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#103158 November 17th, 2004 at 05:23 AM
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Meg Offline OP
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There's a plumber shortage for our area, and we need one. Not that we could pay for it. Paycheck to paycheck sucks when you have an emergency.

Our water main broke tonight. The pipe just outside the house that comes in. We found out when he shut off the main and it was still pouring in the basement, where we spend most of our time. Ok, the leak was in the spare bedroom way in the back where it's unfinished yet.. but if left go, yea, it could affect the rest of the basement I'm sure. Anyways, found out since kiddo had no water pressure to get a bath, and upon looking for a cause, found the leak. Called & called, to no avail, there are no plumbers. Finally found an emergency city #, and they came out to shut off the water outside of the house. So yea, no more water, and a very soggy backyard, up against the house. It was bubbling right there, by the corner of the house where it comes in at.

No idea how we are going to fix this.

#103159 November 17th, 2004 at 05:29 AM
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Oh, Meg...
I wish I was there! I could help you!

Call a backhoe person....they can dig it up AND fix the leak, too. The plumber you call will probably call a backhoe guy and you'll get charged out the ying-yang for it. Once it's dug up it's easy to fix the broke pipe.


Cindy

#103160 November 17th, 2004 at 05:36 AM
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Meg Offline OP
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Since the clay is soaked and making it's own little pond.. it's really easy to dig. Maybe I'll just go out with a shovel tomorrow and start doing my thang. But I don't know how to fix the broke pipe.

#103161 November 17th, 2004 at 05:49 AM
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You have a digital camera.....


If you find the leak and expose the pipe, I will try my best to help you.

Your local plumbing supply store can help you a LOT if you can show them (even in a photo that you print out) what the problem is. But, you need to measure the pipe.

I will be on here, (as usual), if you want any help. Just let me know!

Cindy

#103162 November 17th, 2004 at 02:10 PM
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Meg Offline OP
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We talked to State Farm (our insurance), and they won't cover it, and even if they did, we have a $500 deductible. They won't cover it, because the break is outside of the house, etc. The city is only responisble to the water at the street/sidewalk. They can shut it off from there, and that is as far as they are going. Between the sidewalk & our house, it's on us.

Steve just called me on his cell from the car. He left about 30 minutes ago for work.. he's turned around and coming home to start digging. Last night, we had minimal water pressure as long as we had both mains turned on. Today.. we got NOTHING. Air in the pipes, no water coming out at all. It's a geyser in the back yard where it meets the house, when he had the water on this morning. (We were gonna fill the toilets and fill the tub for flushing later on.)

Meg

#103163 November 17th, 2004 at 03:12 PM
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Meg...
When you find the leak, if you cut a piece of the pipe off where the leak is and take it to your local plumbing supply store, or Lowe's, whatever you have there, they will get everything for you that you need to fix it, and tell you how. It is very easy.

It's the digging part that is HARD! It might not be busted exactly where the water is coming out of the ground, but it will be close.

Cindy

#103164 November 17th, 2004 at 03:32 PM
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we have to fix and repair everything our selves.

We live way out in the country and can not get any one to come out and do anything. My cousin did all my electrical stuff and part of the water. My first husband couldn't do crap and I learn to do alot of home maintaining my self. Plumbing is not that hard once the digging is out of the way. Each time I had to call my brother I would tell him, show me what you did, or show me how to fix it. And he would.

Watch (watch some fix it shows) and learn now while you can, my mom can not fix anything and she has to depend on us now that my dad is dead. (This is why I want to learn, I don't want to be where I need something done and have to wait.)

Get them to show you how to turn the water off. (It's not hard) Then next time you can at least turn the water off til someone comes.

My husband's mom can't do anything either and she had to wait almost 4 hours for us to come and turn her water off.

Our water pipe broke, I turned it off and had the pipe dug up and the pieces to fix it with by the time my husband got off from work. All he had to do was stick it back togather and bury the pipe. I could have done that too had he not been here. And got all that done on top of doing my house work.

#103165 November 17th, 2004 at 03:50 PM
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Here's the fun part...

After you learn how to do all this stuff for yourself, you can sing "I am woman, hear me roar...." REAL loud while you're digging and fixing. It entertains the neighbors as well as giving you a sense of magestic superiority.

#103166 November 17th, 2004 at 04:20 PM
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OMG, I sing that song too when I've done something handymanish! nutz

Last week I had to fix a taillight that was out.No turn signal or brake light,just running lights. Of course Walmart was involved: had to go buy the lightbulb and at wallyworld they have these neat little computer things that you just keep answering the questions, make,model,which light etc. and they tell you what # to get. Well.......they had taken that machine out, oh they had computers for windshield wipers,motor oil,and something else but no light bulbs. Then I found a book they had to look it up yourself.Well the book started at 1991 and of course my truck is a 1990! mad So going by the newer models I picked out a bulb that I thought was the right one and went home , took off the lens and it wasn't ! mad Looked it up online and back to walmart to exchange. Went home , took off the cover again, changed the bulb and oops same problem, it had to be the wiring , checked all the connections, found two broken wires, spliced them back together nicely and put everything back together, now I had the turn signal fixed but the running lights wouldn't work, had a friend talking me through this by now, took off the lens cover again to the bad light and at my friend's suggestion took off the "good" lens cover and switched that bulb for the other one. Well that fixed the whole problem, I think I just didn't have the bulb in there good after the last time I put it back together. Sooooo I put everything back together,screwing all screws in until it came to the last two (8 total) and I can't find them anywhere! mad By now it's dark and I'm crawling around on the ground and I can't find them anywhere, so in the house for the flashlight and then I think maybe they fell inside the cover, so unscrew the stupid thing again nope still can't find them , reached inside my coat pocket for something else and oh, guess what, there's the two missing screws!! laugh "I am woman hear me roar and LOL" Lights all fixed.

#103167 November 17th, 2004 at 04:31 PM
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The way I look at it is if he can do it I can do it. I grew up on a farm and we didn't have girls work and boys work it was all just work, if it needed to be done you did it and the girls were out in the field planting and picking just like the boys. And in the winter, we each took a room and cleaned it everyday. It wasn't girls house work, it was all work.

wonder why I didn't learn to fix a leak back then, did learn to cut the water off way back then. wink Maybe that was it, the girls were the turn it off and on guys. Duh

#103168 December 21st, 2004 at 08:58 PM
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The Cheetah!
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So Meg what is the update on the busted pipe??? Duh
kit

#103169 December 22nd, 2004 at 12:19 AM
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Meg Offline OP
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Hi catlover. It was fixed.. at a cost, well, better than first quoted, but still high, to me. I started a 2nd thread on it, with a photo of the mess, and a photo of the bill. "Photos of water pipe" thread .

#103170 December 22nd, 2004 at 02:08 AM
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The Cheetah!
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Wow....that was a deep hole....I wonder how long that thing had been leaking before you noticed. The lost water would of been a killer bill here in N. San Diego county.
Glad to see you got it fixed and the bill wasn't as bad as they first quoted. thumbup
Catlover


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