Hello, all

I'm new to this forum and I have a dilemma. I am a tenant in a 2 story home that I believe has a leaking pipe. I hear what sounds like water running through pipes behind the wall in the bathroom. The water meter also shows that, with no water being used, we're using about 15 gals of water per hour. i brought this to my landlords attention and all he says is that there is a leaky toilet or faucet. I double-checked all the faucets and both bathrooms and there are no leaky fixtures or toilets. Yet we I still hear running water behind the wall and the water meter is spinning away. There is no accumulation of water anywhere in the house. I spoke in detail with the landlord about this and his one question that I can't answer is "Where is the water going?". The house is built on a concrete slab with the pipes in the concrete. If I read the meter correctly, we've used up 13000 gallons of water since the last reading in October (Oct 3). I don't have the money to lay out for a plumber but I keep seeing the dollar cost accumulate for water usage.
There is no accumulated water inside the house that I see and the ground in dry in the front of the house and the back. So, where would the water be going and is there an easy way of checking what's going on behind the wall without doing a major demo job? It's not my house.

Terry

It sounds like you have a slab leak. The running water sound in the wall is simply being transmitted through the pipes.

Thanks. Interesting, but what is a slab leak? I've never heard of that term. How does one repair it?

Terry

The water is leaking under the slab. You find the leak, then cut/jackhammer the slab to repair the leak. Does the landlord think ignoring the problem will make it go away?

Yes, it's most likely a leak in a pipe under the floor. I would check the T + P valve on the water heater also.

From my dealings with him, yes. This is why I'm here. He has had me chasing different scenarios for the past few days (i.e. the toilets are leaking, the faucets are leaking, and the water meter is broken). I've addressed each of his "suggestions" and have had a professional plumber come in, at my cost, to evaluate and estimate the cost to repair (plumber said the water leak was under the slab)but the landlord believed the plumber was wrong and thinks that there is a simple explanation that everyone is missing.

It is probably a hot water pipe that is leaking so if you turn off the water the water heater, the sound should stop. You fix it by finding out WHERE it is, using a locator service, the either reroute the pipe or break the concrete and repair the pipe.,

Good for him. He thinks he knows more that guys who have been fixing this type of leak for decades.Ask him if he is going to pay your water bill until HE figures out how to fix the problme.

I agree with everything you're saying. But at this point I have to try to stay on good terms with him because I can't afford to move yet. Right now I'm waiting for the Township to do a meter reading because the landLord doesn't believe the usage figures I gave him. I can file a complaint against him with the Township but then I gave to worry that he will retaliate with a max rent increase or a notice to vacate.

Assuming it is the hot water line which is cracked, this is the progression of events. Your water bill will increase, the either the gas or electric bill will also soar, and finally, when it gets bad enough you will not have ANY hot water because is will all be going under the floor as fast as the water heater can produce it. Your landlord is not unique, because I have had plumbers also dispute it, until they finally had to admit it was a fact.

I want to thank everyone for their input & advice. I learned alot. The final outcome is that the landlord will be fixing the leak. It took a lot of cajoling and gnashing of teeth but he finally agreed to fix the problem.
He sent over his plumber on Friday who told him that there was a pile leak in the concrete floor. So, the landlord has a leak detection company coming on Monday or Tuesday to find where it is and the plumber will be coming on Wednesday to repair it.



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Thanks