Need to locate buried pvc water line

[stant]

Our water usage jumped to 19,000 gallons a month, 3 months ago. We have shut down all of the interior lines and the meter still turns rapidly. Can not locate where line enters house. Any ideas how to locate the line coming into house? Can not even just abandon the existing line until I can find the entry point. House is approximately 40 years old. All suggestions appreciated.

[Luvin' Labs]

Crawl space or slab? I'd imagine because of the age it's a crawl space. Should be easy to go under the house and see where the line comes in. If you can't find it there, look near the water heater and work backwards. If you have everything off in the house and the meter is still turning then look for wet spots in the yard. I assume since you've looked at the meter that there is no water in the meter box? From the meter to the house will be a straight line. Shouldn't be hard to find a leak or burst pipe.

[whitty]

Witching rods or dowsing rods????

[Luvin' Labs]

Your broken line is either under the house (easy find if crawl space) or in the yard. If you have a slab then you'll need to call someone that does leak detection. A leak under the slab is a pain in the ass. Will involve locating it and cutting out concrete to fix.

[quack head 11]

Like they said above if its a crawl space its easy peasy.

If its a slab, start at the back of the water meter box and use a probe rod and follow the ditch line. The ditch line WILL be softer than the undisturbed dirt, I dont care how old the ditch is.

[Chuck the Duck Slayer]

You should have the greenest grass in the county. There's got to be a wet spot somewhere in your yard.

I would start at the meter box and start digging delicately until I found the pvc line and then continue digging beside the pvc until I found the leak.

[Catdaddy]

Seems like 19000 gallons would surface somewhere.

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[stant]

1st. Crawl space, contractor and I both have crawled everywhere we can and no incoming pipe.
2nd. Live in the woods so no grass to green-up, but no wet areas anywhere.
3rd. Where or who does leak detection in SC? Only one I found was in NY.
4th. Meter box is over 300 ft away and part of that run is beneath the paved drive.
5th. Local CPW guys actually gave me two pieces of wire when I asked them about technology for tracing the line.

[MolliesMaster]

1- it has to come in somewhere
2- tree root probably broke your line.


What was your usage before this jump? That much water should be surfacing somewhere, even if it happened under your concrete.

[centurian]

You can call the utility locator and they will mark it for you. I think it is free.

[Jtemp71]

You can call the utility locator and they will mark it for you. I think it is free.

They won’t mark anything beyond the meter that is customer owned. Get you to 2 separate pieces of copper wire and make them into the shape of an L. Hold the short in and both hands very loosely and walk a long the path beyond the meter. The 2 copper will cross each other when over the line. Also you’ll have to have the water turned back on to this

[CUduckreeper]

You can call the utility locator and they will mark it for you. I think it is free.

I believe with water, they just mark from the road to your meter box but not from the box to the house.

[stant]

That is true, inside the meter box is my problem. Hence the appeal to the ducks brain trust.

[stant]

Nope, locator only locates to the meter. CU is absolutely correct.

Not sure about this finding it with wire, copper or not. But unless you guys or my plumber come up with something I will be trying it. And feeling really dumb,

[centurian]

They just marked all my lines, power, cable, telephone, and water all the way to the house

[tsigmon]

They'll mark it, it might not be free but they'll do it. Or at least they did for me.

[Luvin' Labs]

Leak Masters or American Leak Detection would be where I would start.

It's hard to believe you can't find the incoming water line to the house. Walk a straight line from the meter to the house. Look for any soggy ground. The water line should come into the house somewhere near the straight line you've walked.

[huntinghagen#12]

Nope, locator only locates to the meter. CU is absolutely correct.

Not sure about this finding it with wire, copper or not. But unless you guys or my plumber come up with something I will be trying it. And feeling really dumb,

I had to track down a piece of pipe when we were putting in an outlet for a duck impoundment. My plumber came out to tie into the line and pulled out his wire ... I thought he was messing with me at first, but sure enough that wire started to turn and he started digging soon after.

[CurLee]

It'll get you close enough. When you find they cross unmistakably, I start marking with flags and going from both directions perpendicular to where the line should be. Then start digging a trench perpendicular as well until you find it. Probably not much more than 18" deep.

I don't understand how you can't find the incoming pipe under the house though. It has to enter the crawlspace somewhere.

[Meathook]

Our water usage jumped to 19,000 gallons a month, 3 months ago. We have shut down all of the interior lines and the meter still turns rapidly. Can not locate where line enters house. Any ideas how to locate the line coming into house? Can not even just abandon the existing line until I can find the entry point. House is approximately 40 years old. All suggestions appreciated.

Do you have a teenage boy? I'd start there.