Available Options: Slab leak?

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fogyreef

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TLDR: Pin hole just out of reach in slab. Alternatives to sledging?

Month and a half into our first (1987 Tampa) home and I hear a spray/gurgle in the wall. It sounded like pressure equalizing from some unknown system. The volume seemed to taper off, so we chalked it up to not knowing the house noises yet and went to bed. In the morning there was a dribble under the cabinet and about a square yard of wet carpet on the other side of the wall, so I opened it up.

In the pics, the fourth pipe from the left is leaking out of sight in the slab. I can hear it in the plastic sleeve. Seems to be a tiny pin hole that only overflowed the pipe's plastic sleeve after several hours.

If it were a single pipe I'd cut/sledge and see if I could do the repair, but I'm not feeling that adventurous/accurate with the array of pipes.

We've got a $2500 deductible so I'm not engaging insurance just yet, and I'm not looking to re-pipe at this time until we replenish the coffers from the move/purchase. Before I hire, I need your thoughts on alternative tech like epoxy, micro-chiseling locally instead of subbing out full sledging, re-routing, moving, etc.

I wish I could just pour gorilla grip down the tube and get back to unpacking.

Afterthought question: Can you describe what I'm looking at with the pipe array? What's going on there?

IMAG0491.jpgIMAG0492.jpg
 

Asktom

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Alas, it is break the floor or repipe overhead.
You are looking at a manifold. Solder joints are a nono under the slab so they loop a supply line into the wall and tee off loops to the other fixtures.
 

hj

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They can SEE where the leak is, so they need SOMEONE to break open the floor and repair the pipe. It is something we do all the time. A "repipe" is the Draconian way to eliminate the leak.
 

fogyreef

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While I research my options to resolve the leak I'm trying to figure out the current potential risk to turning on the water for showers, etc, then off again.

It's my understanding that copper is housed in sleeves in the slab. Is it code for the sleeves to be fully enclosed and, in effect, water tight in the concrete? In otherwords, I want to know if I'm contributing to a sink hole or just filling up the plastic sleeve when turning the water on to shower. The leak did eventually overflow the sleeve above the slab, but only after several hours overnight. It appears to have since receded, but I'm not 100% sure it didn't just evaporate or, in fact, leak out the sleeve under the slab.

What is the likelihood the 1987 builders to did not provide a 100% closed sleeve?

Or that the sleeve could be ruptured?

First bid for a 2500 sqft 2 bath ranch was $6900 for a cpvc repipe, just under the $7000 epoxy reline quote. :eek: Looks like this DIYer's going to be learning how to PEX. More bids to come.
 

Dj2

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If you have one leak, chances are that you'll get more leaks in the near future. Don't waste your money on repairs, re-pipe now.
 
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