Meet Chris Goad

Slab leaks 101 (a very Florida problem)

Chris mentions slab leaks in passing, but for Florida homeowners they deserve the spotlight. Most homes here sit on a concrete slab with water lines running beneath or inside it - so when one of those lines fails, the leak is invisible by design. It announces itself sideways.

• A warm spot on the floor - hot line leaks radiate heat up through the concrete
• A water bill that jumps with no change in habits
• The sound of running water when every fixture is off
• Damp carpet edges, cupping wood floors, or a musty smell with no visible source
• The meter test: everything off, and the meter dial still creeps

The good news about a scary diagnosis

Modern detection - acoustic listening, thermal imaging, pressure isolation - locates a slab leak without exploratory demolition, and the fix is often a reroute of that one line overhead rather than jackhammering the living room. If the house has had more than one, that is the repipe conversation, and it is a planned project rather than a panic.