Posted: 2/12/2008 5:35:46 PM EDT
|
Hello, I have a water leak in between the meter and the main shut off valve in the house. My house is on a slab. Is this something for the DIY guy/gal? If so, I assume I dig up the line and find the leak first. Once found do I just repair that part? Or do I replace the entire line? What if I find the leak is under the slab, that dos not seem like a good thing at all. Right now I am losing about 10-15 THouSAnd gallons a month, compared to previous years bills. Thanks for your help and advice. |
|
is the leak under the slab or in the yard before the slab? if you ahve a wet spot in the yard you can probalby find it. if it's under the house and can't find the wet spot you will probably have more issue. I am not an expert in any means (but I did stay at a holiday in express last night) but Iwould think that much water would hurt the foundation alot! if its not udner the slab it's under $20 fix. I had one in my yard. worst part is digging it up. if it's under the slab I would jsut run a whole new line. that much it's proably worth renting one of those machines that put the pipe in the ground for you. no digging involved. my neighbor has a irrigation business and he rents them by the day. |
|
Well, I just discovered and narrowed down the leak tonight. I have not noticed any wet spots on the slab(the pipe runs through or under the garage to the shut off valve). I will have to inspect the line tomorrow morning I guess. I would prefer to replace the entire line really. At least I wont have to worry about it again for a while. |
| easiest thing to do ........... find where the line goes under the house into the slab .... most times there will be an outside water spigot near by .... dig up the line close to the house ..... turn the water OFF at the meter .... with the exposed line ... CUT IT and put in a cut off right there ,,, you can do it cheaply ... it SHOULD be 7/8 soft copper .... MIGHT be 3/4 hard line ... most counties require copper from the meter to the house ... then whatever inside the house. Now that youve got the shut off installed outside the house turn the water back on at the meter and watch the meter .... if the leak is between the shut off that you just installed and the meter the meter will still continue to move .... if the leak is NOT there the meter wont move. then it means its elsewhere .... most counties require that plumbing run under a slab to be put in a plastic sleeve to keep it from corroding BUT it does happen from time to time .. the mexicans that poured the slab could have knicked the plastic and some concrete could have got in there ... highly unlikely ... but could have happened. Most plumbers when they are plumbing a slab will NOT put any joints under the slab just for the fact that they could fail in the future and with no joints it reduces that possibility. If its an older home it could have black plastic pipe run from the meter to the house ... that was common as well |
I had the same thing a couple of years ago - blue poly pipe.  Construction trucks going by on a regular basis to the new development at the end of my street were enough to make it leak right where it goes in the meter and was rubbing on a rock underground. The first time, I called Roto-Rooter - $500, and the Ukranian/Russian guys they sent out (to loook at and feex ze blue poley pipe) gave me an estimate for umpteen million dollars (thousands, actually) to replace the line. And I live on a basement with no slab.Second time (a year or so later), I took what I learned from watching them the first time and fixed it myself. It leaked at the point where they grabbed the loose pipe and bent it up when fixing it - it made a perfect crease in the pipe that leaked on both ends of the crease. I cut it above the creased point and replaced from there back to the meter (about 4 feet) with PVC. It cost me one morning and a one dollar fitting to fit the PVC pipe I already had and adapt it to the blue poly. Now, it is half PVC and half poly and no leaks yet. I keep my fingers crossed, though.  While I was at it and had the PVC cement and primer out, I went ahead and fixed the in-ground sprinkler system that I found from the previous owners that they obviously had no idea they had either. They let it get covered with mud and grass and broke the handle on the valve, so they shut it off and forgot about it. I plumbed it back in, replaced the valve, and fixed two sprinklers heads, and now I have a cool sprinkler system all over my front yard that isn't legal to turn on because of the drought!  I say fix it yourself and save the dough, assuming it is in the yard and not in/under your slab. I am by no means a plumber, but I got mine fixed easily and cheaply (the second time). Just be sure you aren't around any cable or gas lines when you dig out around the leak. |
Yeah, I don.t have a spigot outside in between the meter and where the shut off valve is in the house. I was going to probe this morning for soft ground along the house but of course it rained last night.
|
| ok so no spigot on the outside of the house ......Im NOT a plumber but I was a grading contractor that did maily residental grading for houses. Usually when the plumber plubs the slab he just exits his pipe outside the footing and will cut it off and not make the run to the meter at that time cause usually the grading isnt done on the yard and more dirt could be moved and that would make his line even shallower ... BUT that being said there is usually a join where he has stubbed the line out of the slab prior to connecting to the meter ...if you can find where he stubbed it out usually somwhere near the sewer clean out ( that will be a 4 inch round PVC square cap ... not PCV there is no crankcase to be vintillated) ,,, you can check at that joint ... it could be leaking there |
|
Well, I made some assumptions last night. I had two leaking faucets, the bad one was replaced monday, the other was going to be replaced this sunday. So those "might play a role in how bad the leak seemed. I have turned off the shut off valve inside the house and took a reading at the meter. I will check that reading in 15 minutes and calculate the gallons being lost per day/week/month, etc. This will give me a better and at least more accurate idea of the leak size. On a side note, I had my 66 Dart parked next to my house over where the water line runs, I just moved it and noticed a soft spot about 5'x6' where the ground seems more wet than the rest.(we had rain last night so all the ground is wet) I will post the update. |
|
Are you sure the leak is not in the house? A running toilet etc? You can shut the water off in the house at the main valve coming into the house and check to see if the leak detector in the meter is spinning. Usually a small triangle or needle that moves at the slightest detection of water passing through. The house cutoff is usually located by the water heater if you are on a slab. Do you have a sprinkler system? Have you called the water department for them to verify your meter is not faulty? Depending on the county.....they will sometimes send their locater out to mark your line for you. Not all will do this. If its copper....its easy for him to mark it. If its plastic.....he can disconnect it at the meter and run a fish tape through and hook his signal generator on that way to be able to mark it. Water will follow the path of least resistance and surface somewhere. Is the meter box full of water? You can make a set of witchin sticks out of coat hanger or similar wire and locate where your service line runs. Probing is a good idea when it is dry if there is not a visible wet spot at the surface. There is another option to replacing the entire line that does not require much digging except at the house and meter box. Dig it up at both ends and cut it. Get a 1/4" cable the length of your line and run it through the existine line. Attache the end at your meter to a trucks hitch and the other end to the new line and pull it through. It has worked several times for me but can be tricky. A simple 3/4" or 1" PVC compression coupler from Home Depot is likely all you'll need to fix the leak once you find it. If its under the slab......its gonna take a chipping hammer to get through the concrete to fix it assuming you have it pinpointed pretty exact.That becomes a little more involved. Septic tank installation companies are usually your cheapest bet to call for repair or replacement if it becomes too involved for you. |
Well, I am on septic, so the pvc is in the back yard afer the shut off valve in the house.
|
I am not sure that I do not have another leak inside the house, but I did sht off the valve inside the house and did the calculations above. The traingle is moving. And the triangle stopped moving when I shut off the water at the street so I am assuming that the meter is OK>
|
That is correct, according to my bill, I am being charged exactly 13k extra this month as opposed to last year. I cant believe there is no puddle either. I am thinking that I might have multiple leaks, maybe some in the house as well as the one I have running through the yard. |
|
Watcher, where are you located at? Of your close, can come over and take a look at you, I have some plumbing experience. If you have the blue plastic, (PEX) pipe you are best to dig the whole thing up and replace it, Some water companies will work with you on the bill, after this is done, But you must replace from the meter to the house, for them to do this. How old is your house? My neighbor also "had PVC from the meter" for about 4 feet, to where the leak was, in the same place as last time apparently. If this is the case, Buy you some PVC, and rent a ditch witch, and your neighbor a 12 pack, and get to digging. even if thats not where the leak is, because thats where it will be one day. Also if the leak is under the slab and you dont want to dig and replace it, run a new line as stated above, but run it to the house just outside where the existing pipe comes through the floor, and then turn up and through the wall, meeting just under the shutoff, cut the old line, connect the new, and be done with it. |
Thanks 762, I live in Conyers. I went poking around las night and found some softer and still wet ground along the water line and where that Dodge was parked on the grass(my dumbass new homeowner fault )So it comes down to this, I am working too much to be able to do anything till Saturday, Saturday my dad is coming down and will help me dig and fix the prblem if it is not under the slab... If it is under the slab, I think that would be homeowners insurance. I hope.
|
| Be careful of using homeowners insurance for water damages, Its a BS industry, once you use it you lose it, they will either find a reason to drop you, or raise your rates, then you will be blackballed and noone will want to touch you unless its for an ungodly amount of money, If you dont pay it your mortgage can drop you then your out of house and home literally. |
|
So I am digging at first light. I will most likely replace the whole line to the stub in the slab. Is any special item needed to connect pvc to metal pipe like the one I am assuming is sticking out of the slab? Also, what type of pvc should I use? Schedule 40 200psi @73F, Schedule 40 400psi @ 73F, or CPVC(expensive stuff) rated t 450psi @73F? Thansk guys and I will post pix and upsdate. |
|
Yes, I did. About 10 feet down the line from the house at 3 feet deep, yes, my line ran 3 feet deep for about 20 feet. Digging was the hard part. The leak was directly under where the rear wheels of the dart were when I parked it there, but since the leak was 3 feet deep, I don't know if that is what caused it. I guess 3 feet deep is the reason there were no puddles
|