HELP...
How do I repair a burst main pipe buried under my house? I think it is probably only a couple feet down. Temp is 19 degees outside.

 

That sounds like major work. I try to do everything myself but I would probably have to leave this to the pro's.

 

You didnt say whether your on city water or a well system, but if its city water then the city should fix it for you, or if not, shut off the source of the water and grab a shovel and a sweatband and start digging! Hope its not as bad as it sounds! if you can find the source of the leak and get it exposed then there are numerous ways to go about a repair, however if its a city main then Id leave it up to thenm to fix it, allthough city mains dont ususally run under a house. Let us know how you get along!

 

Barry, If you have public water and the pipe is broken after your shutoff valve at the curb, you're out of luck, the water authority probably won't fix it.

If your problem is from your well to your house, I think I'd look at running a new pipe above ground from te well to the house and tie that into your plumbing until you can get the excavation done. Just remember that this temporary above grade line will need to be protected from freezing. Heat tape would probably be the best bet, or you could super insulate the line and always leave a faucet running to keep water moving through the line.

Post more details when you can so that you can get better feedback.

hb2u

 

Barry,
You are responsible for anything attached from your side of the meter on, if you're on public water.
This isn't as big a thing as you may think.
Your main supply line under your house is probably only 3/4" (maybe 1"). It may be galvanized, copper or pvc (white plastic). Hope for the latter, that's easiest to fix.
Turn the water off at the meter. You may have a cutoff valve on your side or just cut the meter off (brass rectangular piece that you just turn 1/4-turn with a crescent wrench. Watch the little triangle on the meter face...when it stops, the water is off.)
Dig up leak to see what you have. It should only be deep enough to be below the frost line, whatever that is in your area.
Once you can see what you need to repair, either go to a store with knowledgeable people to ask them what you need, or come back here, and we'll try to help you.
Let us know what you find.
Good Luck!

 

Gentelmen: Thank you so much for your replies....
As per advice I grabbed a shovel. The water was coming in on the underside of the house from outside. I went outside and it was coming from the house to the water main. I'm on city water and they let me know that the repair was on me. Not wanting to destroy my concrete front porch the plumber suggested to run a new line.(yes! I had to make that call)What he explained was that the piping being over 25 yrs old,galvanized 3/4 pipe would not give anymore when the ground froze and moved. This shifting of the ground caused the rupture not freezing. I am going back with pvc sch 40.
My homeowners may kick in hopefully. Thx Guys Barry

 

Good call.
Best solution.

 

Barry, before you go with the Plastic pipe I'd think again. Don't forget that your house's electric service is probably grounded to your plumbing and if you put a plastic service in, you won't have the contact with mother earth so your electrical grounding may be less effective. Also, the copper is going to be more durable, and if you use flexible copper tubing and leave a few bends in the line (i.e.use a slightly longer length than you actually need) it'll be able to move and shift with the ground. As far as I know Sch 40 Plastic pipe is fairly rigid(comes in straight lengths instead of a roll) and this won't shift well with the ground which is what I believe your plumber said caused the problem in the first place. A new properly installed copper service should last upwards of 50 years. Also, no matter what you use be sure that the plumber or whomever installs the line lays down only good fill along the line. you don't want any rocks in the trench lying against your new line. They could create a wear point and shorten it's life. Also, while your replacing this line, it may be your oppurtunity to fix any poor water pressure problems that you may have, especially if your house is more than 50 feet from the water main. In that case, bumping up to a 1 inch or even a 1.5 inch service could increase your useful pressure by 5-10 psi.(this will not require a larger meter by the way, just use an adapter to get the line size back down to whatever the meter size is.) Just a few thoughts since you're going to have to do the work anyway.

 

hb2u:
I did think of the grounding being an old hat electrican. Spare time now. I had them put in a shut-off valve on the old pipe and left it connected as it was. We left it in the ground, just cut it at the meter main. We back filled with a gravel base powder to take care of the shifting ground and rocks. The sch 40 pvc is very flexible so it should take any movement just fine. Picking up on the grounding was pretty darn sharp on you part thank you. Are you an electrician by chance?
Barry

 

Nice guess but I'm not an electrician.

I am however, an engineer for a water utility....

I actually deal with this sort of thing on a daily basis.

Glad you got the problem fixed, but sorry it had to be on your dime.

hb2u