water leak in front yard from main - How to find
 

I live in a house with a small front yard. The main water line and
meter is at the curb, the water enters the house at the front corner of
the house. It can be shut off there also. If I shut off the water
entering the house, I am still using 10 gal/hr of water according to
the meter, so there must be a leak in the line in the front yard
somewhere. There is a big tree in the middle of the lawn, so I am
suspecting some roots have broke the line, but am not sure. There are
no soggy spots anywhere in the front yard. Anyone know of any ways to
trace the line short of digging up the whole lawn?? I don't know what
direction it runs from the meter to the house, how deep it is, whether
it is plastic or copper.

water leak in front yard from main - How to find
 

Be sure the water line does not go anywhere else like the backyard.

Try walking in a straight line from the shutoff valve to the meter. See if
you get any wet "squishing" in a particular area. Might get lucky.

Also sometimes you can hammer a metal bar into the ground, place your ear to
the bar, and hear hissing. Or if possible, place ear on pipe near house and
listen for hissing. Then at meter. Would be louder closer to leak.

If you have to dig the whole works up to find the leak, might as well dig an
entirely new trench which goes well around the tree. Then install a new
line.

Probably need to get a permit to do this btw.


wrote in message
I live in a house with a small front yard. The main water line and
meter is at the curb, the water enters the house at the front corner of
the house. It can be shut off there also. If I shut off the water
entering the house, I am still using 10 gal/hr of water according to
the meter, so there must be a leak in the line in the front yard
somewhere. There is a big tree in the middle of the lawn, so I am
suspecting some roots have broke the line, but am not sure. There are
no soggy spots anywhere in the front yard. Anyone know of any ways to
trace the line short of digging up the whole lawn?? I don't know what
direction it runs from the meter to the house, how deep it is, whether
it is plastic or copper.

water leak in front yard from main - How to find
 

Thanks for the tips, gives me something to try. I'm wondering if some
kind of metal detector could tell me where the line is.
Yes, I am thinking of digging a new trench

water leak in front yard from main - How to find
 

wrote in message
ups.com...
I live in a house with a small front yard. The main water line and
meter is at the curb, the water enters the house at the front corner of
the house. It can be shut off there also. If I shut off the water
entering the house, I am still using 10 gal/hr of water according to
the meter, so there must be a leak in the line in the front yard
somewhere. There is a big tree in the middle of the lawn, so I am
suspecting some roots have broke the line, but am not sure. There are
no soggy spots anywhere in the front yard. Anyone know of any ways to
trace the line short of digging up the whole lawn?? I don't know what
direction it runs from the meter to the house, how deep it is, whether
it is plastic or copper.


I would call the town and tell them there's a leak....it might be the valve
connected to the city's water main that is leaking and they would be
responsible for digging up and repairing it. This is what happened to me and
they dug it up and replaced it at no cost to me, and it was leaking for
almost a year at that point. I too could hear and feel water running even
after I closed the main shutoff valve in the basement. Even if the leak is
on the pipe to your house, they may find it for you and fix it at a nominal
price. Either way, it should not cost you anything for them to check and
inspect 'their' equipement first.

water leak in front yard from main - How to find
 

On 14 Nov 2005 09:18:55 -0800, "
wrote:

:I live in a house with a small front yard. The main water line and
:meter is at the curb, the water enters the house at the front corner of
:the house. It can be shut off there also. If I shut off the water
:entering the house, I am still using 10 gal/hr of water according to
:the meter, so there must be a leak in the line in the front yard
:somewhere. There is a big tree in the middle of the lawn, so I am
:suspecting some roots have broke the line, but am not sure. There are
:no soggy spots anywhere in the front yard. Anyone know of any ways to
:trace the line short of digging up the whole lawn?? I don't know what
:direction it runs from the meter to the house, how deep it is, whether
:it is plastic or copper.

Since that tree is probably the culprit you might want to dig it up. In
the process you might find the leak.