Well Pipe Broke - Fixing Options?

[jmagerl]

IT appears from the water flowing into my basement that the pipe leading from my well to the house has broken (turn off the pump and the water stops). I will be calling in a professional to fix. What are my options for fixing it other than to dig up all my landscaping and hope they don't hit the power line that crosses over the pipe.

Do they make a plastic pipe that can be snaked thru the original pipe? The guy comes out tomorrow for a quote.

I also have a 100 ft Norway Spruce that would lose half of its roots if they had to trench. (With my luck, it would than fall on the house in a later wind storm)

[The Reverend Natural Light]

It sounds like you already know what's going to happen.

The power line shouldn't be a problem as long as they know it's there (call miss utility!). There's absolutely no need to dig a straight trench from your house to the well. Surely there's a way to go around the tree - hopefully far away from the tree since that's probably what broke the original pipe. They'll use flexible plastic pipe that can turn corners. If they use a mini-excavator to dig then you'll only lose a path of shrubs a couple of feet wide.

-rev

jmagerl wrote:

[dpb]

Other response covered it, basically. I'll just add you needed to have called the local utility locater service number (it'll be in the phone book) already to get them out to find the utilities just in case you really do have to dig up the whole thing--a reputable guy may choose to not dig until that is done to protect himself so you could be waiting for a couple of days or more if you don't have it scheduled.

That, of course, implies you would have to actually dig a trench the whole way w/ unknown utilities potentially in the way. It's quite possible the problem is one that may be fixable by simply locating the break and repairing it. If it's coming into the basement in a stream as it sounds like from your description, there's a good possibility the break is at the entrance to the basement and may well have been caused by movement or other causes there.

I'd grab a shovel and uncover that area to at least see what's there. Unless it is an old galvanized line or some other abomination of an installation, more than likely you can get an adequate repair w/o replacing the whole thing. Of course, if it's only a very short run, that's another thing...

[jmagerl]

The well was put in in 1967. Its galvanized pipe coming thru the wall. THere is an old electrical entrance (not used anymore) in the wall about 3 ft away. The water is pouring in thru it. I am assuming that after 40 years the pipe just rusted thru. While they could probably locate the break, I am also assuming that the rest of the pipe would be in equally bad shape and would need replacing shortly also.

I was around when they installed the new electrical entrance and know there is some really weird concrete work down there. They had to jack hammer a 8 inck concrete wall located 3 ft away from the house to get a path for the wire. I assume the same thing will happen with the pipe only worst since it has to be lower. Thats why I was asking if it was possible to snake a plastic pipe thru the existing pipe.

Sigh...no matter how you cut it, this looks like a big nightmare.

[Speedy Jim]

You're correct: 40 yr old Galv is basically shot. Don't repair.

There are companies that will snake a steel cable thru the old pipe and use it to pull the entire length out without doing any trenching. As the old pipe is being pulled out, the cable neatly pulls a new (plastic) pipe in behind it! This technique is widely used for replacing water service lines to a residence from a street main. The distance does not need to be great for it to be cost-effective.

Another one: A gasoline-powered trenching machine. These cut a deep "slit" and lays the pipe as it goes. No soil is actually "dug" out. As noted, make a path well away from your tree.

Jim

[dpb]

As previously noted, old galvanized is a scenario that implies replacing the line, but better now in the decent weather than in the middle of a blizzard or somesuch!

As another noted, a "trench" can be a lot less intrusive than a full-fledged backhoe these days and there are techniques that can be used if you're in a location of sufficient population to have somebody in the area that has the equipment. If you're calling in the pros anyway, it's only money!!! :)

I'm thinking actually it won't be as bad as you may be dreading assuming you can find somebody who is pretty good to do it...again, as others have noted, unless there are other obstructions (like the drain field, rock, etc.) or you're simply out of room on your property it shouldn't be difficult to avoid doing major damage to the tree.

[hallerb]

that galvanized is no doubt in bad shape and probably ccant be used for pulling new pipe. it will fail mechanically

certinally it CANT go thru the center of the galvanized, you will see its plugged up badly.

a trencher is probably your best option

[jmagerl]

The Pro came out today to see if he could give me a temperary hookup (he couldn't). HE said it was likely that they used galvanized pipe to go thru the concrete and than switched to poly on the other side. HE suspects it is the poly to pipe union that failed. MOre next week. I phoned the guy whose name was on the tank. HE was going to check his records to see if he was the original installer. Regardless JULIE (the utility locator) has already been out to mark the area up. ITs going to be a mess