A slab leak in Erwin is a water line leaking under a concrete floor, which applies to slab additions, garages and houses built on grade. Erwin's homes are some of the oldest in Harnett County, so a plumber will often suggest replacing the buried run rather than patching it. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Erwin.
Erwin at a glance
Erwin is a former cotton-mill town on the Cape Fear River. The median home was built in 1966, about two-thirds predate 1980, and around 24% were built in 1939 or earlier, per Census survey data. Older mill-town houses were commonly raised on crawl spaces, so many leaks under the floor can be reached from below. Erwin has no town water department: Harnett County bought the water and sewer systems in 2006, so service calls go to Harnett Regional Water, which uses chloramine as its main disinfectant.
What to do first
- Shut off all water. Inside and outside.
- Do a meter test. Read it, wait an hour, read it again.
- Close the main. If the meter stops, the leak is inside the house; if not, it may be in the yard.
- Call Harnett Regional Water if the leak looks like it's at the meter or near the street.
- Check the floor. Note warm spots, damp areas and the age of the room.
- Call a plumber. Keep the main closed if water is surfacing.
Signs and likely causes
| Sign | What it may mean |
|---|---|
| Meter moves with the main closed | Leak between the meter and the house |
| Warm floor in a slab room | Hot water line leaking under concrete |
| Second leak in a few years | Old pipe wearing out along its length |
| Rust-colored water at some taps | Old galvanized pipe in the house |
What affects the price
- Locating. Old houses with additions may have buried runs in unexpected places.
- Repair or reroute. Worn pipe often makes a reroute the better value.
- Crawl space access. A crawl space next to the slab room can make rerouting easier.
- Permits. Harnett County inspects plumbing work in Erwin, but the town requires its own zoning permit first.
When you're connected with an independent plumber who serves Erwin, say when the house was built, whether the affected room was part of the original house, and what the meter test showed. In a home from the mill era, the plumber may also suggest checking the rest of the supply piping while the walls or floor are open, since old pipe tends to fail in more than one place.
Slab Leak Repair questions in Erwin
Our house sits over a crawl space. Is a slab leak still possible?
Who pays to fix a leak between the water meter and my house?
After one slab leak, should I expect more?
Does slab leak work need a permit, and who issues it?
More plumbing services in Erwin
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