Home was built in 1987. Leak is hot water on edge of bathroom near outside wall. Hoping to dig on side of house to get to it. Ground is wet and hot.
Here in Texas the copper is typically run in or slightly under the slab. There are not supposed to be any joints in the copper in the slab, but rather in upturned manifolds in the walls. I would look there first. If there is a leak in the slab, it may be because of the copper pipe being in contact with the steel reinforcement. Doesn't seem likely that the water could still be hot after moving through several feet of soil. You might want to confirm the leak by watching your water meter with all the valves turned off. And check again with the hot water turned off at the water heater. If you confirm a leak, look in the wall where the manifold is first. Most likely close to and below the locations in the wall with the valves come out.
The pipes run under the slab inside the home. The hot water muddiness and water outside are from a small crack in your foundation. The pipe runs to a fixture probably in the bathroom or kitchen, and the underside of your slab is filled with hot water from your leak that is staying hot due to the insulated properties under your slab. You will need to determine the location of the leak in the home, and break the slab to repair it. We recommend a leak detection company so that you are not just breaking holes at random. A good one will get you within inches of the hole in the pipe, and you will be able to repair it with the least amount of damage possible.
If it's built directly on the slab then yes, it's entirely possible that the pipes are run IN slab. It's also possible that the pipes are run in the attic area. I've seen both. Attic is better. You might find it by digging in the ground, or you may have to dig into the side of the house near where it's wet. Should be interesting, either way.
