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Water main break


Airehead
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Water is less stinky that what I'm dealing with.  Line from the house to the septic tank has a problem.  It is blocking up. Tried to clean it out but can only get it partially open.  Sent a video camera in and looks like it is partially co lapsing.  It is the old red clay tile and had probably been there from the time a bathroom was put in the house..  I have it open enough that we can use the bathroom but will probably have to get out the backhoe, dig it up and replace it.  Rain is forecast for tomorrow so since it is working but slow I will wait for a day that is nicer.

 

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2 hours ago, Digital_photog said:

Water is less stinky that what I'm dealing with.  Line from the house to the septic tank has a problem.  It is blocking up. Tried to clean it out but can only get it partially open.  Sent a video camera in and looks like it is partially co lapsing.  It is the old red clay tile and had probably been there from the time a bathroom was put in the house..  I have it open enough that we can use the bathroom but will probably have to get out the backhoe, dig it up and replace it.  Rain is forecast for tomorrow so since it is working but slow I will wait for a day that is nicer.

 

Owl bet if you don’t fix it tomorrow you will get all that snow you have been wanting.

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6 hours ago, Airehead said:

They are getting close to finding the break, they think. Water filling hole. 

You may want to innocently inquire if it's possible for the exposed pipe (which isn't now leaking) to freeze and split once they've uncovered it and it's exposed to the air.  If the pipe is still pressurized but no water is flowing between the leaks and the school, that section of pipe may freeze. 

I'd suggest once they're sure as section of pipe isn't leaking, they should backfill over it to keep both the pipe and the ground from freezing.  If the ground freezes, once they backfill ground underneath the pipe will warm up again, thaw, and and it could shift.

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1 hour ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

You may want to innocently inquire if it's possible for the exposed pipe (which isn't now leaking) to freeze and split once they've uncovered it and it's exposed to the air.  If the pipe is still pressurized but no water is flowing between the leaks and the school, that section of pipe may freeze. 

I'd suggest once they're sure as section of pipe isn't leaking, they should backfill over it to keep both the pipe and the ground from freezing.  If the ground freezes, once they backfill ground underneath the pipe will warm up again, thaw, and and it could shift.

In my way to meet with them now. 

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1 hour ago, Airehead said:

We have water with plenty of sediment

 

1 hour ago, Airehead said:

All taps in every room running to flush

You may have to sanitize your water system before anyone uses the water for drinking or cooking.  If there's sediment in the pipes the system isn't or wasn't sealed against the entry of bacteria. 

I'd suggest talking to your maintenance staff about - once this is all over - about opening up the flush valves on your toilets and urinals to clean out any sediment.  Sediment can prevent the valves from operating or closing properly, wasting water, or it can chew up the surfaces meaning you'll have to replace them all the sooner.

If your school has a boiler or hot water system, I'd suggest talking with your maintenance staff about keeping the sediment out of that system or making sure any filters or strainers are cleaned and checked frequently. 

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7 minutes ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

 

You may have to sanitize your water system before anyone uses the water for drinking or cooking.  If there's sediment in the pipes the system isn't or wasn't sealed against the entry of bacteria. 

I'd suggest talking to your maintenance staff about - once this is all over - about opening up the flush valves on your toilets and urinals to clean out any sediment.  Sediment can prevent the valves from operating or closing properly, wasting water, or it can chew up the surfaces meaning you'll have to replace them all the sooner.

If your school has a boiler or hot water system, I'd suggest talking with your maintenance staff about keeping the sediment out of that system or making sure any filters or strainers are cleaned and checked frequently. 

This makes me feel good. Our facilities guy is on all these things.   He also just changed the filters on the water bottle fillers that have replaced water fountains. The county water authority inspector is here now too. Also contractors ran out of gravel last night but are back now

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Just now, Airehead said:

I actually just asked but our facilities guy is old and a bit crusty and has zero sense of humor. He does seem to have knowledge and skill and sense. 

If I had to choose, I'd definitely go with the skill and sense, especially when water is gushing.

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4 hours ago, Airehead said:

Our facilities guy is on all these things.  

If your facilities guy took the initiative to start those things - and I suspect others as well - he's definitely a cut above.  I've seen many that would sit on their hands because 'nobody told me to do that'.  I'd suggest dropping off a dozen donuts or so at the guy's desk when this is all over, for him and the rest of the crew.

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1 hour ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

If your facilities guy took the initiative to start those things - and I suspect others as well - he's definitely a cut above.  I've seen many that would sit on their hands because 'nobody told me to do that'.  I'd suggest dropping off a dozen donuts or so at the guy's desk when this is all over, for him and the rest of the crew.

I brought everyone insomnia cookies at midnight with a jug of coffee. Insomnia Cookies stays open really late. Until the bars close, I think. College town. 
 

breakfast pizza tomorrow might be good. 
 

he is a good guy and I really trust him. I also just give him needs and never try to micromanage him. He hates that. 

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20 hours ago, Airehead said:

Leading into my main school. Same pipe different two places. Big mess. Status of school for tomorrow is unknown. I will get an update at 11pm. Have to go in by 4:30 in case we need to relocate everyone. Water authority is there and about 50 other people. 

D762F4A3-1B54-4564-8F87-E7743FB1D4B5.jpeg

That's a nice looking hoe you have there. 

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16 minutes ago, Digital_photog said:

I could have lots of fun with that but it is too big to get in to make my repair.  Maybe dig my pond bigger with it?

I have looked at lots of hoes in my day and thought that I could have lots of fun with them.

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19 hours ago, Digital_photog said:

Water is less stinky that what I'm dealing with.  Line from the house to the septic tank has a problem.  It is blocking up. Tried to clean it out but can only get it partially open.  Sent a video camera in and looks like it is partially co lapsing.  It is the old red clay tile and had probably been there from the time a bathroom was put in the house..  I have it open enough that we can use the bathroom but will probably have to get out the backhoe, dig it up and replace it.  Rain is forecast for tomorrow so since it is working but slow I will wait for a day that is nicer.

 

My house had a similar problem in the 90's when it was my mother's house, before she passed away and I bought my siblings shares out.  When I was born in 1950, her mother planted an Indian Cigar Tree in the yard - it was some Polish tradition - very close to where the sewage line ran from the house to the street connection.

Over the years, the roots collapsed the cast iron pipe.  Thanks, Grandma!

I had a huge, strong friend named Joe but nicknamed "Lubs" (lbs: "pounds") - who was out of work and hired him for $150/day to dig a trench from the house to the side street, about 20 feet long, in the hard, clay soil.  He actually wore down one side of the pickax digging it for 5 days.  My brother got a County guy to come out and tell him what PVC pipe, etc. he needed to get and how to connect it to the sewage line under the street.  So it cost me $750 plus a new pickax and cost my brother a couple hundred.  A fellow teacher with whom I worked paid some company to do the same thing within a couple years at his house and it cost over $5000.

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On 1/12/2023 at 7:32 AM, Razors Edge said:

Where is @KrAzY when you need him????

I been busy. But that's a small main. Just slap a high clamp on it and backfill.. We just got done with a 8 hour main break on a 14" line.. think we lost about 1.5 mil gal of water before we could get it shut off. 

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14 minutes ago, Kzoo said:

Get some sleep before the phone rings.

I'll be passed out in an hour or two.. sleep is no really the problem.. we take naps if we get down times. Also I learnt that if the weather is bad, we get a lot of night calls.. if it is nice, people tent to not call after 9pm

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