Your Teeth

Do you keep the water running when you brush your teeth? With the faucet using 2 to 3 gallons a minute, you’re letting good water (and money) run down the drain if you aren’t turning off the tap when you brush.

Wet your toothbrush and then don’t run the water again until you need it. It might seem strange at first but after some practice, it’ll be second nature.

This is a good practice to build when you wash your hands, too.

Drip Irrigation

We love our lawns. But keeping the grass green and the flowers blooming costs a lot of water. Some estimates claim automatic water sprinklers waste 40% to 50% of the water used.

A water-saving alternative to a sprinkler system is drip irrigation, the delivery of slow-moving water from drip lines/pipes directly in the soil. You don’t lose water to overflow runoff or evaporation with this method.

An added plus, drip irrigation is exempt from Dallas water restrictions.

Turn Off the Hose

Don’t use a water hose to clean off driveways and sidewalks. Use a broom or a leaf blower instead.

And if you wash your car in the driveway, turn off the hose when you’re not using it. Fill a bucket with soap and water, wet your car quickly, and then leave the hose off until it’s time to rinse.

Why Water Conservation Matters

With safe, clean water at our fingertips, it might not seem like we need to worry about saving water.

But with a fast-growing population and no change in water consumption rates, it is important to take steps to conserve water now before it’s too late—especially when you consider we can’t live without it.

2014 Government Accountability Report found “40 of 50 state water managers expected shortages in some portion of their states under average conditions in the next 10 years.”

Let us know what you think in the comments below! And as always, feel free to give us a call.

Sometimes a customer calls us because a flooring company told them they need an under slab sewer leak test. The flooring company saw or detected moisture before or after installing a hardwood floor.

While all of the calls are triggered by different situations, all generally have one thing in common: they have nothing whatsoever to do with an under slab sewer leak.

How Your Under Slab Sewer System Works

An under slab sewer pipe is buried under a 4- to 5-inch thick concrete slab as well as being 6 inches to 3 feet under the dirt that is under the slab.

And as we’ve explained in a previous post, your sewer lines are installed at a slight decline in order to use the power of gravity.

Meaning water and waste flow downhill taking it from where it starts—sinks, toilets, washer, tubs, showers, etc.—out to the city sewer line/waste treatment plant or a septic tank depending on your particular situation.

So unless the water is on somewhere in your house, there is nothing in the sewer line. And since there’s nothing in the line, it cannot at that time be leaking.

It also means that if water is leaking out of your sewer line, once your turn off the water, any that leaks out of the pipe could—and most likely would—leak back into the sewer line.

At that point, it acts like a rain water drain system flushing any water away from the leaking area back down the pipe to the city lines.

This eventually leads to other problems, but probably not the problem the flooring company found.

A Rare Situation

In extremely rare situations, a sewer line could have a leak with a stoppage around the leak. This situation causes much more water to leak or be forced out of the leaking pipe. The stoppage then prevents that water from coming back into the pipe so it can drain out of the system. With nowhere to go, enough water builds up under the slab and forces it’s way up and through the slab.

However, if you have a sewer stoppage, you’ll most likely notice it long before the water has time to build up enough for this scenario to occur.

Most of the time when a customer calls us at a flooring company’s recommendation, it’s because the flooring company found moisture covering almost the entire floor of a room or rooms. And even if you are in the rare situation mentioned above, it is impossible for an under slab sewer leak to cause this.

Causes of Moisture On The Floor

Now let’s consider some possible causes.

Above slab sewer pipe leak

If the problem is localized to one specific area and that area is right around some kind of sewer pipe, it is possible there’s a leak in a sewer pipe above the slab.

This is another rare situation and you probably wouldn’t see moisture or even evidence of it. Instead, you would see water pooling in the area of the leak.

An easy way to check for this is to run a lot of water in your house, especially around any fixture near the area—tub, shower, sink, washing machine, etc.

Fill up all of your sinks and tubs and then let the water drain while keeping the water running. If the wet area is around the toilet, flush it over and over. The goal is to flood the sewer system as much as possible.

As water is draining and running, watch the localized area for water. If after doing this, you don’t see any water or moisture; it’s highly unlikely you have a sewer leak above the slab.

Fresh water plumbing leak

Unlike your sewer system which only has water in it when you are running water in the house, your fresh water system always has water in its pipes.

A fresh water leak is like leaving a faucet on 24/7. And because of this, you will see water and lots of it, not just moisture or evidence of it.

It’s easy to check for a fresh water leak yourself. Go to the city water meter and open the cover. If you don’t have a meter key to open the cover, you can often get one for less than $10.00 at your local hardware store.

Turn off all the water in your house and watch the water meter. There should be a small circle or triangle in the center of the meter. When you have a fresh water leak, that detector will be moving or spinning.

If that meter is not spinning or moving at all, rest assured that there is no fresh water leak.

Monitor the meter for 5 minutes or more to make sure it doesn’t move. If there is no triangle or circle, watch the big hand of the meter for 20 minutes or so for movement.

You can turn on some water in the house before you go out to the meter and observe the meter hand to see how it moves when water is running. This gives you a clearer idea of what you’re watching for.

Slab condensation

The temperature under the slab is often different than the temperature above the slab. And this temperature difference can create condensation or moisture. This is a lot like when the temperature in your car is different than outside and the windows fog up.

To combat this problem most wood floors are installed with a vapor or moisture barrier laid between the wood and the slab. This keeps any moisture created from touching the wood. Unfortunately, some companies neglect to install this barrier which could very well be the problem.

We have also seen instances where an area rug or a chair mat for desk chairs create condensation. Any place where the humidity is high, or there is a lack of air flow could easily create this problem.

Wood floor acclimation

Before hardwood floors are installed, they should be brought into, spread out, and left for at least a few days—or the manufacturer’s recommended time—in the rooms they are to be installed.

This is so the wood will adjust to environmental conditions such as altitude, temperature, humidity, etc.

If wood floors are not allowed to acclimate to these weather variations, it’s possible it will warp after installation. Although this is not the most common reason for wood floor problems, it’s certainly a possibility that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Outside sprinkler system

Sometimes water from outside gets inside the home and causes the formation of moisture or other hardwood floor problems. A couple ways this happens are from sprinkler systems and/or rain.

To check for this, turn on your sprinkler system and see if a

Even if the water is not spraying on or in the house, it’s could be pooling in an outside area and then flowing into the house. So make sure you check for pooling spots as well as any sprinkler heads spraying on the house.

Now let’s talk about rain water. First you want to make sure there aren’t any leaks from the roof, fireplace, chimney, walls, etc. If you don’t find any leaks, it could also be rain water pooling like with the sprinkler system.

Rain

When it rains, especially during a heavy downpour, look around outside to make sure that water isn’t pooling anywhere next to the house. And if it is, make sure the water is flowing away from the house. Also check all outside walls, chimney areas, etc. to make sure that water is not entering the house and pooling on the floor.

One other important thing to keep in mind—especially with brick homes—there should be 2 inches of concrete showing at the point where the slab and the bricks meet. This is called a brick ledge.

The soil in this area should be sloping away from the house and not towards it. If that 2 inches of concrete is not showing, or if the soil is sloping towards the house, or is flat and not sloping at all, contact a good rain water drainage expert to evaluate and determine what to do about it.

The True Cause of Your Flooring Problems

The truth is most of the calls we get about flooring problems are not plumbing related at all. With this in mind, we hope this information has given you some ideas about what to check and will ultimately lead you to the real issue causing your problem.

You don’t want to waste time contacting the wrong people. You’ll get your problems fixed sooner rather than later when you know who to call.

If you think you have a plumbing problem causing your flooring issue, or you have any questions, comments and/or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact us at 972-494-1750 or [email protected].

We’re always happy to help!

ny of the heads are spraying directly at the house. Also go inside while the sprinklers are on and check for any water getting in the house.

Even if the water is not spraying on or in the house, it’s could be pooling in an outside area and then flowing into the house. So make sure you check for pooling spots as well as any sprinkler heads spraying on the house.

Now let’s talk about rain water. First you want to make sure there aren’t any leaks from the roof, fireplace, chimney, walls, etc. If you don’t find any leaks, it could also be rain water pooling like with the sprinkler system.

Rain

When it rains, especially during a heavy downpour, look around outside to make sure that water isn’t pooling anywhere next to the house. And if it is, make sure the water is flowing away from the house. Also check all outside walls, chimney areas, etc. to make sure that water is not entering the house and pooling on the floor.

One other important thing to keep in mind—especially with brick homes—there should be 2 inches of concrete showing at the point where the slab and the bricks meet. This is called a brick ledge.

The soil in this area should be sloping away from the house and not towards it. If that 2 inches of concrete is not showing, or if the soil is sloping towards the house, or is flat and not sloping at all, contact a good rain water drainage expert to evaluate and determine what to do about it.

The True Cause of Your Flooring Problems

The truth is most of the calls we get about flooring problems are not plumbing related at all. With this in mind, we hope this information has given you some ideas about what to check and will ultimately lead you to the real issue causing your problem.

You don’t want to waste time contacting the wrong people. You’ll get your problems fixed sooner rather than later when you know who to call.

If you think you have a plumbing problem causing your flooring issue, or you have any questions, comments and/or concerns please don’t hesitate to contact us at 972-494-1750 or [email protected].

We’re always happy to help!

Water heating accounts for almost 20% of your home’s total energy costs. So when it’s time to replace a tank water heater, you might be considering converting to a tankless water heater.

However, when we get calls from customers asking for a quote to convert to a tankless, we tell them that—as of 2017—we don’t install tankless water heaters. The main reason being, we don’t recommend them.

Difference Between Tank and Tankless

First, here’s a quick explanation about the differences between these two types of water heaters.

Depending on the size, a tank water heater holds up to 50 or so gallons of water. That water is heated in the tank and used for showers, washing dishes, doing the laundry, etc. As the water in the tank cools and/or the tank empties, it continually reheats the cooled water and/or refills with cold water that then needs to be heated.

A good thing to know about tank water heaters is that over time sediment from the water sitting in the tank settles at the bottom. Over time this sediment builds up.

So as the years go on, it’s possible to have so much build-up that a 50-gallon tank will hold only 30 gallons. This is why manufacturers recommend draining and flushing the tank once or twice a year.

A tankless water heater uses an energy source—electric or gas—and heats the water “on demand.” There’s no tank, so no stored water.

However, a common misunderstanding about a tankless water heater is that it provides “instant hot water.” Unless you have a hot water recirculation pump installed, this is not the case.

Because freshwater systems always have water in them, if you haven’t turned on the hot water in a while, the water in the pipe has cooled. So the cooled water runs out first when you turn on the hot water.

What you get with a tankless water heater is endless hot water, not instant.

Why We Don’t Recommend Tankless

Electric vs. Gas

If your house is all electric with no ability for natural gas, forget it. It is our experience that electric tankless water heaters do not work well for whole house water heating.

Installation

When converting from a tank to a tankless the installation is the most important thing.

If the tankless water heater is not installed or set up properly, it will never work properly. As mentioned above, a tankless doesn’t have a tank so it heats water on demand. In order to heat the water on demand, significantly more natural gas is needed for the tankless.

Many people—including some plumbers—believe you can just swap out a tank for a tankless, and you are done. But this could not be further from the truth.

In reality, if the tankless does not have the correct amount of gas supply hooked up to it, it will not work properly. Ever.

The venting of a tankless is also completely different than a tank, therefore it requires changes during the installation process. And without the right venting, a tankless unit won’t run as efficiently as intended. This can shorten the lifespan of the unit.

Gas Supply

An important question to consider: does your home gas system supply enough gas to properly power a tankless water heater. Make sure you take into account all the other gas-powered appliances in your home. If not, there is no way to properly install a tankless.

And another major concern is will the average plumber spend the time to figure this out before installing the tankless? Our answer is no!

Price

The average cost of just the tankless water heater itself is 2 to 3 times more than a tank water heater.

Then add the cost of installation and converting everything properly by a company with enough experience and a great reputation with tankless. You’re now looking at least 3 to 4 times more than replacing and reinstalling a tank water heater.

Environmentally Friendly/Utility Savings

Because tankless water heaters heat on demand, you save on utilities making it environmentally friendly. However, the amount of utility savings over the life of the tankless will never even come close to the extra money paid.

Lifespan and Ongoing Maintenance

A tankless water heater will only last as long as a regular tank water heater before it has to be replaced.

Now to be fair, the replacement should not cost as much as the initial installation/conversion—as long as the replacement uses the same gas supply or less than the converted one. But it absolutely will be more than a tank water heater.

Another important thing to keep in mind is the extra yearly maintenance a tankless water heater needs for it to continue working properly. And this maintenance must be done by a certified tankless specialist.

When We Might Recommend a Tankless

Building a new home. If you’re building a new home, it might not be a bad idea to install a tankless.

A new home can be built specifically to the tankless. This means less up-front costs for the materials, labor, and installation compared to converting a home built with a tank.

However, we think there’s another really good option when building a new home. Instead of using a tankless water heater, build a room in the house for the tank water heater where the slab slopes to the outside. Then if the tank water heater breaks, there is no possible damage inside the house.

Not to mention, using a tank water heater is cheaper in the long run when you consider the overall costs of a tankless.

Gimmicky Products and Services

Here at In-House Plumbing, we don’t recommend products or services we won’t use or install in our own homes. And at the time of this writing, we would not install a tankless water heater in our own homes for the reasons above and therefore can’t recommend them to our customers.

Tankless water heaters are certainly growing in popularity. But the truth is everything about how these are pushed and sold to the marketplace is a gimmick. It is designed to make manufacturers and installers a lot of money while not helping the customer at all.

But, if you still want a tankless water heater, we recommend you do your homework.

Research. Research. And research some more to find the right installer. We promise you, the right installer will not be even close to the cheapest.

When you find a reputable and experienced installer, protect yourself and your investment. Check with the manufacturer about everything the installer does. And try to get an installation contract that allows you to try it for a week to a month before you pay the final amount. We also have a guide that we think it can help you find a trustworthy plumbing company.

Most Importantly: Be Careful

We hope this information has helped. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to contact us at 972-494-1750. Or email us at [email protected].

If you’ve noticed higher than normal water bills or your water pressure is suddenly not what it use it be, you might have a fresh water leak.

Your fresh water line runs on a pressurized system and is constantly pumping water from the city’s water lines—meaning there is always water running through your fresh water pipes. This is different from a sewer system which only has water in it when you are running water in the house.

Because there is always water in fresh water pipes, if you do have a leak, it’s like leaving the water running all day, every day.

Signs of a Fresh Water Leak

In addition to high water bills and/or a change in water pressure, you might have one or more of the following signs of a fresh water leak:

• Higher electric or gas bills
• Little or no hot water
• Constant sound of running water
• Wet spot on floor
• Standing water in yard
• Warm/hot spots on floor

Read more about these signs and symptoms here to rule out other plumbing problems.

Causes of Fresh Water Leaks

From what we’ve seen, the number one cause of a fresh water leak is electrolysis—an extremely tiny electric current that forms between two dissimilar metals when there is a fluid flowing across them. While this isn’t the case with newly built homes, older homes’ electrical systems were grounded to their copper water pipes which could cause electrolysis.

Another reason for this electric current is the minerals in our water supply. If a metal-like mineral sticks to a spot on the pipe, this with the water flowing through the pipes could cause the current.

Other possible causes could include:

• Slight ding or dent in the pipe during installation
• Possibly defective pipe
• Ground movement – If the pipe was improperly installed with fittings under the slab, ground movement could cause a leak at the fitting. There should be no fittings on fresh water pipes under the slab
• Rare for the DFW area – freezing (in the case of above slab pipe)
• Rusted nail or screw hammered or drilled into the pipe (also above slab)

Many new homes are built with the fresh water lines in the walls and attic but for this post, we are talking about under slab fresh water pipes.

And there are three steps to handling these under slab leaks:

1. Leak detection
2. Leak location
3. Leak repair

Fresh Water Leak Detection

Fresh water leak detection, or determining if you have a fresh water leak, is a much less involved process than it is for an under slab sewer leak.

There are two methods we use to determine if you have a fresh water leak.

One is to look at the city water meter. On the meter there is a triangle, or drip indicator, that will be moving if you have a leak. It also moves if you have the water running in the house. So it’s important to make sure nobody is running water in the house before checking the meter.

The second way is with a pressure gauge. We attach a pressure gauge to a hose bibb on your house, and turn the bibb on. With the pressure gauge attached and hose bibb turned on, we turn off the main water supply so there is no water running to your house from the city.

If the pressure gauge needle doesn’t move, there is no leak. But if it does indicating a drop in water pressure, this means water is escaping from somewhere in the system, and you have a fresh water leak.

Check out this video from our YouTube channel to see what these two different testing methods look like:

Fresh Water Leak Location

Once we’ve determined you have a leak, we need to know where it is. For this we use the best fresh water leak location company in the Dallas area. Find out more about this company and why we consider them a part of the In-House team in this post.

First, they use a pipe locating device to find the lines in your house under the slab.

Then air is pumped into the lines and a special listening device is used to locate the leak. The tech is listening for the sound of the water or air escaping from the lines.

Here’s another video where you can see a live demonstration of this:

Fresh Water Leak Repair

There are a number of ways to repair a fresh water leak under the slab. For an under slab fresh water leak, many companies suggest tunneling from the outside. We do not recommend tunneling for a fresh water leak for a couple of reasons.

Saturated Soil – As we mentioned above, because a fresh water system always has water pumping through it, a leak is like leaving the water running constantly. And in most cases, people don’t realize they even have a leak for at least a couple weeks. Usually, though, it’s a couple of months before the homeowner knows there is a leak.

Because of this, the soil around that leak is completely saturated and like mush. This makes it impossible to make “walls” in the tunnel. So it’s possible the tunnel will collapse into itself making it unsafe for anyone to crawl into and work in the tunnel.

Potential Structural Issues – Because the soil is unstable, there could be problems when digging the tunnel and also when backfilling the tunnel.

This instability could cause structural problems in your home in the future.

What We Recommend

There are a few options available to repair a fresh water leak.

Spot Repair

Our first recommendation in most cases is for us to go through the slab at the location of the leak for a spot repair. Other plumbing companies might try and scare you with horror stories about damaging your home’s foundation or the mess created by punching through the slab.

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However, in our experience, when done right—which we do—punching a hole in the slab does not compromise the integrity of your foundation. Not to mention, even foundation repair companies will punch a hole in the slab in certain situations. Why would they do this if it wasn’t safe?

And with our cleanliness guarantee, you won’t have to deal with a mess made by our crews.

So why then do these companies try to steer customers toward tunneling? Tunneling costs a lot of money which equals more money in the plumbing company’s pocket. So many companies will try to scare you into this unnecessarily expensive option.

Most homeowners will never have to deal with a fresh water leak. And if you do, it’s most likely you only have one. So once that leak is repaired, you shouldn’t have another leak. But if you do have another leak or multiple leaks, there is probably something wrong with the pipes.

In those cases, spot repair isn’t the best choice.

Repipe/Reroute

This option is what we recommend if you’ve had fresh water leaks before or if we find multiple leaks.

With repiping and rerouting, the pipes under the slab are abandoned. The plumber then reroutes new ones in the walls and attic.

Until recently, we strongly recommended against this option. There’s a lot of cosmetic repairs necessary with rerouting. We have to cut through the walls and maybe the ceiling. And plumbers only handle the plumbing so you will have to hire another company to fix the cosmetic issues.

Also if there is a problem with the lines and a pipe bursts or there is a leak, you risk water leaking into the house potentially causing a lot of damage.

However, as most houses are now built with the lines in the walls and ceiling, as time goes on, this is a moot point.

Trenchless Repair

The last option is trenchless. With trenchless, there is no digging, going through the slab, or cosmetic repairs. Instead, a liquid epoxy is pumped into the pipes and creates an inner coating which seals the leak or leaks.

We don’t offer or recommend trenchless repair. At one time, we referred customers interested in trenchless to a local company we had thoroughly researched and trusted. But after 12 years of providing trenchless repair, the company stopped offering this service for a number of reasons, one of which includes the long-term effectiveness of the repairs.

There are one or two companies in the DFW area who still offer trenchless. While we can’t recommend them, we strongly suggest you do your research into the companies and trenchless repair itself. Check out our guide on how to find a trustworthy plumbing company.

Give Us a Call

If you think you have a fresh water leak, above or under the slab, or have any questions or comments, feel free to leave it below this post! Or contact us today at 972-494-1750 or email at [email protected]

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If you have a sewer leak or leaks under the concrete slab of your home’s foundation, it’s possible it could cause cracks in your walls or foundation, sloping floors, or more.

And once you find out you have a sewer leak, most likely it’s been there for a significant amount of time. So it’s in your best interest to take action to prevent any possible or further structural damage to your house.

But if your system is made of cast iron the question becomes: Should you repair the leaks? Or go ahead and replace the pipes?

Repair or Replace Under Slab Cast Iron Pipes

Cast iron pipe was designed to last 50 years. Here at In-House plumbing, we’ve seen a 20-year-old pipe that was no good and 50 year-old-pipe that was fine.

The truth is there are so many variables and factors that contribute to the deterioration of cast iron pipe. And while there’s no way to know when your pipe will go bad, there is no doubt that they will go bad.

The last houses constructed with cast iron pipe in DFW were built around 1986. However, many houses in the area were built using PVC pipe even as far back as the late 1970s.

With this in mind, any cast iron pipe installed under the slab will require replacing in the next 5 to 20 years. If not sooner.

It is important to note that any time an under slab cast iron sewer pipe is repaired, meaning just the spots with leaks are repaired, what was just one problem or leak will be at least 2 problems in the same spot in the future.

The cast iron on each side of the repair will go bad e.g. crumble, crack, break, leak, etc. That’s just the nature of the material. As the metal repeatedly comes into contact with the wastewater that runs through it, it deteriorates.

Full or Partial Replacement?

So with cast iron sewer pipes, especially older pipes, it doesn’t make sense to locate or repair the leak or leaks.

Now we understand not everyone can afford to replace all of the cast iron pipes under a slab at once. This is why some might opt for the repair instead.

But affordability, or lack thereof, makes it that much more important to consider all your options. It’s especially important to take a long-term view rather than an immediate one.

Sometimes it is possible to replace part of the pipe now and some of it later. And sometimes there’s another option altogether.

A Real Life Example

A good example of this is a job we had in Mesquite, TX. The house was 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. At some point in the past, another company tunneled 12 feet starting from the outside of the house at the kitchen sink which was touching the outside wall on the right side when facing the house.

The main sewer line went to the front of the house and both bathrooms touched the left outside wall. The kitchen sink line was basically a straight line all the way across the house to the bathrooms. The washing machine was at the back center of the house by the garage. And its sewer line tee’d into the kitchen line about 20 feet or so from the kitchen sink.

The previous company tunneled the 12 feet from the outside to replace 12 feet of the deteriorated cast iron kitchen line. But that’s all that company did.

Sidenote: If part of the line is deteriorated, how long do you think it will be before the rest of the pipe that was made and installed at the same time becomes deteriorated (if it’s not already)?

They charged the homeowner about $6000 to replace the 12 feet of sewer line.

What We Found

When we came in several years later, we found that there were not only more problems on the remaining 40 feet or so of the kitchen and washer line but at the bathrooms as well.

But what made things worse for the homeowners when we told them what we found during our inspection was when we told them our method for solving their problem. We suggested rerouting the pipe from the kitchen sink line underground into a trench outside of the house — not under the house under the slab. This put the pipe in the front yard instead.

Meaning? The $6000 they paid the previous company and the 12 feet of new pipe was a complete waste. With our repair plan that pipe was abandoned.

Why ReRoute the Sewer Line?

So why abandon the new pipe replaced by the previous company?

Replacing the remaining pipe meant re-tunneling the 12 feet the previous plumber tunneled. AND also meant a lot more tunneling. Not to mention the need to punch holes inside the house and tunneling from those holes for a total under slab excavation of 28 feet or more.

This option costs 3 times more than our suggested plan.

Our suggestion to reroute was far less expensive. And by rerouting this part of the sewer line outside of the house instead of under it, if there ever is a problem in the future, fixing it is easier and cheaper. Future repairs to this new portion of the pipe won’t require expensive tunneling or punching holes in the slab.

So if the original plumber had just rerouted the kitchen line, it no doubt would have cost less than $6000. And it would have eliminated the need for us to reroute it when we did which cost the customer more in the long run.

Then we could have concentrated on the new problems and addressed those for the long term. The owners could have gradually over time replaced the pipe as each part became necessary to replace.

A Trustworthy Plumbing Company

It is important to note not every house is like this one. But looking at each house and problem with long-term solutions in mind is possible and necessary in every situation.

This is why it’s important to find a reliable plumber or plumbing company whose motives are to help you not themselves.

In the example we just discussed, the former contractor did what was best for himself at the time. He did more work for more cost and left himself in a position to do even more work later. Because there was no doubt going to be more problems.

It’s highly likely this contractor believes in the “tunnel only no matter what’ philosophy. So if he tunnels 12 of the 40 feet knowing all 40 has to be done at some point, he can do the 12 now and all 40 in the future. Not to mention the original 12 again if he uses the same access hole at the kitchen sink.

Our Recommendation

Based on the fact that all cast iron sewer pipes will need to be replaced, we strongly recommend that cast iron pipe under a concrete slab be replaced and not repaired.

In fact, we have decided we will no longer locate or spot repair any sewer leaks on a cast iron system. We believe locating or repair sewer leaks on a cast iron system is a waste of time and money for the homeowner.

However, we always look at all possibilities from a long-term point of view based on your specific needs and budget.

If you have any questions, comments, concerns or want a free no obligation estimate, give us a call at 972-494-1750. Or email us at [email protected].