Plumbing help!

[Minerva]

We are on well water and the poly line coming from the pump into the house has a crack. It's literally spraying into the block cavity. This was discovered when a toilet flapper stuck and the well pump cycled on and off to keep the tank filled. The wall started seeping and the sump pump was running periodically and this would not happen in a drought.

The fix is obviously to dig down about five feet on the outside, cut and splice the tubing with a double barb. Problem is there is a deck right above blocking off access to dig and wouldn't you know it where the pipe is running is centered with the deck!

My brother came up with an idea but I'm not so sure it will work. He said it may be possible to find a piece of tubing slightly smaller than the existing line (about 1 inch diameter) and slide a few feet inside of it to stop the leaking. He suggested to actually get tubing that's too tight to fit and cool it down with dry ice so it will slide inside the burst line and when it warms it will expand and fit tight. If this works it certainly is better than tearing down the deck.

The deck goes 22 feet OUT so digging there and pulling from there may be difficult. We do have bobcats and tractors that can pull pretty hard but that tubing may stretch.

Any plumber handy types here have other ideas/suggestions?

My brother is kind of frantic because all his recording stuff is in the basement!

 

[olds]

Pull some of the deck boards up?

 

[xSauronx]

you guys sound screwed.

 

[herm0016]

shut off power to the well? is it broken in the wall or outside... could just chisel out that block and access it that way.

 

[BoomerD]

Really, the ONLY way to fix this is to dig up the broken line and replace it.

Anything else you do will just be putting a band-aid on the problem...and may not actually work...or IF it does, won't last.

 

[Minerva]

Originally posted by: oldsmoboat
Pull some of the deck boards up?

The support stringers are perpendicular to the run of pipe which would make it a PIA to dig down deep enough. The deck is over 20 years old and not in the best shape as it is!

 

[Red Squirrel]

Given the deck is old this may not be an option, but is it possible to actually move the whole thing? Not sure what kind of equipment you'd need but if you can somehow lift, move, and drop to another location then just drop it back. A crane maybe? (super pricy though, so not really best option financially)

Another option may be to run a whole new line but, not sure how hard that would be and not really most efficient way to fix a problem.

Sounds like a nasty situation though.

 

[mozirry]

#1 turn water off immediately
#2 remove deck boards with either a sledgehammer from underneath or just cut the damn things with a skilsaw
#3 dick up and replace water line

#4 repair deck

 

[squirrel dog]

A plumber can directionally bore under the deck,and pull back a new pipe.Or you could install one above ground.

 

[Minerva]

The well is 318 feet from the house. I remember this because that happens to be my fav mopar engine CID!

Don't think a full line will be run at that rate!

There's no way that deck is being moved in one piece.

I wonder how the hell that line got a crack in it though! Polyethylene well line is tough! When the pump is running (cut in is 30 psi cut out is 50) you can actually hear the water spraying in the block wall! :Q

 

[Minerva]

Originally posted by: mozirry

#3 dick up and replace water line

I know plumbers lay pipe but thinking about that figuratively is mind boggling!

 

[Minerva]

Originally posted by: squirrel dog
A plumber can directionally bore under the deck,and pull back a new pipe.Or you could install one above ground.

Above ground would freeze here so I don't think that is allowed. The pitless adapter is at least 6 feet down.

What kind of drill is used for this? Digging past the deck and cutting the line and then running a cable through the run back to the house and using that as a fish to pull a new pipe would work?

 

[BoomerD]

Directional boring could indeed be used if they have the room for the equipment...but it'll probably cost more than tearing down the deck, digging up and repairing the broken line, and replacing the deck...

http://www.directionalboringce...ry/dba/dbapamphlet.htm

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

you are too odd to be true.

seriously, dry icing a pipe? do you smoke weed to come up with these ideas?

 

[boomerang]

Don't do a half-assed repair that won't last and will cost you more in the long run. Call a local well driller or three and ask if they'll come out and give you estimates and share their thoughts with you.

A friend had a new well put in a little over a year ago and the well drillers ran the pipe from the house to the well and did not dig up the yard except at the casing. He explained it all to me, but I do not recall how it was done.

Edit: I glossed over the last paragraph explaining that you had the equipment to do the job.

 

[Minerva]

Originally posted by: MikeyIs4Dcats
you are too odd to be true.

seriously, dry icing a pipe? do you smoke weed to come up with these ideas?

Reading comprehension FAIL. My brother came up with the idea and seriously he's 10X smarter than most people including me!

 

[olds]

Sounds like you will have to bite the bullet and pull part of the deck apart.

 

[mozirry]

oh crap, i need to edit that rofl sorry!

 

[Greenman]

Can't you abandon the old pipe and run a new one around the deck?

Also, if you can hear the water spraying in the block wall, why not just replace the part that goes through the wall?

 

[DrPizza]

Originally posted by: Greenman
Can't you abandon the old pipe and run a new one around the deck?

Also, if you can hear the water spraying in the block wall, why not just replace the part that goes through the wall?

Agreed. Why rip out the deck if the problem is at the wall? Why not bust out a block or two (or 3 or 4 to give you ample room), dig outward a foot or so, then splice the pipe & repair the wall.

Also, how large of a deck is it? Since you seem willing to do the work yourself, it seems that it would reduce your costs to very very little. And, I'd think that you could repair the deck yourself for less than the cost of having a professional replace the line for you. Could this possibly be covered by your homeowner's insurance?

 

[Minerva]

UPDATE:

Woke up this morn with the sump pump running nearly constantly. Floor wet near wall. Pressure in tank holding at 40psi with nothing running! Hole must've gotten bigger as the spraying was very loud in the block wall and the pressure never reaches cut off!

Plumber coming tomorrow. They are digging up in the middle of the yard and installing a new pipe in a more accessible place and boring to reach under 8 feet of slab (which is also under the deck!). This will prevent tearing out the deck. Damage is $3800! :Q

 

[amdskip]

Why don't you run a new line around the deck/cement. Something doesn't sound right here, $3800 isn't cheap at all.