Awoke this morning and settled to read the morning paper. After a few minutes, with the silence of our house, I heard this insistent whine. I explored.
A burst water line. The main from the street where it enters our home, slightly underground, like this:
Sigh....called the plumbers. I made sure to find the most expensive company in our area. (it's a joke, laugh.) They said they'd arrive in their own good time.
Welcome to my day.
Stephen
So if it's the municipal water supply, how is that your responsibility?
ReplyDeleteMy side of the line and at the point where the line enters my home. They're finished. Took about two hours. Expense wasn't too bad.
DeleteBottle it and sell has spring water......hahaha
ReplyDeleteThat would be some awful expensive spring water...each drop cost me. The last time this happened, in the same place, I was in the hospital and my water bill came to just over three thousand dollars. Of course the city erased the charge when I gave proof of the leak.
DeleteWhat a pain in the neck! Good luck sorting that all out.
ReplyDeleteIt was a mess. I now have a three foot deep hole to fill back in when I'm positive the repair holds. They replaced all the copper with plastic.
DeleteSo THIS was the day you were going to kick back and read. Because the spout/leak is on YOUR side of the street, it's all gonna be up to you and that's the hell of it.
ReplyDeleteSee if there's a more expensive plumber in your area who can give you a more definite ETA like: "when you see us, we'll be there". It's worth the extra money.
They arrived thirty five minutes later....thank God. Yes indeed, my day to kick back. Even took my 'day off,' closed the shop to rest and cut grass and continue work on our home office files, cook two dinners (in progress) but instead find myself playing plumbers helper.
DeleteOuch. Luckily water isn't too expensive but the fact that you have to have a special wrench to shut it off out in the yard at the meter sucks.
ReplyDeleteDid your house settle a little?
Nah, it was a high pressure leak in the copper feed line. Still a mess. I do have a street wrench but asked the plumber to install a brass shut-off valve above ground next to my house...saves me time and hassle when leaks occur.
DeleteYou're in Florida, any day your house doesn't disappear in a sink hole . . .
ReplyDeleteAlthough if they don't get to that leak soon . . .
That is a fact. I understand a vacation resort just disappeared down a sink hole....
DeleteWe lived by that resort for about a year. A Walmart is around the corner, Too bad Wally didn't sink. Polk County has a Fire Station less then 5 min away. Osceola has one less then that. Orange County has one 10 min, Plus Lake County is near by. The area is called Four Corners. I'm sure they were at that Resort in under 5 min.
DeleteHopefully you were able to turn off the line to your home! Depending on the access to the valve you may need a "special tool". The reason for that is that some access ports are too deep and narrow to get an ordinary wrench into. I am lucky as far as that goes - our port is a relatively large on and I can lay down on my ample belly/side and reach in with an ordinary adjustable wrench.
ReplyDeleteIf the leak isn't on your side of the valve then fixing it is not yours to accomplish. That side belongs to the water company or public utility.
Thanks, my friend. I have the wrench but had a new shut-off valve installed today. It was my expense, sadly. Close to four hundred dollars worth.
DeleteI feel your pain. First time this happened to me was following a 2-day nor'easter shortly after we'd moved into the house. Water in the basement. I kept sucking it up with the shopvac and My Bride kept telling me she heard water running in the pipes. The storm stopped but I kept pumping 8-gallons an hour and I finally realized she was correct.
DeleteGot the water shut off and started calling every plumber in town. About 6 came by and I had estimates ranging form $1200 to $6000 but I'd also need to take out an enormous oak and the prices didn't include patching the drive under which the pipe ran 'cause that would need to be torn up.
The last plumber who showed up was a father/son duo. They looked around and the old fellow pondered and finally, standing there on my porch looking down the slight hill to the street, he said, "I've been a plumber for nearly 40 years and I've never known water to run uphill. That leak is right here near the foundation somewhere. Tellya what... for $300 we start digging right here where the pipe goes into the house. If we find the leak we'll patch it. If we don't the $300 goes to the bigger job which could be as high as $1200 to shoot a new line past that oak and under the driveway."
I told him to proceed and a couple hours and $300 later I had water again.
Happened to me yet again just a couple years ago. This time it was near the street. I figured it was the pressure of cars on the driveway and/or the roots of that big oak and I had the whole dang think rerouted from the street to the house missing the oak and the drive. Another $1200. I have insurance on that line now. $5/month.
I truly hate plumbing issues of any type. Today, after the young man finished his job, turned and pointed toward one of my soft water hose bibs. He said it was attached to older galvanized pipe (I think its old copper) and said when it burst I'd have one expensive repair job since its located inside the house walls. Of course I think he's fishing for another fee, but he has a point. BTW, where did you purchase your insurance, if I may ask?
ReplyDeleteThe insurance is directly from the water company. IIRC just under $5/month. One issue with it is that it only covers repairs to the line, not replacement of the entire line. A neighbor has the insurance and had a pipe that kept springing leaks. They fixed it three times within a couple months. That's a lot of dug up lawn and mud.
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