Water leaks are not always confined to your house. Sometimes homeowners are surprised to find a water leak in the front yard! Water coming out of the ground in your yard or soggy soil on your property when other areas are dry could mean you have broken water service. Frozen ground, a hard winter, refreezing and thawing cycles, settling or shifting ground; all of these things can damage your water pipes. Your 1 Plumber is here to help. We can get a main residential water line replacement up and running and ensure you have minimal interruption from city water service to your home.
Your main water line runs from the street to your home. Did you know that the water line that runs underground from the street to your home is your responsibility? Your 1 Plumber uses special equipment and up to date technology to replace your deteriorating and unreliable polybutylene or copper water supply line with long-lasting, reliable and durable well pipe (polyethylene) tubing. This drastically reduces the chance of breaks, leaks, and interruptions of water supply to your home and damage to your landscaping.
You can depend on us for timely, efficient, and professional friendly service to restore your water service to your home.
Polybutylene pipe is a blue (or gray) plastic pipe manufactured by the Shell Oil Corporation. It was installed in homes between approximately 1978 and 1995 – mostly in new construction – but it was also used to replace water services in older homes as well. It was found that chlorine added to sanitize our drinking water reacts with the polybutylene making it brittle.
All polybutylene pipe will fail for this reason. It is just a question of when it will happen… not if it will.
I typically see a surge in polybutylene pipe replacement when the seasons change. The ground changes temperature and so does our potable water. The change in temperature causes the “Big Blue” to expand or contract aggravating its weakness.
The pulling method was developed to permit a yard service pipe to be replaced with minimal impact to the yard, a high concentration of underground utilities and any associated landscaping. This process involves digging at least 1 hole at the county curb box to provide access to the spot where the service pipe connects to the county’s water system.
The service pipe is subsequently disconnected at the curb box and inside the house where the pipe initially enters. A fish tape type device is then fed through the pipe from the county side into the house. The hole in the house’s foundation where the service pipe enters is slightly enlarged to permit the subsequent insertion of pipe pulling adapters and the new well piping. A cable is then drawn from inside the house to the curb box location. This cable is then connected to a roll of new well pipe inside the house via a special pulling adapter. The other end of the cable is connected to pulling equipment at the curb box. The new well pipe is slowly pulled through the old service pipe. A special cutting attachment on the front of the pulling adapter cuts/pulls the service pipe as the new well pipe is pulled through it. In contrast to the trenching water service method, the pulling method results in the new well pipe entering the house in the exact spot where the old service pipe originally entered. The new pipe is connected to the county water system and the in-house piping, and water is turned on to the house. The house’s foundation is patched, the hole at the curb box is back-filled. The water service process is completed. Sometimes in the process of the pulling procedure it is determined that the new pipe is not able to be pulled through the old pipe due to an obstruction or improperly installed original water service pipe. It is impossible to predict these situations in advance. Should the pull method fail we will have to revert to the digging method.
Note: Depending upon certain factors it may be necessary to dig one or more additional holes and perform multiple pulling operations. If this occurs the newly pulled pipes will be connected together.
We are responsible for notifying Miss Utility to mark the underground utilities before we dig and for the acquisition of the proper plumbing permit and inspection by the county/ plumbing inspector. A complete job and peace of mind that it will done properly.
You should ALWAYS choose your contractor wisely making sure they are a reputable, reliable, professional, licensed and insured contractor. Your plumbing contractor should have verifiable references reflecting high standards and pride in their work.
You can check with the Better Business Bureau to see if a contractor has any complaints registered with that organization, thereby increasing your protection from getting unsatisfactory performance and other possible problems. You can contact the BBB at 202-393-8000 or online at www.bbb.org.
Are you feeling a little confused about our services and can’t decide whether you should sign on with us? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. Here are some of the most common questions we receive every day!
Didn’t see a FAQ that addressed your concerns? Get in touch with us and let us know what you’re thinking!
Common warning signs include unusually low water pressure throughout the entire house, discolored or rusty water, unexplained wet spots in the yard, a noticeable spike in your water bill, or the sound of running water with everything turned off.
A repair fixes a specific section of damaged or leaking pipe and works well for isolated problems. A full replacement is recommended when the line is old, made of deteriorating material like galvanized steel, or has multiple failure points along its length.
Yes, trenchless methods let us replace a main line with minimal digging across your yard or driveway, which significantly reduces cleanup and restoration work compared to traditional open trenching.
Most residential main line replacements are completed in one to two days, depending on the length of the line, soil conditions, and whether traditional or trenchless methods are used for the project.
Coverage varies by policy and the cause of the failure, so it is worth checking with your insurance provider. We can provide documentation of the damage and the work performed to support a claim either way.
If your home is more than 40 years old or you have noticed any warning signs, it is worth having the line inspected. Otherwise, a routine check every few years is a reasonable preventive step.
Most modern replacements use copper or high-density polyethylene piping, both of which last significantly longer and resist corrosion better than the older galvanized steel lines found in many homes.
Didn’t see a FAQ that addressed your concerns? Get in touch with us and let us know what you’re thinking!
