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Water line repair is not something that any homeowner or commercial building owner wants to deal with. Most of the time it is a complete surprise, and it is something that cannot be avoided. After all, your main water line is responsible for delivering water into your home so if anything is wrong it has to be addressed immediately otherwise your home may become inhabitable. Unfortunately, that may also mean big bucks as water line repair in Arlington, TX is not a cheap process. It’s a labor-intensive project that requires close attention to detail and a lot of planning to align with local regulations and zoning rules.

However, it is still a necessity so if something happens to your water line you need to be prepared to deal with it. A lot of local Arlington, TX communities allow residents to purchase insurance that protects them against water line issues. If you don’t have an issue yet that might be something worth looking into because the charge is usually minimal and billed on a monthly basis, and it is a lot easier to spend a few extra dollars a month than face a sudden repair bill.

Problems Associated with Water Line Breaks or Cracks

There are a lot of things that can tip you off to issues with your water line. Given the fact that the water line is responsible for all of your water, issues that indicate you need water line repair are usually fairly evident. Most people don’t question whether or not the problem is the water main because it is pretty self-evident. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop some pretty bad side effects from occurring.

If you have an issue with your water main it may cause leaking and flooding on a massive scale until it gets turned off. You may have to call the municipal water supplier to get your water main turned off if there is flooding around your home, and you will want to do this as soon as possible. Not only can water line repair not start until the water is turned off, but flood damage can accumulate quickly. If the leak is near the foundation of your home it can cause a lot of flood damage real quick. Leaking water can compromise your foundation and also easily seep into your room through cracks you didn’t know existed. Water is forceful and you would be surprised how easy it is for a home to flood when the main line is broken.

Before you know it you could have a flooded basement or first floor ruining any hardwood flooring or carpeting and leaving water stains on the walls and your furniture. At this point, you will need water line repair and flood damage mediation. If you are lucky you can get the water removed from your Arlington, TX home before you have to address mold growth as well. That is why you want to try to stay ahead of a complete water main break.

It is better to be aware of the signs that the copper piping may be cracking or corroding so that you can have it repaired before a flood occurs. If you notice a soggy spot in your yard or that you are losing water pressure in your home, you need to call a plumber right away to address the problem.

You can live without a lot of things, but fresh water is not one of them. Without a water line, you cannot even flush your toilet, which is why you never want it to get to that point. With that in mind, if all signs point towards water line repair you may be curious as to what all the process entails. Given the water line is buried far under the ground, it should not come as a surprise that it is an intensive process, but if you hire a professional company to handle the replacement task for you it is not impossible.

What All Is Involved in Water Line Repair?

It may be helpful to learn more about the process of water line repair or replacement to make you more comfortable with the process. Some people are tempted to handle it on their own, but this is not the best idea for several reasons which you will understand more as we explain the process of repair. The best thing you can do if you need to replace your water line is to make sure that the water line is properly installed from day one so that you don’t have to worry about repairs ever again. If it is done correctly, the water line should last for the lifetime of your home or close to it, so it pays to get a professional plumbing company to handle the task.

Finding and Mapping Your Water Line

Before any water line repair or replacement can start, your plumber needs to find the water supply line. While you would think this should be easy, it’s actually a little bit harder than it sounds. There are a lot of factors that can move the location little by bit over time such as tree roots, old dead tree stumps, and rotting bushes. Depending on when your main water line was put in your home, it could be at various depths and it could be made out of an array of materials. Pipes from the 40s for example were often made out of lead which poses a health risk as the old piping is excavated from the ground, while piping from the 60s or 70s is likely to be the much safer copper tubing.

Once the water line is found, it is still a process to prepare to excavate it because there are likely obstructions in the way. Most Arlington, TX yards are not made of just grass, but instead a compilation of stumps and tree roots which can make it more difficult to break through the yard and get down to the water line. The more obstructions there are the more you will likely have to pay for water line repair simply because it will elongate the process. In fact, the process of digging up the pipes and removing the old pipes makes up the brunt of the job.

Actual Depth of the Water Main

The actual depth of the water main itself is another fact that will determine price because the farther down the excavators have to go the longer the task will take. In general, you don’t have much control over this factor because the water pipe must be placed on the same level as the existing piping. Another factor you probably won’t have any control over is the type of piping that will be used as part of the water line repair. Most cities have their own regulations and in general PVC or PEX piping will be chosen for you.

Licensing and Zoning

In the perfect world you could just start digging and expose your water line, but not in today’s heavily regulated world. In fact, a professional company cannot even start digging. Most of the time proper authorization from the city or the municipality you live in is required before water line repair can be started. These processes need to be taken care of or you may hit a roadblock in the process. If you hire a water line contractor to handle the task they should take care of all licensing and zoning regulations for you eliminating one stress from the table for you.

Top Indications You Need Water Line Repair

Not sure yet whether or not you need to worry about water line repair, but starting to get concerned? The following is a quick list of reasons why you may need to at least have your water line evaluated. Obviously, if you have a flood near your home on a sunny day it is not looking great, but there are other subtle clues that you may have a water line problem that should be addressed. Here are just a few of them.

Damp Spots in Your Yawn

Arlington, TX and rain have a funny relationship. During the spring it can seem like all it does is rain, but then it dries off and you might not see rain for weeks. Therefore, if you have soggy spots in your yard and there hasn’t been any rain this can be a serious cause for concern. It is possible that your water line is cracked and water is seeping out of it and into your yard.

You Notice Water Mineral Stains

Piping only lasts so long, especially if your water main is made out of copper. Eventually, it will start to corrode and deteriorate and that may be what is turning your water a reddish-brown color. Not only will this look odd, but if you continue to use the water to wash your clothes or run your dishwasher it may actually stain your personal belongings. Water should never look rusty, so if you notice this you need to immediately call a plumber to talk about your water line repair options. Rust is not the only thing that can infiltrate your piping- dirt, rocks, and even bugs can get in through cracks as well.

Decrease in Water Pressure

If you notice a sudden decrease in water pressure from every faucet in your home, this is a sign that something might be wrong with your water service pipe. When the low pressure is isolated to one room or one level of your home then this indicates a pressure issue from inside of your home, but if the water pressure drops from every location in your home then it has to be the water main. At this point, you will need to talk to the city about replacing the water line or digging it up for water line repair.

Odd Noises from Outside Your Home

Believe it or not, you may hear trouble coming from your water main before you actually see it. If you hear gurgling or hissing near where the water main enters your home this can be a clear indication that something is wrong with your water line. It is normal to occasionally hear flowing water when you turn it on from inside the home, but if you don’t have any water and hear gurgling or hissing then you know you have a huge issue to deal with. The gurgling, in particular, indicates that water is probably rushing out of a busted pipe and you need to call right away for water line repair in Arlington, TX before the situation gets any worse.

Your Water Bill Jumps Up

One more sign that something is wrong with your water main is a rapidly increasing water bill. If you receive your monthly water bill and the price is outrageous this indicates you have a leak somewhere within your home or the water main. A plumber is the best call in this situation so that they can look over your entire home and make sure that nothing is being missed. Even a small leaky faucet or a running toilet can waste thousands of gallons over the course of a month. Therefore, busted water main can waste a tremendous amount of money and cause even more damage if you don’t correctly rectify the issue.

Depending on what has happened, sometimes water line repair is an option while other times the only option is complete replacement. Which way it goes is usually heavily dependent on what has actually damaged your water line and the age of the water line. It makes more sense to repair a water line that is within a decade of its lifespan than one that is over 50 years old. If you suspect you need water line repair, give Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth a call and we will gladly send one of our plumbers out to your home to assess the situation.