Leak Detection in Highland, CA

Houses and pipes in Highland

Older Highland homes near the original town date from the early and mid-1900s. Most of the city was built from the 1980s through the 2000s, single- and two-story homes on slabs, many on sloped lots toward the foothills.

Most homes get water from East Valley Water District.

Highland leaks

Homes from the 1980s are reaching the age for slab leaks. Rising ground means higher pressure in lower zones and service line leaks on slopes. Hard water and hot summers wear out heaters.

Typical leak costs in Highland

From citrus town to foothill suburb

Highland was a small citrus community for most of its history, centered on the area around Base Line and Palm Avenue. It incorporated in 1987, and in the decades around that, tract homes spread across the land toward the foothills. Most Highland homes today are single- and two-story stucco houses from the 1980s and 1990s on concrete slabs, with copper supply lines underneath. That copper is now thirty to forty years old, the age when slab leaks become common, especially with hard water.

Pressure on rising ground

Highland sits on ground that rises toward the San Bernardino Mountains, and the water system serves homes at many elevations. Homes lower in a pressure zone can see high pressure, which strains pipes, fittings, toilet valves and water heater relief valves. A pressure regulator near the main shutoff keeps pressure safe, but regulators wear out. Banging pipes, a relief valve that drips or very forceful faucets are signs. Testing pressure takes minutes, and replacing a regulator is a modest job.

Slopes and service lines

Homes on sloped lots toward the foothills have service lines that run up or down hills and through retaining walls. As slopes settle, lines can crack. A damp slope, water seeping from a wall or a sudden pressure drop are common signs.

East Valley Water District

Most Highland homes get water from East Valley Water District. East Valley's crews handle the meter box and anything between it and the main in the street.

Slab leaks in 1980s homes

A hot-line slab leak shows up as a warm floor, a water heater that runs constantly or the sound of water at night. A plumber confirms it with a meter test, isolates the hot side and uses acoustic and thermal tools to mark the spot.

Older homes in the original town

Highland's older homes near the original town may have galvanized pipe or older copper, with rusty water and low pressure as signs of aging.

Wildfire and slopes

Fires have burned the foothills above Highland. After a fire, heavy rain can move soil on slopes and damage lines. Check slopes after big storms.

Before you call about a Highland leak

Mention roughly when the home was built, whether it's on a slope, whether you've noticed high pressure and whether the meter moves with everything off.

Costs in Highland

Locating usually falls in the range above. Replacing a regulator is modest. Hillside lines take longer to trace.

How a Highland leak search usually goes

A plumber typically starts at the meter with everything off, then checks pressure at a hose bib, then looks at the water heater and toilets. If pressure is high, the regulator is the first suspect. If the meter is still moving, closing the cold inlet at the heater shows whether the hot or cold side is leaking. Acoustic listening and a thermal camera then narrow it to a single spot on the floor or along the service line. On a sloped lot, a tracer helps follow the line before listening along it. Most searches take an hour or two, and the goal is always to open only what's necessary. If several neighbors on the same street report low pressure at once, mention it, since that points toward the district side.

East Highlands Ranch

East Highlands Ranch, built in the late 1980s and 1990s in the east end of the city, is a large planned community of single- and two-story homes, many on sloped lots with views of the mountains. Those homes share builders and floor plans, which helps a plumber predict where supply lines run. The copper under their slabs is now thirty-plus years old, and hard water has been thinning it the whole time. Slab leaks in the hot line are the most common call, followed by leaks on service lines that run down slopes to the street.

Two-story homes and hidden leaks

In Highland's two-story homes, a slow leak at an upstairs toilet, shower valve or laundry connection can soak the subfloor and run along joists before staining a ceiling below. Thermal imaging finds the wet area through the drywall, and moisture meters confirm it. Fixing the source quickly keeps the damage to one small patch and prevents mold, which grows quickly in a warm, wet wall cavity.

Hard water and heaters

Highland's water is hard, and garages here get very hot in summer. Water heaters collect sediment, run hotter and corrode faster, and many fail well before their rated life. A drip from the bottom of the tank, rust at the base or a popping sound when it fires are signs. A dripping relief valve, though, can point to high water pressure rather than a bad heater, so it's worth having pressure checked at the same time.

Santa Ana River wash

The southern edge of Highland borders the Santa Ana River wash, a wide channel of sand and gravel. Homes near it sit on loose, fast-draining soil, so a leaking service line may never surface. The first sign is often a bill that keeps rising. A meter test with everything off, followed by acoustic listening along the line, is the way to find it.

Older homes near Base Line

Highland's oldest homes cluster near Base Line and Palm Avenue, the original citrus-town center. Some date from the early and mid-1900s and have galvanized pipe or older copper, with rusty water and low pressure as signs of age.