In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.
First "sticker shock" of home owning
Sig220_Ruger77
Member Posts: 12,754 ✭✭✭
We have an exterior water pipe leaking. It is leaking on the part of the pipe that is my responsability. The good part is that no water is leaking into the house yet. I have been calling around on prices to dig and fix the pipe. One place quoted me $2,000 to dig and fix the bad spot and $3,300 to dig and replace the entire pipe to the curb-stop(the city's responsability). That seemed extremely high to me! [:0] I mean, I was expecting a hefty hunk of change, but man.
I have 2 more places to call tomorrow and then I have to make a decision.
Well, the job is done and the water is back up and working great. Took them 6 hours to complete the job, but they really know their stuff and did a great job of cleaning the mess back up, giving the circumstances of digging this time of year. So, a new main water line, main shut-off valves, meter, and small amount of interior line. I will do the rest of the interior this summer and the water should be good to go for a while I think. Costly, but what a sigh of relief! [:0]
Jon
I have 2 more places to call tomorrow and then I have to make a decision.
Well, the job is done and the water is back up and working great. Took them 6 hours to complete the job, but they really know their stuff and did a great job of cleaning the mess back up, giving the circumstances of digging this time of year. So, a new main water line, main shut-off valves, meter, and small amount of interior line. I will do the rest of the interior this summer and the water should be good to go for a while I think. Costly, but what a sigh of relief! [:0]
Jon
Comments
How old is the house?
Is the pipe galvanized steel, or copper, or what?
The problem is that, if it is an older house, if the pipe is bad in one place then the entire pipe is suspect and will need replacing.
We had a similar problem on the main sewer pipe on a rental house two years ago.
This house was built in 1969 and the sewer pipe was a 4 inch pipe called Orangeburg. This pipe was commonly used in that time, it is made of asphalt combined with compressed sawdust and wood fibers.
We got Roto Rooter to replace the entire pipe, from the house to the street. It cost $3,200.
This stretch of pipe was 90 feet long, where it came out of the house it was 8 feet deep. The main water supply pipe to the house turned out to be in the same trench so Roto Rooter replaced that pipe also. They destroyed that water supply pipe while digging the trench with the back hoe, that was unavoidable.
So they replaced the water supply pipe at that same time, I can't remember if they even charged us for the water supply pipe, if they did it wasn't much.
It is possible that your sewer pipe is suspect as well. It is possible that the sewer pipe and the water supply pipe are coming to the house in the same trench as ours was.
Good luck, it is an expensive hassle. The good news is that once properly repaired it will last for a long time.
replace the complete lead to your
home. Costly but end of story as long as
you own it.
Peace of mind is piceless.
Me, I'm a patcher, and a repatcher and continually
repatch, cause I don't follow my own advice.
I've never been able to figure who's worse$$$ to do business with
Don
I bet a good part of the price is the excavation, break out your shovel and start digging.....
Don
Yea dig for a day, when they can do it in an hour with a backhoe.
But while they are there Go 1 size larger, IE from 1/2 to 3/4 or from 3/4 to 1''. If It took 20 years to fill up with crud, You wont have to do it for 30. and you get better water pressure.
You might want to check with the city public works, they may have a site drawing showing where the pipe is, & how deep. The trench doesn't have to be very deep before they are required to shore it to prevent a cave-in.
Neal
They blow a sleeve into the pipe inside-out, and it seals and protects for 25 years.
Mine was $300.
I just charge $5.50 a foot to install a water line from the house to the street and I supply the pipe and fittings.
Do you know where the gas lines and underground telephone lines are?
Roto rooter got all those lines located for us and flagged them.
The Do-It-Yourselfer is going to have a bad day when he cuts the gas line with his Ditch Witch. Might want to have that one on videotape, it would look pretty cool on Youtube.
Also, if it is time for sewer line replacement, Roto Rooter can put a cam into the line and find exactly where it runs.
For either sewer or water supply line, your house will have no water while the work is ongoing.
Roto Rooter had us up and running in 8 hours, the trench wasn't filled in yet but the water was on.
If the Do It Yourselfer needed parts or fittings, he might be scrambling around after the hardware store had closed, or on a Sunday, and his house might be without water for days.
I love the do it yourself idea and I built my log cabin all by myself including I dug the foundation with a shovel. Pretty nice house.
Certainly you can repair that line by yourself, but be careful.
You could do it yourself.
Do you know where the gas lines and underground telephone lines are?
Roto rooter got all those lines located for us and flagged them.
WV has a thing called UTILITY LOCATING SERVICE. One call and they will come out, locate the lines, mark the lines and even tell you how deep they are buried for free.
if theres ANY doubt, call the pros, get out the checkbook, and cry once.
ive gotten in way over my head on projects i though i could handle only to have to tuck my tail between my legs and call a pro. tradesmen love to get calls from someone who though they could handle it and couldnt. not only do they typically charge more to fix what you effed up than they would have charged in the first place, but they typically garner more business in the future as you doubt your abilities down the road.
with the level of labor involved in this project, id be much happier calling the pros and sitting on the porch sipping an coffee while they break their backs....
If U see water at the surface,it can't be that deep.
Dig it up,leave plenty room to work,turn the meter off and either cut it and use a compression fitting or just trench in a new sch.40 1-1/4 " pipe.
I did this where I live now and the pressure in the showers will nearly blow U out of the shower.If U go wide open ,the shower water stings your skin...
No more pressure,just a ton of VOLUME!!
You can buy 200' of 1", 200 psi IPS (iron pipe size) or CTS (copper tube size) black water line for less than $60.00. Add a few dollars for the fittings. Then rent a walk behind Ditch Witch for around $200.00 for the day and get it done for less than $500.00.
I just charge $5.50 a foot to install a water line from the house to the street and I supply the pipe and fittings.
C'mon out to Wyoming, I need a sewer line replaced, cheapest price I could find was $5,000!
quote:Originally posted by LesWVa
You can buy 200' of 1", 200 psi IPS (iron pipe size) or CTS (copper tube size) black water line for less than $60.00. Add a few dollars for the fittings. Then rent a walk behind Ditch Witch for around $200.00 for the day and get it done for less than $500.00.
I just charge $5.50 a foot to install a water line from the house to the street and I supply the pipe and fittings.
C'mon out to Wyoming, I need a sewer line replaced, cheapest price I could find was $5,000!
Not totally set up for sewer lines yet. Will be if the deal goes through on a CAT mini Excavator that I have my eye on though.
15 years ago, I completely remodeled a house. I mean every square inch of it. Today, I would pay someone to do this job as I don't have the available time.
I would try some businesses from a smaller town around CF. You may find someone who is hungrier for the work. If the line is somewhat shallow it is worth having them put some insulation on it before covering it up again. This year with as little snow as we are getting the frost will go deeper than usual.
Code for water in Wisc should be 42" below ground level
Write the check.
maybe you could work a deal if you dig your own trench... but I've dug trenches. Only recreationaly. I don't think there is a lot of money to be saved unless you're willing to use a shovel.
It's leaking for a reason. Replace the whole thing or fix it again next year money better spent doing the whole thing
Yes.
I could enjoy doing them for even the lower price. [:)]
Good luck with whatever you choose.
I didn't see anyone post anything about pulling permits or determining frost lines or any other code issues such as backflow preventers.
All that has to do with local codes. Not all the same for the entire US.
Permits. We do not need a permit to lay a gas, sewer or water line from the meter to the house due to our being responsible for them anyway.
Back Flow preventers. Not required here. I install one anyway due to the fact that if the main line were to bust it could create a vacuum on your water system and suck the water tank and lines dry. I also install a ball shut off valve at the house in the basement, crawl space etc) so that you will not have to go out at 2 in the morning and look for or shovel 3' of snow off of the meter stand to find the shut off valve with a Cresent wrench or pliars.
Frost Line. Ours locally is 18". I bury water lines at least 24 just to add that extra 6" in insurance against freezing.
Regardless, I would have to dig around a sidewalk, retaining wall, and 2nd sidewalk and would have no idea what I am doing once I got to the pipe.
For those mentioning getting the whole pipe replaced, not just "spot-fixed," that is exactly my plan if I can come up with the money. I don't want to have to do this again in a year or so.
Jon
I live in Wisconsin guys. I don't think grabbing a shovel and digging 4'(or however far it is actually buried) into the ground is going to work in the winter here. I had another excavating company turn me down because they said that the smaller excavaters won't do very well in the winter either. Not to mention that I am not "Bonded" by the city to be digging up pipe and sewer.
Regardless, I would have to dig around a sidewalk, retaining wall, and 2nd sidewalk and would have no idea what I am doing once I got to the pipe.
For those mentioning getting the whole pipe replaced, not just "spot-fixed," that is exactly my plan if I can come up with the money. I don't want to have to do this again in a year or so.
Jon
Had another thought on maybe a different way to skin the cat. You may be able to make use of a directional drilling company . A friend of mine needed a water line run from his house to his shop a few years back and they dug down outside his shop and bored a line up to his house and right through the block wall and came out within 3 inches of where they aimed. That would limit the excavating to one hole down to where the curb stop is.