CountyJohn
New Member
The run from the meter to the house is about 1400 feet which went through the neighbor's woods. It was installed about 35 years ago. We have not had any leaks for about 30 years. And now I have a leak of just over 1 gallon per minute. We still have good pressure at the house.....but that kind of leak amounts to 43,000 gallons ADDITIONAL water usage per month........ and thankfully the water company notified us. We have cattle and use quite a bit to begin with -- but NOT that much. Unfortunately after 35 years---- I cannot remember where the water line is exactly except for the first 200 feet which runs through the neighbors yard, who allowed us to do so. At that time we didn't bury any "locating wires" (not sure it was available) The neighbor has also logged his woods and there are no longer any "clear paths" of where we ran the line. The line is 2 inch PVC with bell ends. There is a shut off valve that was installed at the 900 foot point just in case we had to make repairs. At that valve --- we are about 140 feet ABOVE the water meter.
We had a leak detection company who came out and pressurized the system and then listened. They felt that they had found the leak not too far from the meter---- but after my excavator friend dug up about 60 feet of the neighbors lawn ---- and we didn't see any water accumulation in the trench other than ground water (after hours of waiting).......we covered it back up. The leak detection company came back and listened in the yard area again and pointed out two NEW areas that it could be. I asked if they heard any "noise" where they pointed out the first leak --- and the answer was NO. So I'm not sure I want to dig MORE of my neighbors yard up. They walked the woods with me but said they would have to be within 3 to 4 feet of the line to actually hear a leak.
Let me add that this is up north where we had 10 inches of snow on the ground which would make it hard to find a leak and then it melted ---- ALSO making it hard to find a leak. We have had this issue now for about two weeks and unable to resolve it.
In order to REDUCE our useage, I turn the water on at the meter, for 1 hour and I water the cattle, fill the commodes, let my wife do the dishes and the laundry if she has any, maybe take a shower, store water to flush commodes the rest of the time ----- and then shut it off. On each shut off at the meter, before I do that I shut the water off at the house AND at the 900 FOOT point. (We HAVE identified the leak being in the first 900 feet since I can isolate the 900 feet from the house --- and the meter is still showing a loss of 1 gallon per minute).
Now to the point of all this information. For 3 days, I have monitored the TIME it takes for the red dial on the Meter to go from 90MPH to the 1 gallon per minute leak rate (after being shut off for 23 hours). For 3 days, the time of the "high speed spin" is 2minutes +/- 5 seconds and the water through the meter at that time is right at about 30 gallons +/- 1 gallon. My assumption is that if the leak is at the BOTTOM of the hill, more of the water would be leaked out of the 2" pipe and it would take LONGER to quit the fast spinning and more gallons to fill. My calculation would indicate that 30 gallons in a 2 inch PVC pipe is about 175 feet from the TOP shut off valve. I have checked out this area in the woods---- and there are wet spots and some smaller ditches where there appears to be water running --- which could be the recent snow melt, ground water, or the RECENT rain activity. I have purchased a water test kit to see if I can get some of this water to see if it has any "chlorine" in it to validate that it might NOT be ground water. Our concern is that since it has rained and does rain --- it may be a long time before wet spots on the "forest floor" doesn't appear abnormal.
Our other option would be to run 1.25" or 1.50" PEX through the 2 inch PVC pipe --- along with a locating wire and hook to the meter and the 900 ft shut off valve and quit digging and "pay the piper". I haven't found anyone that supplies 500 ft rolls of 1.25 of 1.50" PEX---- let alone 1000 feet. Admittedly --- pushing 1000 feet of PEX might be difficult but it is 140 ft drop from the TOP valve to the meter below.
Are my assumptions valid on figuring where to look for it? Are there other methods to look for leaks when the general path of the line isn't know? And is there an easier solution that running PEX through the whole 900 ft run?
Thanks
John --- DIY'er but working with the excavator, the plumber, the Leak Detection Company, and the WATER company.
We had a leak detection company who came out and pressurized the system and then listened. They felt that they had found the leak not too far from the meter---- but after my excavator friend dug up about 60 feet of the neighbors lawn ---- and we didn't see any water accumulation in the trench other than ground water (after hours of waiting).......we covered it back up. The leak detection company came back and listened in the yard area again and pointed out two NEW areas that it could be. I asked if they heard any "noise" where they pointed out the first leak --- and the answer was NO. So I'm not sure I want to dig MORE of my neighbors yard up. They walked the woods with me but said they would have to be within 3 to 4 feet of the line to actually hear a leak.
Let me add that this is up north where we had 10 inches of snow on the ground which would make it hard to find a leak and then it melted ---- ALSO making it hard to find a leak. We have had this issue now for about two weeks and unable to resolve it.
In order to REDUCE our useage, I turn the water on at the meter, for 1 hour and I water the cattle, fill the commodes, let my wife do the dishes and the laundry if she has any, maybe take a shower, store water to flush commodes the rest of the time ----- and then shut it off. On each shut off at the meter, before I do that I shut the water off at the house AND at the 900 FOOT point. (We HAVE identified the leak being in the first 900 feet since I can isolate the 900 feet from the house --- and the meter is still showing a loss of 1 gallon per minute).
Now to the point of all this information. For 3 days, I have monitored the TIME it takes for the red dial on the Meter to go from 90MPH to the 1 gallon per minute leak rate (after being shut off for 23 hours). For 3 days, the time of the "high speed spin" is 2minutes +/- 5 seconds and the water through the meter at that time is right at about 30 gallons +/- 1 gallon. My assumption is that if the leak is at the BOTTOM of the hill, more of the water would be leaked out of the 2" pipe and it would take LONGER to quit the fast spinning and more gallons to fill. My calculation would indicate that 30 gallons in a 2 inch PVC pipe is about 175 feet from the TOP shut off valve. I have checked out this area in the woods---- and there are wet spots and some smaller ditches where there appears to be water running --- which could be the recent snow melt, ground water, or the RECENT rain activity. I have purchased a water test kit to see if I can get some of this water to see if it has any "chlorine" in it to validate that it might NOT be ground water. Our concern is that since it has rained and does rain --- it may be a long time before wet spots on the "forest floor" doesn't appear abnormal.
Our other option would be to run 1.25" or 1.50" PEX through the 2 inch PVC pipe --- along with a locating wire and hook to the meter and the 900 ft shut off valve and quit digging and "pay the piper". I haven't found anyone that supplies 500 ft rolls of 1.25 of 1.50" PEX---- let alone 1000 feet. Admittedly --- pushing 1000 feet of PEX might be difficult but it is 140 ft drop from the TOP valve to the meter below.
Are my assumptions valid on figuring where to look for it? Are there other methods to look for leaks when the general path of the line isn't know? And is there an easier solution that running PEX through the whole 900 ft run?
Thanks
John --- DIY'er but working with the excavator, the plumber, the Leak Detection Company, and the WATER company.
