Signs Your Main Water Line May Need Replacing
All of the water that you use to wash dishes, shower, and make your morning coffee enters your home through a great, big pipe known as your main water line. These pipes typically last for many decades, but eventually, they can start to wear out. A main water line can develop a small leak that becomes larger over time. While sometimes a plumber may be able to repair a leaky main water line, they often opt to replace the line since once it develops one leak, additional leaks are likely.
So how do you know when your main water line needs to be replaced? Watch out for these top signs.
Your water bills have skyrocketed
If your water bills have gone up unexpectedly, then you likely have a leak somewhere. If it were in the pipes inside your home, a leak that big would be obvious. So, if you have high water bills but no soggy floors, the leak is likely in your main water line. These big leaks can cost you thousands of dollars a year in wasted water, which is a very good reason to have a leaky line replaced sooner rather than later.
Your yard is wet
All of the water leaking from a broken water main has to go somewhere, and that somewhere is usually your yard. A lot of homeowners first assume they have a septic tank leak or that their septic tank needs pumping when the yard becomes wet. But if the water does not smell, your main water line is a likely culprit.
Your basement is wet and particularly in one area.
Depending on where the leak in the main water line is, you may notice some water in your basement. This happens when the leak is closer to the house. Water coming from a leaky water main usually is concentrated in one part of the basement — near the water main — unlike stormwater, which tends to leak in from multiple points.
Your water pressure has dropped
Have your showers started to feel like a sprinkle, not a rainstorm? Maybe it takes you forever to fill up the sink. A drop in water pressure can be the result of a leaky water main. Replace the water main, and you can enjoy a powerful shower again — and everyone knows how relaxing that is.
Having a water line replaced is a big project, but if your water line is leaky, this is really the only solution. Contact a local professional to provide a water line replacement for you.