You may feel anxious about locating and repairing a plumbing leak. Outdoor water leaks can be very intimidating. There are a number of ways an outdoor leak can be caused. Examples include aging pipes, tree root growth and shifting earth.
Luckily, solving an outdoor plumbing leak problem is really not all that difficult, and most homeowners are capable of the DIY skills needed to tackle it. If you get stuck you can always call a Portland Plumbing Contractor. Here are some tips that will help you diagnose the problem and repair it.
First, find the leak. Start by tracing the main waterline from its inception at the meter to the outside of your home. When you do this, you are very likely to find your leak by stepping in a puddle. Of course, if you have had rainy weather recently you'll need to wait until the ground dries up a bit to perform this test.
Expose the leak. When you have successfully located the leak, you must dig the ground up around it until you find the source of the water.
Begin the repair process. When you have dug up the wet area and located the source of your leak, you can start repairs.
Avoid getting soaked! First, turn off your main water shut off valve near the street. You may be able to shut this off by hand or with pliers. You will turn off the valve that is located on the meter to shut off all water to your house. With the water safely off, you will be able to cut out the damaged section of pipe and replace it with new pipe to complete your repair.
If you get stuck, reach out to a Portland Plumber and get some help. There are more tips on our site right here on our Leaky Faucets and Toilets page.
