How To Repair A Water Main Leak

How To Repair A Water Main Line To Your House

This is how I repaired the main water line to my house.  While different problems require different solutions, and there are more than one way to fix just about anything, this is the solution that I found to be the best option for my situation.

Tools suggested:

Channel locks or pipe wrench

Saw

File

Small shovel

Shop vac

Materials:

PVC Pipe

PVC 90

PVC screw-on adapter to connect to metal pipe

PVC coupler

PVC repair coupler

PVC primer and glue

Pipe thread stick

1. Locate the source of the leak
2. Expose the leak and determine the work required to repair it
3. Shut off the water at the main meter and at the house to prevent water from filling your work area
4. If necessary, dig into the ground to access the furthest location in the determined repair area
5. A shop vac may make it easier to dig deeper and remove water from the hole
6. Glue screw-on connector to new PVC pipe
7. Use a PVC repair coupler to determine how far down the new pipe to cut off
8. Cut off new PVC pipe to the appropriate length
9. Use a screw-on connector and new PVC pipe to determine where to cut existing PVC pipe
10. Cut the PVC pipe on the lower end and unscrew the top end from the metal pipe, leading to the house
11. Clean the existing PVC pipe to allow a good seal between the coupler and the pipe.
12. Insert PVC repair coupler onto the lower end of the existing PVC pipe
13. Rub pipe thread stick onto the threaded end of the screw on the connector
14. Screw the new PVC piece onto the existing metal adapter
15. Slide PVC repair coupler up the existing pipe and onto the new pipe, making sure both pieces of PVC pipe and inserted at the same depth into the connector
16. Tighten both ends of the screw on repair coupler as tight as possible by hand
17. Turn on the water at the meter
18. Slowly turn on the water at the house to allow water to flow through the coupler. You will also need to turn it on at the house to make sure water is flowing through the coupler.  Check the coupler for leaks
19. If the coupler is leaking, use the channel locks to tighten the coupler where it is leaking, until it stops leaking
20. Once it is determined that there is no leak, turn the water all the way on at the meter and at the house and check again for leaks
21. Once that is successful, fill the hole with dirt

If you watch the video, you will see that these directions are a summary of what I had to do to repair the water main to my house.  Your situation may be different.