Case study · Aliso Viejo, CA

Tracing a Hidden Supply Leak to One Wall in Aliso Viejo

Damp carpet in an under stair closet and a wet trail across the garage floor sent this Aliso Viejo homeowner looking for answers. We started with a static gauge test to confirm the supply side was losing water, traced the loss to one wall, and made a single low access cut in the closet. Behind it, the copper supply lines were heavily corroded where they rise out of the slab. One cut, straight to the cause.

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Location: Aliso Viejo, CA
Service: Leak detection
Symptom: Damp carpet and a wet garage floor
Found: Corroded copper supply lines at the slab, behind one cut

What the homeowner was facing

Moisture with no obvious source: carpet that stayed damp in a closet under the stairs, and a faint wet trail across the garage floor near the water heater. Water travels, so the wet spots are rarely the leak itself. Guessing wrong means opening the wrong wall.

Confirming the leak

A gauge went on an outside connection for a static test. With the system isolated, the reading confirmed the pressurized supply side was losing water. That ruled out drains and surface moisture and made the tracing worth doing.

Tracing and the cut

We walked the loss back to a single wall at the under stair closet and made one low access cut. Behind the drywall, the copper supply lines were pitted and heavily corroded where they come up out of the slab, wet enough to keep the carpet damp on the other side of the wall.

The result

The homeowner got a confirmed source backed by a documented pressure test, with exactly one small opening cut into the house. From there, repair options could be priced against a known cause instead of a mystery.

Job photos