Water Line Leaks

July 8th, 2013 Posted in Water Line Repair
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Unless your home is on a well, it is probably connected to a municipal water supply.  Many homeowners don’t realize that the water line between the meter and their home is their responsibility.  Water supply lines generally give years of trouble free service, but they can break or spring a leak.  Usually the first sign of a leaking or broken water line is an unusually high water bill or a wet spot in the yard that never seems to dry out.

Wet spots in the yard and high water bills can have other causes.  For example, your water company may only actually read the meter every few months and estimate your water usage during the in-between months.  If their estimate is low, you may see a jump in your water bill for the month when they actually read the meter.  If you have a swimming pool, you water bill will likely be higher in the summer as you use more water keeping the water level in the pool topped off.

If you suspect that you have a leaking or broken water supply line, try this simple test before calling the plumber for water line repairs:  take a reading on your water meter, then shut off the water supply inside the house.  Wait a few hours and take a second meter reading.  If the reading has changed, then you have a leak in the water line between your home and the meter.

Leaking water line repairs can be a little tricky.  The natural inclination is to start digging at the soft spot in the yard, but sometimes the water migrates several yards from the source of the leak before making its way to the surface.  In other cases, you can have a leak and all the water percolates into the ground without leaving a tell-tale soft, mushy area at the surface.  Your plumber can usually pinpoint the leak without digging by using modern leak detection devices.

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How to Handle Soggy Areas in Your Yard

March 11th, 2013 Posted in Water Line Repair
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Is there a soggy or mushy area in your yard, one that isn’t caused by heavy rain or some other obvious source of moisture? You can’t just hope that it’ll go away, and the longer you let it stay, the worse the problem will get.  Wet or soggy yards is often caused by leaking pipes or problems with your septic system.

Soggy yard areas are often caused by leaking service pipes, usually by those bringing water to your home or carrying it away.  In order to test for a leaking water line, first write down the number on the water meter servicing your home and then shut off all of the water in the house. Check at a later time of day, and if the meter has continued to run, it’s a good sign that you may have a leaky pipe that needs to be repaired or replaced. Another easy way to check for any leaks  is your water bill – if the amount is unusually high, you should contact your local plumbing professional as soon as possible.

If you have a built in or irrigation-style sprinkler system for your yard, soggy areas can be caused by a cracked or broken water line. Plumbing from an in-ground swimming pool can also make mushy areas in your yard. If your home uses its own septic system, mushy areas can be a warning sign that the pipes leading to the septic tank, or even the tank itself, is failing.

Make sure that these problems are checked immediately, in order to save yourself the headache of handling them, and a potentially huge bill that comes due when it’s time for repairs.

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Locating and Repairing a Leaky Water Line

December 20th, 2012 Posted in Water Line Repair
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Repairing a leaky water line is not a task that anyone enjoys doing but it is also one that should not be put off. You may have realised you have a leak in your water supply pipe when you noticed your water bills were suddenly unusually high. Getting your water bills back in line is just one reason for getting a leaky water supply line fixed promptly.   In addition, a leaky water line will continue to get worse and can cause underground erosion, foundation damage, and other issues.

Once you suspect you have a leak somewhere along your water line, the next step is to confirm it. Check in your yard for any random wet spots around the area where the water supply pipe is buried. Any unexplainable damp patches are a strong indication that you have discovered the site of the leak. Another way to be sure is to turn of the water inside your home and check the meter reading. If it changes over the next hour or so, you have a leak and you need to think about contacting your plumber.

A leak underground involves digging up a section of your yard to gain access to the pipe. This is a job for a plumber rather that a DIY issue as the proper tools as well as knowledge and experience in water line repairs is required to do the job properly and professionally.

Once the plumber has been in and assessed the situation he may ask whether you would prefer to repair or replace the affected pipe. Your plumber will be able to explain in full the advantages and disadvantage of both and advise you on the best course of action based on your situation.

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Wet Spot In The Yard?

July 26th, 2012 Posted in Water Line Repair
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A leaking water service line can go unnoticed for weeks or even months, especially in the summer months.  When your family is actively enjoying outdoor recreation activities, that may mean more frequent showers, more loads of laundry, and filling up the swimming pool.  In addition, in the drought conditions that are currently affecting most of the country, you may be using a lot more water for outdoor watering.

All of these things add up to higher water usage which can hide one of the first signs of a water line leak.  For most homeowners, an unusually high water bill is the first indication that they may have a leak in their water service line, but if you are using more water than normal to maintain your lawn, fill your pool, or for showers and laundry, you might not notice the increase in your water usage caused by a water leak.

The next most common indication of a water leak is a wet or soggy spot in the yard that never seems to dry out.  When the rest of the yard is bone dry, this area will be soft or even mushy and the grass will be greener and grow taller in this area.  If you have a mushy, wet area in the yard, you should definitely have it checked out by a good local plumber.

Wet spots in the yard can be a sign that you need water line repairs.  If you have an irrigation sprinkler system, a wet spot can be a sign of a leak or other malfunction in your system.  Wet spots can also indicate a leak in your swimming pool or the pool filter plumbing.  If it is a smelly wet area, you could have a problem with your septic system or sewer line.

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Is Water Line Insurance Legitimate?

July 18th, 2012 Posted in Water Line Repair
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If you have received a mailing from your municipal water authority or a third party offering you the opportunity to purchase water line insurance, you may be wondering if it is legitimate.  The answer is that except in certain limited circumstances, water line insurance is a waste of money.

Many homeowners are surprised to find out that they are responsible for the water line that runs between the water meter and their home.  Your local water authority will take care of any repairs necessary to the water main on their side of the meter, but if the water service line on your side of the meter springs a leak, you will need to hire a plumber to handle the water line repairs.

Fortunately, except for galvanized steel and polybutylene water lines that were put into service between 20 and 50 years ago, water service lines usually last for years without a problem.  When they do leak, in most cases a good plumber can repair the leak relatively inexpensively unless you have an old galvanized steel or polybutylene water line.  However, in a few cases the entire water line will need to be replaced and this can be an expensive job.

Even if you are one of the few homeowners who has to replace their water line, buying insurance through a private company may not be much help. First, there are many companies out there that offer bogus insurance and are little more than scams. Even those that are legitimate seem to get a lot of complaints. Before you sign up for one of these policies, be sure to check the company out thoroughly.  Check with the Better Business Bureau or see if you can find any reviews or information about the company on the internet.

Sometimes your local water authority may offer a water line repair program where you can opt in and pay a nominal monthly fee such as $1 per month.  If your water service line breaks or starts leaking, they will handle the repairs.  These programs can be worthwhile and offer peace of mind at a very low cost.

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