Services | Domestic Water Leak Repairs & Retrofits

Domestic Water Leak Repairs & Retrofits

We are often asked about domestic water plumbing problems which occur in the Eichler Home. Because the hot and cold water plumbing is located beneath the concrete slab containing the hydronic radiant panel heating, there is no access for normal maintenance or repairs. When leaks occur in the plumbing system, the Contractor must dig through the radiant panel (usually concrete) to evaluate the condition of the piping and perform the repair. Because this work is related and affects the radiant system, ANDERSON RADIANT HEATING specializes in these repairs for the Eichler Home. We pinpoint the exact location of the leak so distrubance to your home is minimal (see picture at right).

The scope of the work includes the following:

location of the leak
rearrangement of the furniture
removal of floor materials
digging into the concrete slab to expose the leak
repair of the leaking tube
repair of any radiant panel tubes damaged during the dig
replacement of any defective boiler safety and support items required to restart the radiant heating system
restarting of the radiant heating system
replacement of the concrete

NOTE: WE ARE EXPERTS IN THE HYDRONICS
FIELD AND NOT IN THE INSTALLATION OF
FLOOR COVERINGS, WE DO NOT REPLACE
ANY FLOOR COVERINGS. THIS WORK IS TO
BE PERFORMED BY ANOTHER CONTRACTOR
WHO SPECIALIZES IN THAT FIELD.

ANDERSON RADIANT HEATING will furnish the materials, labor and guarantees for the domestic water repair as follows:

We will examine the water meter and calculate the amount of water loss. We then perform a hydrostatic pressure test of the plumbing system to verify the presence of a leak. THIS TEST ONLY CONFIRMS THERE ARE ONE OR MORE LEAKS IN THE DOMESTIC WATER PLUMBING.
We will locate the leak using low pressure helium gas combined with spectrographic analysis.
We will dig into the concrete at the point of the leak and replace the burst copper tee or tube. All repairs are silver-brazed to meet the requirements of the UNIVERSAL PLUMBING CODE.
After the repair is completed, we will perform further spectrographic analysis to determine if all the leaks have been located and repaired. If we locate additional leaks, we will repeat the above procedure.
If the spectrographic analysis is negative, we will perform another hydrostatic pressure test at "city water pressure". If the pressure drops, we will repeat this procedure until all the leaks have been pin-pointed and repaired.
Only after receiving a "NO LOSS" pressure test and verification of no leaks at the water meter, unless we determine the extent of leakage is non-repairable, we will backfill the opening with concrete. All floor coverings will be replaced by another Contractor.
If the radiant heating system is damaged due to the penetration of the slab, we will repair all damaged tubes and restart the heating system. BOILER SAFETY AND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT MAY REQUIRE REPLACEMENT TO RESTART THE HEATING SYSTEM. We will perform a hydrostatic pressure test of the radiant panel after the work is completed for the domestic water leak.

Cost of the Work

ANDERSON RADIANT HEATING agrees to perform the work on a "TIME & MATERIALS" basis. You are charged an hourly labor rate of $120.00 per man. The materials to complete the work include:

helium detector rental ($350.00)
nitrogen and helium gas ($150.00)
concrete ($20.00 per 60 lb. bag)
silver-brazing ($15.00 per leak)
copper tube and fittings ($10-30 per leak)

As a guideline, if the system is determined to be repairable, the average cost locate and repair most leaking domestic water systems is $1,250.00 - $2,500.00. The boiler safety and support equipment damaged due to the domestic water leak will be replaced at an additional charge.

Other Considerations

We work for the Owner of the property and not the insurance company. The Owner may choose any Contractor by law to perform the work.
All the material and labor costs are divided into plumbing and non-plumbing work on the invoice. The plumbing items include the labor and materials to actually repair the burst copper tee or tube once it has been exposed. The non-plumbing items include the labor and materials for all other work including:

location of the leak(s)
digging to expose the burst copper tee or tube
replacement of the concrete
replacement of defective boiler equipment directly damaged by the leak (covered only by some insurance companies only)
replacement of tile, linoleum, carpet, padding, wooden and other floor materials (work peformed by another contractor)Our past experience indicates your homeowners insurance will reimburse you for approximately 90% of the total invoice as "non-plumbing" work. The insurance company only pays for the water damage caused to your residence by the leak. They do not pay for the repair of the tee or tube. It is the Owner's responsibility to pay for the plumbing items, approximately 10% of the total invoice plus the policy deductible.

ANDERSON RADIANT HEATING CANNOT
GUARANTEE THE WORK WILL BE COVERED
BY YOUR INSURANCE POLICY. PROTECT
YOURSELF AND CHECK WITH AN INSURANCE CLAIMS
REPRESENTATIVE PRIOR TO BEGINNING THE
WORK FOR THE EXACT COVERAGE ALLOWED.

The typical repair requires one working day for the standard 2,000 sq. ft. home. A second or third day is only required when the home is larger than 2,000 sq. ft., the radiant tubes are damaged during the dig, the system is not repairable due to complete deterioration of the copper tube, or the system must be replaced or retrofitted.

Because of Helium Spectrographic Analysis and over forty years experience with this type of home problem, we are able to precisely locate all the leaks quickly and efficiently.

THERE SHOULD NEVER BE ANY EXPLORATORY DIGGING.

Penetration of the concrete slab is accomplished with a small 30 lb. electric jackhammer. Most of the dust and dirt are removed with a large vacuum cleaner.

THERE ARE NO REQUIREMENTS TO REMOVE
ANY FURNITURE, CARPETING, PADDING OR
OTHER FLOOR MATERIALS TO LOCATE THE LEAK(S).

If the leak in the domestic hot or cold water system is caused by "ELECTROLYSIS", we can only repair the leaking tube at the observable point of leakage. Electrolysis is an electro-chemical degradation of the copper tubing caused by the following:

electrical grounding of household plugs, television and telephone cables to the plumbing system
poor water conditions
poor installation procedures and techniques involving dissimilar metals
contact of exposed tubing with highly contaminated or acidic soils

ONLY AFTER THE LEAKING TUBE IS EXPOSED
AND EXAMINED, CAN AN HONEST EVALUATION
BE MADE ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE
PLUMBING SYSTEM AND THE AMOUNT OF TUBE
REQUIRING REPLACEMENT.

If the Helium Spectrographic Analysis indicates the domestic water piping is leaking in several areas, no digging will commence until the Owner and insurance company are consulted as to whether a repair or retrofit is appropriate.

Guarantees

ANDERSON RADIANT HEATING guarantees the materials and workmanship on all tubing repairs for (10) TEN years, including parts and labor. The warranty applies at the point of the repair for all the work performed by our personnel.

ANDERSON RADIANT HEATING guarantees all mechanical repairs on the boiler system for (3) THREE years, including parts and labor.
All our guarantees apply to the original and any subsequent owner of the property.

Why Retrofit?

If it is determined the under-slab piping is badly deteriorated, showing widespread leakage, or if the plumbing has had a prior history of problems, a retrofit of the plumbing piping system is recommended. Further attempts at repairing the piping is not advised because extended costs could be incurred by both the homeowner and insurance company without a guarantee to completely repair the problem. With these considerations, a complete repipe of the hot and cold water system for the house is the long term solution and highly recommended. Even a partial repipe of the water system is a better short term solution rather than another repair. Regardless of whether both sytstems are leaking or not, we always recommend repiping both systems at once if you are able to do so, because many of the same areas are already accessed for the piping replacement. Overall, the hot and cold water repipe is a less costly alternative to immediately and permanently solving the problem because the cost of locating additional leaks, the digging to expose the leaks, repair and replacement of the concrete, and floor materials could easily exceed the cost of a retrofit.

Normally, only after the piping has been examined can an honest determination be made whether the system is repairable or must be replaced by a repipe. But if a previous leak repair history exists or different areas of the house are known to be leaking, which indicates the deterioration is widespread, a decision to repipe can be made without further evaluation. We classify any leak rate at over 100 gallons a day as an emergency situation. There is risk for much more damage to the house, including both water damage and structural damage, if the water loss continues for an extended period of time.

Once leakage occurs, many of the Eichler plumbing systems will leak at rates as high as 2,500 gallons per day or more without any signs of water surfacing. Often, the first indications of a badly leaking system is hearing water running throughout the faucets in the home when there is no water demand.

As previously indicated, if we attempt to repair the system, the cost of the work is on a "TIME & MATERIALS" basis. You are charged an hourly labor rate of $120.00 per man plus any materials as noted on the contract proposal. The normal leak crew contains two or three men and the job is completed within one working day. The average cost to locate and attempt the repair in the Eichler Home is $1,250.00 - $2,500.00. The cost to replace all the under-slab piping could easily exceed $30,000.00 which is considerably more than the cost of the retrofit. An average cost for a cold water retrofit is $8,500.00 and a hot water retrofit is $6,500.00. Both systems are generally retrofitted for about $10,000.00-$16,000.00. The cost of the retrofit can vary substantially depending on the work to be completed. Some of these variables are:

whether both the hot and cold system must be replaced
whether either the hot or cold system must be replaced
the extent of wall access and replacement required to gain access to plumbing fixtures
the amount of refinishing and repainting needed for wall surfaces
the requirement for cabinet or toilet removal and
replacement

Your homeowners insurance company may assist in the cost of this repair as water damage to your residence caused by an accidental or sudden burst of a copper tube in or under a concrete slab. The insurance company does not pay for domestic water leaks, but they may pay for the water damages caused by the leak. It has been our experience with many insurance companies, if the system is determined to be non-repairable and the cost to repair the existing system could easily exceed the cost of the retrofit, the insurance company has chosen to cover the cost of retrofitting the system. It is often advantageous to both the insurance company and the insured to negotiate a settlement based on the retrofit cost rather than the repair when severe deterioration or electrolysis is present.

The determination of water damage at your property is not always easy. Do not be discouraged about a claim if there is NO IMMEDIATE VISIBLE water damage from the leak. As professionals, we have the expertise to make the determination and advise you and your insurance company. We always welcome "second opinions" from qualified C-4 or C-36 Hydronic and Plumbing Contractors. Often, the insurance company will send inexperienced and non-qualified people to investigate this problem at your home. This includes leak detection companies who specialize in this type of work. Always insist that a licensed Contractor perform the evaluation and check their references before beginning the work.

IF THERE IS A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION AS TO
WHETHER THE SYSTEM IS LEAKING, WE WILL BE
GLAD TO MEET WITH YOUR INSURANCE CLAIMS
REPRESENTATIVE AND THEIR INVESTIGATIVE
AGENCY AT YOUR PROPERTY TO SUBSTANTIATE
OUR CLAIMS AT NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE.