Of all the possible plumbing calamities, a broken water line can be one of the worst. How can you fix a broken water line? When a water line breaks above ground, you can see damage pretty quickly. When a water pipe bursts inside the walls of your home or under the slab, not so much. If you suspect a leak in the wall or inside the home, you’ll want to shut off the water. Depending on where the leak is located, you can shut off the water at one of the shut off valves or you can shut off the main water supply usually located by the street. 

If a water line breaks happens under your house, even below ground, the fallout is initially less obvious but often even more disastrous when foundations are eventually compromised.

So what causes broken water lines?

Freeze and thaw cycles as well as harsh Texas summers can be the cause of water main breaks. A combination of extreme weather causes the soil to shift.

Every water line and plumbing component is affected by elements regardless of how favorable the local environment might be. Materials like copper, steel, iron, PVC and Pex all have an expiration date. You can see various types of pipes here: https://www.morrisonsupply.com/Catalog/PipeandFittings.  After a certain amount of time, replacement is the only solution to water leaks and water main breaks.

Squirrels, mice and other rodents can compromise a pipe. Some pesticides and rodenticides cause dehydration and extreme thirst. If rodents have eaten the poison, they become extremely thirsty and hear water running through pipes in the walls and can actually chew through your water lines.

These are just a couple of reasons you may have a broken pipe. Several other factors can lead to a broken water line. But you may just want to know how you can repair a broken water line. Here are some ways you can fix a broken water line:

Locate your leak. This task is easy if you can see it. If you see water in your yard, you have pretty much located the leak.  If your first hint was a high water bill, then you have a small task. In dry weather you can always locate 2 things–the first is the septic tank and the second is a broken underground waterline. Look where the grass is greener. In wet and stormy weather, check the ground for spots with puddles or softer soil. Of course, if you hear water running or if you turn everything off and see the needle spinning on your meter, you have a leak.

Turn off the main water shut off once you find the leak. If you’re in the city of Waxahachie, you may need someone from the City of Waxahachie to do this. The main valve is in the yard and they have a special tool. If you’re in the country without access to city water, then you need to turn off or unplug the pump. Duncan Plumbing Solutions In Waxahachie can help you find the leak and turn off the main.

Dig a trench along the area that shows signs of water leaking. Go down deep enough until you uncover the pipe. Clear the pipe several feet in front of the leak and behind it. Dig down 1 foot under the pipe. When you make a repair to the underground water line you need to expose more than just the spot that leaks.

Check the line for wear, besides the area of the leak. Frequently roots can cause damage to pipelines in one spot but do no harm in others. Evaluate the possibility of replacing the entire pipe from the street to the house.  If the leak is under your home or in the slab, Duncan Plumbing has special location experts that will precisely locate the leak and special video inspection equipment to identify and assist in expert plumbing repair.

Cut out the spot that leaks; make it at least 6 inches on each side of the leak. Check the joints & tees as well.  Get rigid copper pipe for the section. If you have to purchase the pipe in longer lengths, such as 5-foot lengths, you may as well use it all. Cut the exact measurement within 1/16 to 1/8 inch shorter. You need a little wiggle room. Clean off the weatherproofing on the old pipe. Sand all ends, including the ends of the pipe to be added and the existing pipe.

Sand the inside of 2 slip couplings that fit the pipe with a specially made wire brush for this procedure. Slide the couplings onto the new pipe toward the center of the pipe. Fit the new underground water line pipe into place and slide the slip coupling so that one half of each coupling is on the old pipe and the other is on the new.

Heat the coupling in the center from underneath with a propane torch and as you do put a piece of lead-free solder wire from the spool, on top of the edge of the coupling that connects to the old pipe. When you see the solder drip from the bottom of that joint, put the solder atop the other edge of the coupling on the new pipe side. Do this on both couplings. Weatherproof with a strong insulator on the new section. Allow proper drying time.

It’s only natural to worry when a water break is found. Rest assured that every plumbing problem can be fixed. Contact the experts at Duncan Plumbing Solutions, Waxahachie’s Best Plumber and a NextDoor favorite plumbing company in Waxahachie and surrounding Red Oak, Midlothian, Ovilla, Cedar Hill and DeSoto. Contact Duncan Plumbing about your water line break for any of your leak repairs in Waxahachie, Midlothian, Red Oak, Ennis, DeSoto, Duncanville, Cedar Hill, Grand Prairie, Glenn Heights, Ovilla, Corsicana, Lancaster, Mansfield, Dallas, Maypearl, Italy, Ferris, Oak Leaf, Pecan Hill, Avalon, Bardwell, Ferris, Forreston Itasca, Milford, Venus, Rice, Palmer, Garrett, Alma, Telco. Call Duncan Plumbing 972-937-0040 voted Best Plumber Waxahachie today!

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