I noticed a leak at the main in our lawn and called the water dept. out
to check it out. The leak is on our side, not the street side so we are
responsible for it. Anyway the leak is from a blue polyethylene pipe
which i think is used for reclaimed water.I think it's been there since
the house was built about 23 years ago. I had a plumber come out and
look at it. He said the ployethylene is outlawed for residential
applications. He said he has tried to fix these fittings before with
galvanized fittings and other types but they just don't hold up, maybe
about a year.. He wants $1,100 to dig a trench from the main the house
and put in copper pipe.with a 10 year warranty.Is there a less
expensive way to fix this w/o putting in a new line?

In article .com, wrote:
I noticed a leak at the main in our lawn and called the water dept. out
to check it out. The leak is on our side, not the street side so we are
responsible for it. Anyway the leak is from a blue polyethylene pipe
which i think is used for reclaimed water.I think it's been there since
the house was built about 23 years ago. I had a plumber come out and
look at it. He said the ployethylene is outlawed for residential
applications. He said he has tried to fix these fittings before with
galvanized fittings and other types but they just don't hold up, maybe
about a year.. He wants $1,100 to dig a trench from the main the house
and put in copper pipe.with a 10 year warranty.Is there a less
expensive way to fix this w/o putting in a new line?

You could always do it yourself.. We had to dig a 4' trench about 50' about
a year ago and while it was a lot of work, it kept me from forking out about
$2000-$3000 for a plumber to do it and replace the pipe hiding underneath
(a drain pipe for the side-yards to empty into the street). Overall, I was
very pleased with doing that work and it only cost me in parts.. If you're
not too handy with tools, I'd just bite the bullet and have the plumber
do it.

wrote in message
oups.com...
I noticed a leak at the main in our lawn and called the water dept. out
to check it out. The leak is on our side, not the street side so we are
responsible for it. Anyway the leak is from a blue polyethylene pipe
which i think is used for reclaimed water.I think it's been there since
the house was built about 23 years ago. I had a plumber come out and
look at it. He said the ployethylene is outlawed for residential
applications. He said he has tried to fix these fittings before with
galvanized fittings and other types but they just don't hold up, maybe
about a year.. He wants $1,100 to dig a trench from the main the house
and put in copper pipe.with a 10 year warranty.Is there a less
expensive way to fix this w/o putting in a new line?

Go to Home Depot and buy two shovels.

As you're leaving the parking lot, pick up two workers for the going rate in
your neighborhood.

Budget another $20 for Cokes and burgers.

In article , "HeyBub" wrote:

wrote in message
roups.com...
I noticed a leak at the main in our lawn and called the water dept. out
to check it out. The leak is on our side, not the street side so we are
responsible for it. Anyway the leak is from a blue polyethylene pipe
which i think is used for reclaimed water.I think it's been there since
the house was built about 23 years ago. I had a plumber come out and
look at it. He said the ployethylene is outlawed for residential
applications. He said he has tried to fix these fittings before with
galvanized fittings and other types but they just don't hold up, maybe
about a year.. He wants $1,100 to dig a trench from the main the house
and put in copper pipe.with a 10 year warranty.Is there a less
expensive way to fix this w/o putting in a new line?

Go to Home Depot and buy two shovels.

And some pipe 'n stuff.

As you're leaving the parking lot, pick up two workers for the going rate in
your neighborhood.

Budget another $20 for Cokes and burgers.


--
|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
| Malcolm Hoar "The more I practice, the luckier I get". |
| Gary Player. |
| http://www.malch.com/ Shpx gur PQN. |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

wrote:
I noticed a leak at the main in our lawn and called the water dept. out
to check it out. The leak is on our side, not the street side so we are
responsible for it. Anyway the leak is from a blue polyethylene pipe
which i think is used for reclaimed water.I think it's been there since
the house was built about 23 years ago. I had a plumber come out and
look at it. He said the ployethylene is outlawed for residential
applications. He said he has tried to fix these fittings before with
galvanized fittings and other types but they just don't hold up, maybe
about a year.. He wants $1,100 to dig a trench from the main the house
and put in copper pipe.with a 10 year warranty.Is there a less
expensive way to fix this w/o putting in a new line?

Consider renting a Ditch Witch to dig the trench for the new water
line. You won't need it for more than half a day at most. Rental places
may or may not supply the trailer to haul it home and back. Locally, a
half day goes for $75, YMMV. After this, getting a plumber for a couple
of hours ought to finish the job nicely if you don't feel you want to
tackle it. Buying the copper tubing ahead of time could also save you
some $$. Before you proceed, though, check with city hall to make sure
you have whatever permits are required and ask for help turning off the
water before you start if special valve wrenches are needed. HTH

Joe

" wrote
in oups.com:

I noticed a leak at the main in our lawn and called the water dept. out
to check it out. The leak is on our side, not the street side so we are
responsible for it. Anyway the leak is from a blue polyethylene pipe
which i think is used for reclaimed water.I think it's been there since
the house was built about 23 years ago. I had a plumber come out and
look at it. He said the ployethylene is outlawed for residential
applications. He said he has tried to fix these fittings before with
galvanized fittings and other types but they just don't hold up, maybe
about a year.. He wants $1,100 to dig a trench from the main the house
and put in copper pipe.with a 10 year warranty.Is there a less
expensive way to fix this w/o putting in a new line?



Guy here wanted to put in his own sewar line. Called some place in the
Yellow pages (not a plumber) just to dig a trench with a Ditch Witch then
just did all the work at each end himself. Not sure if this would be
available where you are.

You should have a centralized number that will contact the utilities to
mark underground lines prior to any digging. There is often no charge for
the marking. You MUST get it marked first. If you don't and anything is
damaged, YOU will pay the cost of damage and repair.

wrote:
I noticed a leak at the main in our lawn and called the water dept. out
to check it out. The leak is on our side, not the street side so we are
responsible for it. Anyway the leak is from a blue polyethylene pipe
which i think is used for reclaimed water.I think it's been there since
the house was built about 23 years ago. I had a plumber come out and
look at it. He said the ployethylene is outlawed for residential
applications. He said he has tried to fix these fittings before with
galvanized fittings and other types but they just don't hold up, maybe
about a year.. He wants $1,100 to dig a trench from the main the house
and put in copper pipe.with a 10 year warranty.Is there a less
expensive way to fix this w/o putting in a new line?


Is the line hooked only to a lawn sprinkler system using reclaimed
water? Then you might consider just repairing the plastic. But if it
is for the house water better go with copper.


Probably about the right cost to put in copper. In my area they put in
a 10 foot piece of black plastic between the meter (at the street) and
the copper running to the house. The used a cheap nylon fitting to join
the two sections. Over the years they have been breaking. I noticed a
small leak. It cost me $850 to have that short piece of plastic
replaced with copper. They had to dig a trench about six feet deep.

I am real glad I didn't try it. They encountered a white plastic gas
line (owned by the gas company). They were so careful not to disturb
it. However, when trying to break the fitting loose the guys arm
slipped and he cracked the gas line. We had to then wait for the gas
company to fix the leak before proceeding. The gas company assured me
they would be replacing that line but so far they haven't. I sure as
hell would have hit that gas line with a shovel and broke it wide open.
With the crack they were able to repair it without interrupting
service to the neighborhood.

On 10 Nov 2006 17:14:47 -0800, "
wrotF:

I noticed a leak at the main in our lawn and called the water dept. out
to check it out. The leak is on our side, not the street side so we are
responsible for it. Anyway the leak is from a blue polyethylene pipe
which i think is used for reclaimed water.I think it's been there since
the house was built about 23 years ago. I had a plumber come out and
look at it. He said the ployethylene is outlawed for residential
applications. He said he has tried to fix these fittings before with
galvanized fittings and other types but they just don't hold up, maybe
about a year.. He wants $1,100 to dig a trench from the main the house
and put in copper pipe.with a 10 year warranty.Is there a less
expensive way to fix this w/o putting in a new line?

Sounds like a fair price to me, especially if the line is deep and
long. He'll also make sure it's done to code and that 10-year warranty
is attractive. Get it in writing though. I think you'll sleep better
knowing that if you didn't do it quite right, you may end up doing it
over or getting that plumber anyway. Been there done that.

My neighbor and i fixed the leak. We just put an elbow and union and a
foot or so of PVC and the leak stopped. Whether or not it holds remains
to be seen. Anyway i'm only out eggrolls (my neighbor loves my wife's
eggrolls,even more than i do! HAAAAAAA) instead of $1,100
46erjoe wrote:
On 10 Nov 2006 17:14:47 -0800, "
wrotF:

I noticed a leak at the main in our lawn and called the water dept. out
to check it out. The leak is on our side, not the street side so we are
responsible for it. Anyway the leak is from a blue polyethylene pipe
which i think is used for reclaimed water.I think it's been there since
the house was built about 23 years ago. I had a plumber come out and
look at it. He said the ployethylene is outlawed for residential
applications. He said he has tried to fix these fittings before with
galvanized fittings and other types but they just don't hold up, maybe
about a year.. He wants $1,100 to dig a trench from the main the house
and put in copper pipe.with a 10 year warranty.Is there a less
expensive way to fix this w/o putting in a new line?

Sounds like a fair price to me, especially if the line is deep and
long. He'll also make sure it's done to code and that 10-year warranty
is attractive. Get it in writing though. I think you'll sleep better
knowing that if you didn't do it quite right, you may end up doing it
over or getting that plumber anyway. Been there done that.