Finding a leak in a pipe that's in concrete

[playswithclay]

Is there any way to determine where a leak is when the pipe is buried in concrete, short of breaking up the entire floor? I can hear water running and a remote electronic switch that turns the water on and off has been added, but it's somewhat inconvenient to use it this way. I know the break is somewhere between my kitchen and a bathroom (the laundry room is just beyond the bathroom), but without opening the connection, there is no water going to either of these rooms. I am planning on replacing the linoleum in the near future, but would like to have the pipe repaired first with the least amount of damage and expense. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks.
Marcia

 

[clf-gas]

Only way of finding break in pipe Marcia, is to expose the pipe this means breacking out the concrete. Is there no route the pipe could take above floor level?.

 

[lagunaglen]

I agree with clf-gas , either re-route pipe or break up the floor, and the leak could show itself a fair distance from where it actually is !

 

[manortim]

if the water is coming up through the floor, then with a floor covering still down, it is difficult to determin where the leak is, as the covering spreads the leak. when i've come across jobs like this, usually the floor covering is the first thing to remove, then remove exess water and allow to air dry the residual water over a day or 2. then when the leak appears it'll be more centralised to the area of leak. but in all the time i've been doing leaks i've not seen a machine that detects the leak within less that 1 square meter. some plumbers are good at hearing where the leak is coming from, but thats only if the noise is loud enough and there are no pipes to bounce the sound off.

i'd advise removing the floor covering, allow to dry out for a day or 2, then when the leak is more local, use a listening device to locate further, then DIG!

 

[playswithclay]

Thanks for all the responses. I'll try to clarify my situation. I do not see any water, (I never did), but only hear the sound of water when the electronic switch is open. I'm guessing if the switch remained open then the water might eventually surface, but it's only open when I do laundry. The pipe is in a slab--there is no crawl space. The only other option might be to route it through an outside wall, (above/near the kitchen sink) and into the attic, then down an inside wall in the bathroom, which probably ties into the pipes going to the laundry room. I'm wondering if this would be a better option--breaking up a couple of walls and then adequately insulating the pipe through the walls and attic. Your input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Marcia