Where Is My Underground Water Leak?

[@kurtsnotes]

I have a huge leak* in an outdoor buried PVC line (with its own shutoff valve). The line is isolated from everything except three outside spigots. Unfortunately, our house is built on a hill, and the entire hill (covered with bus-size half-buried boulders) was made buildable by bringing in countless truckloads of fill. That means the leak water doesn’t show up anywhere; the leak apparently goes into the fill, and leaves no evidence of a leak. In order to find the leak, I even paid $400 to a man that specializes in locating underground utilities. No luck at all; his state of the art equipment will not find PVC pipes, and rapid on/off valve cycles didn’t produce any underground sounds that he could detect. My final alternative now is to hire men (younger and stronger than me) to dig a trench to expose the PVC pipe, looking for a tee or a break in the line (100 feet or so). *The “leak” is so big that when I pressurize the line the spigot water drops to maybe half flow, and even when the spigots are off, the house water pressure drops dramatically.

[@MikeKlimek]

I think at this point, you might start getting some pricing on running a new line or even a full repipe, rather than digging up the old line

[@kurtsnotes]

@@MikeKlimek After seeing your video, I was hoping you might have a magic solution that I had missed -- I've been working on and researching this for a couple of months. But, upon reflection, I think you might be right -- especially since PEX tubing would be so much easier than PVC. Thank you!

[@MikeKlimek]

@@kurtsnotes Welcome!

[@PugFaceMusic]

Useful but Completely wrong title.

[@jimrylander9143]

You can get a nitrogen tank & turn off water meter & inject nitrogen jnto your water line. Bubbles will come up or you may actually hear the leak.

[@leilagorra983]

Hi. I have a consistent leak for months now of .3 gallons per second, as detected by my Flo By Moen. We changed all the insides of the toilets, did the food dye test, put in a check valve, changed outside bibs, checked for water on property. Turned off water softener for days, as well as humidifiers for days. No change. We have our own well water. When we shut off the water to the house, the pressure drops to zero almost immediately. Is there anything else I am missing or do I now have to pay $600 minimum for Leak Detection Service to come out? Thank you!!

[@MikeKlimek]

OK so some questions for you: You are on a private well so I'm assuming don't have a water meter but rather are using your FLO to detect the leak. Is the FLO installed right at your house shut-off? Or is it installed before irrigation? Just trying to determine if you can isolate the leak. I'm assuming it is monitoring just the house and that from your information there is a leak somewhere in or under your house. With the water on at the house, turn off the water supply to your water heater. Does the leak stop (does your FLO stop detecting water use)?

[@leilagorra983]

@@MikeKlimek FOUND! The leak detection person came. The Flo had shut the water off again last night. Consistent .2 gallons per minute leak. It turns out it was in the laundry room. It was the "Trap Primer" that malfunctioned. Drawing a lot of water. So he shut it off and now we will replace it. I had no idea there was one there. He said residential homes do not always have it, usually it is commercial that do. Anyway. LEAK IS GONE. Five months of looking! Thank you so much for your help!

[@MikeKlimek]

@@leilagorra983 Yeah!!! Glad to hear the leak is gone!

[@MikeKlimek]

Thanks for watching! Leave any questions or comments below:

[@mommycc-qm5bd]

Love the videos. Super helpful. We just bought a house that was built in 1988. Can you make videos on: -Well water pressure and maintenance -Salt water pool (salt chlorinator fix maintenance) -Garbage compactor fix

[@wendydenomme25]

Where was your leak?!

[@MikeKlimek]

About 8' down in the front yard on the main line

[@simmons6014]

​@@MikeKlimekhow much to fix?

[@MikeKlimek]

A new main line can start at a few thousand dollars on up....depends on the distance, obstacles, etc@@simmons6014

[@leilagorra983]

Hi. I have a consistent leak for months now of .3 gallons per second, as detected by my Flo By Moen. We changed all the insides of the toilets, did the food dye test, put in a check valve, changed outside bibs, checked for water on property. Turned off water softener for days, as well as humidifiers for days. No change. We have our own well water. When we shut off the water to the house, the pressure drops to zero almost immediately. Is there anything else I am missing or do I now have to pay $600 minimum for Leak Detection Service to come out? Thank you!!

[@MikeKlimek]

OK so some questions for you: You are on a private well so I'm assuming don't have a water meter but rather are using your FLO to detect the leak. Is the FLO installed right at your house shut-off? Or is it installed before irrigation? Just trying to determine if you can isolate the leak. I'm assuming it is monitoring just the house and that from your information there is a leak somewhere in or under your house. With the water on at the house, turn off the water supply to your water heater. Does the leak stop (does your FLO stop detecting water use)?

[@leilagorra983]

@@MikeKlimek . Hi Yes the Flo is installed in the same room as the well tank which I guess holds the water from the well. Also the Flo is installed before the irrigation pipes because it is a large house and I see that the irrigation pipes are on the other sides of the house. I do not know which pipes to turn off to the boiler unless it is the two yellow handles on top of the boiler that run WITH the pipes...so they are on. I should know this!

[@thomastonnessen8056]

Toilet ?