A slab leak does not always require opening a large section of concrete to replace the damaged pipe. Depending on where the affected plumbing begins and ends, rerouting the water line through the walls can be a much better way to eliminate the leaking underground section. On this slab leak repair in French Valley, we found a leaking hot water line running underneath the slab between the lavatory faucet and the bathtub in the same bathroom. Because both plumbing fixtures were located along the same side of the bathroom, we were able to bypass the underground copper and reroute the water supply through the wall instead.

Hot Water Line Leaking Under the Slab

The leaking line supplied hot water between the bathroom lavatory and the tub/shower plumbing.

Rather than repairing a small section of the buried copper and leaving the rest of the line underneath the concrete, we rerouted the hot water line completely out of the slab.

The new line was installed in copper and routed through the existing wall from the lavatory side of the bathroom over to the tub/shower plumbing.

This allowed us to essentially jump over the old underground section and eliminate that portion of the plumbing from service.

Over 100 PSI of Water Pressure

Another important condition we found at this French Valley home was very high water pressure. The plumbing system was experiencing more than 100 PSI.

Excessive water pressure places additional stress on water lines, valves, fixtures, fittings, and other plumbing components. When investigating a slab leak, water pressure is an important part of evaluating the overall plumbing system rather than looking only at the location where the leak became visible.

Copper Reroute Through the Bathroom Wall

Because all of the new connections were accessible inside the wall, we were able to solder the copper connections throughout the reroute.

The new hot water line was routed through the wall and connected back into the plumbing at the bottom of the shower valve.

We also installed the proper isolation and support straps inside the wall. These help secure the copper piping and prevent unnecessary movement or rubbing against surrounding building materials.

Once the reroute was completed, the original hot water line underneath the slab was abandoned and was no longer part of the active water system.

Rerouting the Cold Water Line at the Same Time

Since the bathroom wall was already open and the plumbing was accessible, the homeowner chose to have us reroute the cold water line as an additional part of the project.

There was not a need to wait for that underground line to develop a leak before addressing it.

We rerouted the cold water supply through the wall as well, removing that bathroom's cold water line from the underground plumbing route.

This meant that both the hot and cold water lines serving this section of the bathroom were now accessible above the slab.

Reducing the Amount of Bathroom Plumbing Under the Concrete

One of the major benefits of this repair was that we were able to remove both of these bathroom water lines from beneath the slab without having to follow their original underground routes.

The old copper lines were abandoned in the ground, while the new copper lines were installed through the wall where the piping and connections are much more accessible.

For this bathroom, that means the active hot and cold water lines we rerouted are no longer buried underneath the concrete. If either of these new lines ever requires service in the future, the plumbing is accessible through the wall rather than underneath the slab.

Slab Leak Repair in French Valley, CA

Every slab leak is different. The best repair method depends on where the leaking pipe is located, which fixtures it serves, how the home is constructed, and whether there is a practical route for bypassing the underground plumbing.

In this French Valley home, the lavatory and bathtub were positioned in a way that allowed us to reroute both water lines through the same bathroom wall. The result was a new copper hot and cold water supply system for that section of the bathroom without relying on the old piping beneath the concrete.

Rodgers Air Conditioning & Plumbing provides slab leak detection, plumbing repairs, and water line rerouting for homeowners in French Valley and the surrounding communities.