Sometimes ya just can't win

[wvfarrier]

Well, it's -20 outside and my main water line burst over night. It runs along my driveway and the drive has a 3 " thick sheet of ice over it now......awesome. So now I have built fires on the ground next to my house to soften the ground enough to dig into (good times). Today is gonna suck.

[J Miller]

Well, take care and don't get yourself hurt as you're digging. Maybe you'll find some burried treasure ...

Joe

[Pisgah]

Did you burn the house down yet? 'Cause I think that's what usually comes next on the agenda...

Hang in there!

[rjohns94]

Sending up prayers of support

[O.S.O.K.]

If you aren't doing this already, keep a tap running in the house- just takes a drizzle to keep warmer water from the main moving through your line. Good luck with your repairs... man that's tough.

[Mescalero]

osak,
That's the way we do it in the mountains.

[Griff]

At least it's outside. It's doubly bad when it's an interior line that breaks. Don't ask how I know this... I hate the reminder!

[Pitchy]

It never ends, be careful and good luck, prayers up.

[Rusty]

Yep, got a note from a cousin that lives in Lewisburg,WV this morning. When she got home last night the outside temp was -8 and her kitchen water was frozen.

I've even had to crack a tap down here from time to time.

[AJMD429]

It's not the "frozen" part that's the problem - it's the "burst" part. . .

We had a plumber/well service out for three service calls about a leak just a couple feet outside our house so loud we could hear the water-rushing sound from inside. $450 later the guy told my aunt "Well, that might hold it for a day or two max, but there's really no way we can fix it..." note he didn't say "...unless..." or "...without..." or anything else - just that they couldn't fix it. So I got all redneck and took the next day off work, spent about $150, and not only fixed it, but put in an outside buried line to start an outside water-hydrant system. And I know nothing about plumbing.

So I can understand why you're building fires to thaw the ground; sometimes it's all you can do....!

[Blaine]

BOHICA, Brother As a former water utility fella, I can't believe they build driveways over the water line

[wvfarrier]

Preaching to the choir brother. I was mystified by that as well. And worse yet it is only about 24 inches deep. The frost line here is closer to 30 inches. The glue keeps freezing so I am gonna try compression collars

[Mescalero]

If it is above the frost line, it will happen again.

[Griff]

My main line USED to come in under the driveway... When it broke the first time, I moved it off to beside the driveway... cause, well... the main shut-off to the house is off the side of the driveway!

[Old Savage]

Ours was under the driveway. The plumber moved it.

[Pete44ru]

Well, it's -20 outside and my main water line burst over night.

It runs along my driveway and the drive has a 3 " thick sheet of ice over it now......awesome.

So now I have built fires on the ground next to my house to soften the ground enough to dig into (good times).

When I was much younger, and working in home construction, in Winter we'd lay a line of hay on the frozen ground, directly over, and a couple of feet wider, than where we were to dig/trench for a foundation wall, or sewer pipe, etc.

The ground under the hay was diggable by the next day, IIRC. ( that was over 50 years ago)


.

[Sixgun]

Ours was under the driveway. The plumber moved it.

You get ice??? Under the driveway and moved it? Does it act like a speed bump when you drive over it? ---6