Let’s face it, you don’t really think about the water that comes into your home until something happens right? There are two main water supplies that feed your home. 1. The water to your home is fed by a well or 2. The water to your home is fed by a city water main. No matter which supplies your home, you will always have an exterior water line which leads from the main source of water into your home. Over time this exterior water line can corrode, deteriorate and break due to water pressure, settlement, soil conditions, and temperature changes.
There are a few signs which can point to this line being broken or damaged:
- Puddles in the street – If you are on city water and you are seeing puddles in the street when it’s not raining, this a good sign that you could have an exterior water leak.
- Standing water in yard – Similar to puddles in the street, if you are noticing standing water in your yard when it’s not raining, chances are you may have an exterior water leak.
- Low water pressure – If you are noticing lower than normal water pressure to the fixtures in your home, it may be a good idea to call a plumbing expert. Low water pressure can have many causes, one being an exterior water leak.
- Sediment in your water – Have you ever noticed some stuff floating around in your water? This can be a sign of unconditioned water or an exterior water leak. When your waterline breaks underground, dirt can get into the line causing sediment in your fixtures and water.
- Higher than normal water bill – If you have recently noticed a much higher water bill than normal, it’s a good idea to call a plumbing expert. When your water line breaks out in your yard, water seeps into the ground causing you to pay for water you’re not using.
If you suspect you have an exterior water leak, I highly recommend to call your local plumbing expert. Most plumbing companies use an ultrasonic leak detector to detect water leaks in your yard.
Replacement options
If in the unfortunate event that you find out that there is an exterior water leak at your home, there are some options for you!
- Spot repair– A cheaper option would be to spot repair your line. During a spot repair, a plumber would locate the exact location where your line is leaking, dig down to expose the water line, and cut out and replace the section that is damaged. While this option can be cheaper it’s not always the best. Sure, the issue is fixed for the time being, but the integrity of the line is already compromised and you could continue to have issues in the future.
- Full line replacement using Traditional excavation– Another option would be to replace your entire line using a traditional exaction method. This would consist of trenching from where the line enters your home to your main water source (curb stop for city water or well for well water), taking out the old water line and replacing it with new. This is a better option as your replacing the entire line and don’t need to worry about the integrity of the line for many years to come. However, this method is extremely invasive and you should be prepared for your yard to be a mess.
- Full line replacement Trenchless – Lastly, trenchless full line replacement is an option. This consist of digging outside at the main water source (curb stop or well), setting up a trenchless method inside where the exterior water line comes into the home. There a few trenchless methods that are used – Directional drilling (this can be done inside or outside of the home depending on the set up), water line pulling, or pipe bursting. Trenchless is the route we typically go for our customers. It’s much less invasive for our customer’s yard.
