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#1342745 - 05/05/12 11:53 AM
Re: water bills for the SF Village people
[Re: bluezone]
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VM Smith
Diamond Member
Registered: 11/28/05
Posts: 34310
Loc: Reality
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is your water meter in the basement or at the curb?
The leak is between the meter and the sink. If the meter were in the basement, she'd be able to find the leak.
Article on finding leaks:
http://www.subsurfaceleak.com/find_leaks.html
It says that if the leak is not under an asphalt or concrete drive, but under stone, as I think it is, then if you can hear it, you are probably close to it, and it is probably shallow. OTOH, if it's iron pipe, it can transmit the sound for a long distance.
The house isn't new, and the pipe may date from original construction. If one part is corroded, the whole pipe may be in bad shape. It's fairly short, and doesn't go under expensive pavement. Sounds like the main is at 8 ft...the other end would be shallower. You might want to replace the whole line; you don't want to do this every few years.
A lot depends on what you find. If it comes from the street and makes a 90 degree turn to your house, under the drive, which I think it may, it may be mostly erosion, not corrosion, at that turbulent elbow, and the rest of the pipe may be good. Or considerably better, anyway. Also, that elbow may be at a shallow depth. Maybe you can get relatively lucky...maybe not. It depends, as the lawyers and plumbers say. Does the basement pipe enter the house on the south, or on the west?
Start pricing back hoe guys, right now. Also, hand diggers. Labor/machinery is probably the big nut...materials, particularly if it's just a localized repair, not so much, I think. Look in the basement and estimate the house entry pipe depth, and assume the other end is 8 ft, then you can run the "what ifs" by the prospective hiree, and get a closer estimate.
Here's a guy who has a device for detecting leaks. I don't know how expensive they are, or if many contractors or water departments have them:
http://chicagolandh2o.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/fixing-leaks-every-day-of-the-week/
I've never listened for an underground leak, and don't know if a more primitive, cheaper rig, such as a large, inverted funnel with a hose leading to the ear, might help in locating it more precisely.
_________________________
Well I know what's right, I got just one life...
But I'll stand my ground and I won't back down
Petty
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#1342765 - 05/05/12 03:20 PM
Re: water bills for the SF Village people
[Re: 123]
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VM Smith
Diamond Member
Registered: 11/28/05
Posts: 34310
Loc: Reality
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Although I feel for Sparkey, if the leak is on her side of the meter, in a privately owned water line, then she's responsible for any use, and any loss to the public water supply, I think. I think that the dept may have, let's say, erred in saying otherwise.
I never had a leak in my water line at my old house, but I was always in dread of it happening; it was about 150 ft from the meter to my basement. I feel lucky, in a lot of ways, to be renting; I no longer own a water line, and the landlady is required to fix any leak. If she wanted to raise the rent to cover costs, she'd have to wait until the end of the lease. At that point, I could be moved within a week, to most any place in the world. I am no longer captive to the vagaries of the local real estate market, either.
_________________________
Well I know what's right, I got just one life...
But I'll stand my ground and I won't back down
Petty
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#1342775 - 05/05/12 08:27 PM
Re: water bills for the SF Village people
[Re: VM Smith]
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Red22
Senior Member
Registered: 06/21/06
Posts: 728
Loc: ny
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So is there something we can do about the water bills, other than complain on here? I received mine today, it's doubled. Stupid dissolution, who voted for this garbage? The amount I'm saving in taxes is the same I'm paying for the increased water bill. WTF.
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#1342783 - 05/05/12 08:55 PM
Re: water bills for the SF Village people
[Re: 123]
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cwanky
Member
Registered: 06/29/07
Posts: 196
Loc: new york
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Ah, the slings and arrows of the Pelosi paradox...you have to vote for it before you can see whats in it.
and the ultimate irony dissolution in water bill and the jig is up , let the hosing begin, why not we are paying for the water.
Here is an idea lets get rid of the SFPD then we can all have free water FOR A MONTH.
hosing a definition caution graphic verbage
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hosing caution graphic verbage
Can you hear the big money people laughing in the background.....They went for it tee heee hee by 84 votes they took the cheese.
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#1342792 - 05/05/12 09:21 PM
Re: water bills for the SF Village people
[Re: *Sparkey*]
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123
Senior Member
Registered: 10/28/11
Posts: 845
Loc: From Ga.
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I guess the main problem is no one knows where the broken pipe is located...the town water man said he thought he heard it running in my driveway near the kitchen usually where the leak is the ground will be saturated or the water may be 'bubbling' at the soil is there abnormal continues water in your basement? The code guy is nuts. I even showed you & J where the water heater was leaking water and your gas vent is it hooked up yet? I know the heating problem is 100% correct. Love You too. Oh I spoke wiyh God earlier and was told to say hello to all. I love God. God has made me see the light after the swellings eyes could open again . All I did was say no. Never do that again. Oh no I just had a gas leak>> farted,sorry Yes the basement is always wet....which we thought was the waterheater..untill the code guy found it was outside.
_________________________
"If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my children may have peace."
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#1342793 - 05/05/12 09:31 PM
Re: water bills for the SF Village people
[Re: *Sparkey*]
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VM Smith
Diamond Member
Registered: 11/28/05
Posts: 34310
Loc: Reality
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That may be an electronic reader, and not the actual meter. If the meter's not in the basement or on the side of the house, it may be buried. ooops jake said it's in basement
So it doesn't sound like the leak is between the meter and the sink. I'm assuming that the wet basement is caused by a line leak outside, upstream of the basement meter; the sink would be downstream. Is it the case, then, that you are responsible for the line between the main and the meter? Everything from the main downstream, IOW?
I'll bet that the line comes straight east from the main, then turns 90 degrees north at an elbow, a short distance south of your house, that that elbow is leaking, and that it's not that deep.
The meter's in the basement.....so, is it in a floor pit, or on the wall, right by the supply line from outside? If the latter, how high off the floor, or below estimated dirt surface level, is the supply line entrance?
_________________________
Well I know what's right, I got just one life...
But I'll stand my ground and I won't back down
Petty
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#1342797 - 05/05/12 09:46 PM
Re: water bills for the SF Village people
[Re: VM Smith]
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*Sparkey*
Senior Member
Registered: 02/23/09
Posts: 8118
Loc: Baby Jail
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That may be an electronic reader, and not the actual meter. If the meter's not in the basement or on the side of the house, it may be buried. ooops jake said it's in basement So it doesn't sound like the leak is between the meter and the sink. I'm assuming that the wet basement is caused by a line leak outside, upstream of the basement meter; the sink would be downstream. Is it the case, then, that you are responsible for the line between the main and the meter? Everything from the main downstream, IOW? I'll bet that the line comes straight east from the main, then turns 90 degrees north at an elbow, a short distance south of your house, that that elbow is leaking, and that it's not that deep. The meter's in the basement.....so, is it in a floor pit, or on the wall, right by the supply line from outside? If the latter, how high off the floor, or below estimated dirt surface level, is the supply line entrance?
Jake said the pipe is about 4ft in the ground.
_________________________
If you won't say it in person...then you shouldn't say it online!
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