water line break

Sounds like this is what you got, just need the 1"....James

http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/Ph...tCode=CPC-1000

http://www.ehow.com/how_6028084_repa...ipe-joint.html

http://www.plumbingsupply.com/pvc_ex...couplings.html

You may also want to put a valve on the line for future repairs, so you can shut it off and let it dry out for a few days without shutting off the water to the house. And if you're on a municipal sewer, call and ask if you can get out of paying the sewerage charge on the leaked water, since it didn't actually go through the sewer. It's usually about half the cost.

Mary, I'm sorry you are having troubles, and i hope you get the repair done early tomorrow. Turn off your ice maker until then, and if possible, shut off the water heater inlet valve as well. This will keep trash/mud out of those appliances. Do not run the clothes or dish washer until you have done the following;
I strongly suggest that after it is repaired, that you flush fresh water through the closest outside hose bib for several minutes. Then follow up with flushing each water faucet until the water is flowing clear, and the trapped air is out.

Hopefully, this will help.

Good luck.

B

Been similar, feel your pain. Once you get it fixed, take a reading on your meter. You can talk with your water company, usually they have some form of allowance where they will split the huge leak bill, so it helps. Thing is, make sure you've gotten the biggest bill, thats the one you want to get the credit with. We had one, got it fixed, but the problem was more evident the following month, that had the reading that included when the pipe fully let go.......finally got it somewhat worked out, but the leak had been growing and growing, then it literally cr*pped the bed and broke completely. Leaked like 30,000 gal in 24 hours from the time they read the meter for the month and the lady at the water department called us the next morning to let us know about a kind of high bill from the reading they took the day before. We discovered it was that high the following month.

Normally if your water co does it, they have big bill leak credits only once in a certain period of time, usually within 12 months.

__________________
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons...for you are crunchy and good with ketchup!

SpaceCadet, thanks for the advice. I'll look into that. I don't know, though, if I can get a credit, since it is on my side of the meter.

Bentley, I don't have an icemaker, but will look into the hot water heater issue.
I hadn't thought of running the water outside. That's a good idea, too.

ryanthomas, this is the main line to the house. We are not on sewer.

jwal, thanks for the links. I decided I needed videos, but the links gave me the idea to google some up. Still, I think I'm decided on calling the plumber in the morning. The pipe is already dug out, so it can't be a really big deal, right?

You've done the most time consuming part. Let them know you will back fill, and have the hole empty and the pipe as clean as you can get it when they get there. Minimum expense.

__________________
Alice
* * *
"No great thing is created suddenly." ~Epictitus

I turn off the power to the water heater, if it siphons dry from the leak, it'll burn out the heating element

You have my sympathy. Never fun and never at a good time...

Good Morning Mary
You got the job almost fixed now. You know it is 1 inch pipe. I changed my approach at the last minute because I new you were running out of time. I also thought that gluing the pipe back together may be not so easy.
If you get a 1 inch union. This may be the way to go. As it will slide in place easier. They are cheap. Saw the pipe at the pinhole removing just enough pipe for the union to fit on. Maybe remove 1 inch of pipe not sure how much pipe to remove, it needs to be enough for the union rto fit in and allow the ends to slip over the pipe. Glue both ends on to the pipe. Use purple primer and blue glue. Waite 10 minuets and screw the union together.
The union needs to be tight but don’t over tighten it. Use channel locks instead of a pipe wrench. To snug up the union. turn the water on and make sure it isnt leaking.

Thanks. I'm not sure what a union is, but since I couldn't make the compression coupling work, I decided to stop by on the way home this morning and pick up the purple and blue and just try gluing it. I'm waiting a little bit for it to warm up first. This will be my last try. If it doesn't work well for me, I'll call the local plumber.

ask them to show you a union and how it works.

This is what I was going to suggest.

Mary, you should be proud of yourself for figuring this out, digging it up and taking care of it! Good for you!

__________________
I yam what I yam and that's all what I yam.

Popeye

Thanks, but it's not fixed yet. I'm in waiting mode right now, but I'm not optimistic. The glue is supposed to take two hours to cure before you test it. But the pipe did not go in as far as I thought it should have, and there seemed to be a lot of upward pressure on the north side, which is probably what made it break loose to begin with. I think it is going to need a cut and patch, and I think I'll be calling the plumber about that once I test it.

I maybe didn't explain well, but this is the main line to the house. Cutting the water off there would be no better than cutting it off at the meter. There is no other way for water to get to the house.

Well you may of had success. I am proud of you for having the guts to do something your self. And I hope it works for you. If the glue cures for two hours before you put pressure on it, it may hold up just fine. While depth of engagement is important the glue is tough and should hold.

Thanks, I'm trying to be patient. If it just holds til next week when DH is home, this would be such an easy fix for him (especially now that the digging is done.)

I wish I was close to help you. You need this http://www.plumbingsupply.com/pvc_ex...couplings.html

Take the large nut on the right loose, glue that far right slip joint on. Then you need one of these http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/MUE...PG8?Pid=search Glue the coupling to the left end of the fitting. Cut out enough to get the body of the 2 fittings in ( a little more than the length when it is pushed together). Make sure there is no water on the pipe or fitting when you apply the glue. Make sure and push the fitting all the way in and hold for a minute so it doesn't jusr push out.

Did you get a 1" compression fitting? Why wouldn't it work? Sounds like you just tried to reglue the old joint. I have never had any luck regluing a fitting.

If none of this works, get another length of pipe and 2 couplers and repair a section, more to dig out. You normally need about 4' between couplers to get enough movement to get the pipe back together. Best to cut old piece out and cut new piece the same length as you cut out. Takes a bit of snaking the pipe to get back together but makes a good permanent fix. Good luck, hate that you have to call a plumber....James

You are awesome! Digging up that pipe is no easy task!

We had a similar experience a couple of weeks ago with our water pipe under our cement in front of the house. We had water bubbling up through a crack in the cement. We had to break up the cement, then dig down 3 feet before finding the pipe.

What doesn't break us makes us stronger!

__________________
Check out my husband's book!
http://www.amazon.com/Rebuilding-A-V...ding+a+village

Mary, just saw the posting about the leak. Wish we were near by and could help you. I've done many, many things like this over the years when hubby was gone on military duty, so I feel your pain! Seems things always break when they are away. You can do this, just keep on working at it. Do you have any water stored? That was my first lesson out here, to keep some on hand for things like this! Hugs, Jan

hi Jan, I do have some water stored, but one of the things I have learned from this is that I don't have enough!

siletz, digging in the muck was hard work, but nothing like you had to do, breaking up concrete and going down three feet to find pipe!

James, I do not understand why the 1" coupling does not fit, but the piece I should be able to slip on the pipe is the same sized opening as the pipe, no leeway to wiggle it on.

Did you mean to say I need 4 feet between couplings? The previous repair, which has disengaged, only had maybe four inches between couplings.

At this point, putting in a new section with new couplings seems like the right fix to me. But since I couldn't slip that compression coupling on, I don't have confidence in my ability to do it.

I'll take a look at your links.

I've been looking at videos of that slip coupling. Looks easy. I don't know. I would still pretty soon need an extra length, since that would only take care of the end that is loose now, but bring me up within a few inches of the next seal waiting to break.

Remember to keep reciepts and take em to water company and ask for an adjustment.
Ed

__________________
"Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness."
Thomas Jefferson to George Washington 1787