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Well just Heck!

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Basil

Basil

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Boss
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Oh what a joy! My wife called me at work a couple hours ago in a panic that we had a water leak out in our front yard. Sure enough, we have a mini geyser in the front yard, about 10 feet from the wall of the house. My guess is (hope, pray) that the junction between the mainline from the street (PVC) and the copper pipe that runs into the house has come loose. At least I am praying that it isn't leaking under the slab and that just happens to be finding its way out.

At any rate, I know what Basil is doing on the 4th of July! I'll be out in the yard at the crack of dawn digging! In the mean time, I had to shut the water off from out at the street!

Drat! But if it is only that PVC/Copper transition that has come loose, I will thank my lucky stars! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

Basil
 
Oh, more than anything else in this world, I hate plumbing.

G'luck!
 
Slip on a compression coupling and yer done. :thumbsup: I fixed two 3" pvc main lines yesterday, as well as dress in a 6" valve in front of a hydrant that wouldn't turn completely off. Don't sweat it. 3/4 or 1" lines are easy. Turn it off at the water meter and you'll keep kinda clean too.
 
aeronca65t said:
Oh, more than anything else in this world, I hate plumbing.

G'luck!
Click to expand...

You an me both brother! I'm just praying I can get this fixed without having to spend a nominal egg.
 
at the most a stick of pvc and a couple glue fittings... $20 tops I would guess. $15 if you can use just a compression coupling.
 
kennypinkerton said:
at the most a stick of pvc and a couple glue fittings... $20 tops I would guess. $15 if you can use just a compression coupling.
Click to expand...

That IF the actual leak is not really up under the slab of the house!
 
Good luck, Boss! I must admit to pawning off my plumbing needs to a professional -- one of those things I decided I could afford the luxury of having someone else make it right.
 
drooartz said:
Good luck, Boss! I must admit to pawning off my plumbing needs to a professional -- one of those things I decided I could afford the luxury of having someone else make it right.
Click to expand...

If it's anything other than what I hope it is, I'll have no choice either but to call a plummer. But if it is just out in the yard like I hope, then its something I can easily fix myself. (easily being a relative term of course)
 
I'm betting a root got to it! Listen to Kenny & get his advice about where/how to do the compression thingee....

As I said on the phone, we're heading out tomorrow morning going to Jeri's farm for the exact same thing! You gotta stop cursing me!
 
The only thing I hate about outside plumbing is tha diggin` the rest I can do, no problem.
I Imagine it would take quite a ground shift to break tha copper pipe. Not so much to break the PCV tho, I`m hoping for ya, that`s all it is! Bad `nough at any rate.
My sprinkling sys is malfunctioning {Ear broke off of the main shutoff} Gotta dig about a 4ft deep hole to get at it Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. { Luckily in the off position so No hurry! No worry!} { Campin` comes FIRST :lol:
Besides I`v already had my delema for this year with the wind blowing `bout 2/3rds of my shingles off! Fixed that,{myself} {mighty hard on an ole man nalin` up fifteen bundles}, now it`s time to Go Ride ATV`s!
 
AweMan said:
The only thing I hate about outside plumbing is tha diggin` the rest I can do, no problem.
Click to expand...

I agree 100 percent. The actual repair is not hard - it's just getting to the darned thing! I'll be taking a pitcher of Lemon aid out with me I suspect!

Basil
 
aeronca65t said:
Oh, more than anything else in this world, I hate plumbing.

G'luck!
Click to expand...

<span style="color: #990000">IBID- no joy in repairing geysers.

From experience in the field, Boss- water under pressure
usually makes geysers at the point of pipe failure.
Highly doubtful the leak is under the slab and geysering
beyond a perimeter wall.

Be grateful you have a street cutoff valve. Our contractor
forgot to install one. Imagine what was happening inside
the housewhen I discovered this??

d</span>
 
Tinster said:
aeronca65t said:
Oh, more than anything else in this world, I hate plumbing.

G'luck!
Click to expand...

<span style="color: #990000">IBID- no joy in repairing geysers.

From experience in the field, Boss- water under pressure
usually makes geysers at the point of pipe failure.
Highly doubtful the leak is under the slab and geysering
beyond a perimeter wall.

Be grateful you have a street cutoff valve. Our contractor
forgot to install one. Imagine what was happening inside
the housewhen I discovered this??

d</span>
Click to expand...

The more I think about it the more confident I am that the failure point is directly under where the water is seen gushing. Now my concern will be - is that the ONLY leak? Once I repair that one, I will turn the water back on at the street and "PRAY" that the meter isn't spinning (assuming everything is OFF in the house)

Basil
 
Be glad that you live in a warm climate. In my part of the country, water lines are required by code to be over four feet deep.
D
 
After the repair and BEFORE ya turn the H2o back on:
Open the highest elevation tap in the house to let
the air escape as the lines fill with H20 and pressureize.

<span style="color: #CC0000">Oh yeah!! Almost forgot. As many have instructed me about my TR6 fuel lines.

Don't forget to install a pipe Tee to hook up the psi water pressure meter. The meter will tell ya if ya have
other leaks.

:devilgrin:</span>
 
So will the leak detector on the water meter - (usually a little triangle that only turns when water is going through the meter) More than likely at 10 feet from the house, it's a failed glue joint. They happen alot in the heat of summer, as the ground contacts and expands from day to night, etc.

Pipes also shift on their own when water is turned on and off too quickly. Those single lever kitchen sink faucets are pretty bad about causing water hammer because people will slam them off quickly.
 
"Don't forget to install a pipe Tee to hook up the psi water pressure meter."

Not too far off base, Dale....behind my water meter I installed a valve so I can control the pressure of the water entering my supply line & my house.
 
We have to have PRV's (pressure regulating valves) here the mainline pressure averages about 120-140 psi, and can get as high as 180psi in some low-lying areas. If we don't use the PRV's to lower the pressure to around 50-80psi, then water heaters and ice makers start failing. Some people install them near the house, but have at least one spigot before the PRV to have high pressure for washing their cars.

You can buy an inexpensive psi guage that will screw onto a hose-bib if you really want to look at the water pressure.
 
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