Water Supply Leak
Most of us don’t think about the source of our water – until we don’t have any. The water mains that connect municipal water to your home are built to work well for years. When they spring a leak, the damage escalates quickly. Fixing a water main line can be a costly undertaking. Broken water mains have been known to flood homes with mud and cause streets to crumble. Also this type of plumbing repair requires a professional plumber with a very specialized skill set.
What is the water main?
Your water main is the pipe that connects your home plumbing to the public water supply. The “main” line funnels water from the public water supply pipe into the various pipes of your home. Monitoring your main water line can seem impossible since it is underground and not easily accessible without digging. So it is important to take some fundamental precautions and spot some signs of possible water main issues.
Is your plumbing up-to-date?
If your main water line and the plumbing in your home is old, the chance of a leak occurring is greater. Even if the plumbing in your house appears to be working just fine, it is still a good idea to have your water main inspected to see if there are any weaknesses or if the interior plumbing was updated, but not the underground main pipe. To avoid future issues it may be advantageous to replace your older water main even before an issue occurs.
Do you notice an unusual increase in water usage?
You should always monitor your home’s water usage to see if there is a sudden spike in water use. This is often a sign of an undetected leak. Detecting a water main leak can be difficult since the pipes are underground. Unfortunately if the leak is small, the damage could go undetected for months to years until the damage caused by the leak is large enough to see on the surface. By carefully monitoring your water usage, problems or leaks in the water main can be caught before they are major. The majority of the expense of a water main repair is often not the repair of the main itself, but often fixing the damages caused by the leak.
Sporadic Water in your yard
When a water main leak become large enough, the water will often form puddles on the ground between your house and the street. If you see unexplained constant puddles such as these, you will want to contact a plumber immediately to fix the leak. Depending upon the extent of the leak, you may need a landscaper to fix any damage that may have been done to your lawn, gardens or walkways. Depending on where the leak was in the main pipe, you may also need to inspect the foundation of your home for damage. The cost of the surrounding repairs can sometimes greatly exceed the cost of fixing the water main.
Basic precautions:
When you first move into your home, have your water mains inspected. If your water main is old when you move into your home, it is best to replace it before it causes damage or you have started to invest in landscaping. If you have lived in your home for a while, and cannot remember when the last time your water main was inspected, you should probably schedule an inspection soon. Another basic precaution you can take is to avoid any deep digging in your yard and property that might damage or pierce the pipes, until you have checked your property map. If you do not have a property map, often your town hall can provide you with a copy of one.