Dottleshead ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share #51 Posted September 25, 2019 10 minutes ago, Indy said: UGH!!! You probably have old galvanized steel pipe ran the entire way. That sucks as you are probably talking all new pipe from the meter to the house. I redid my parents (well to the house) lots of digging and pipe laying. What a PITA!!! That's it, exactly. And no way to get a backhoe back there. I got problems. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtyhip Posted September 25, 2019 Share #52 Posted September 25, 2019 10k is painful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Share #53 Posted September 25, 2019 7 minutes ago, Dottie said: Unfortunately I can't get a backhoe in the back and it appears the leak is there... but uncertain. So that's a lot of digging. Not even through a neighbor's yard? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share #54 Posted September 25, 2019 10 minutes ago, Razors Edge said: Not even through a neighbor's yard? No. It would destroy their yards. Now you understand the challenges I faced with the shed. Everything had to be carried 50 yards to the build site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Share #55 Posted September 25, 2019 1 minute ago, Dottie said: No. It would destroy their yards. Now you understand the challenges I faced with the shed. Everything had to be carried 50 yards to the build site. How about you shut off the water from the street, trench a better path to the house, and skip the backyard altogether? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share #56 Posted September 25, 2019 15 minutes ago, Razors Edge said: How about you shut off the water from the street, trench a better path to the house, and skip the backyard altogether? Because it appears the main line connects in the back. And because I have a finished daylight basement, any other solution would require thousands of dollars for internal work. Not going to happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Share #57 Posted September 25, 2019 4 minutes ago, Dottie said: Because it appears the main line connects in the back. And because I have a finished daylight basement, any other solution would require thousands of dollars for internal work. Not going to happen. I'll keep thinking. I'm hoping someone else here has a creative and inexpensive solution for you. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share #58 Posted September 25, 2019 3 minutes ago, Razors Edge said: I'll keep thinking. I'm hoping someone else here has a creative and inexpensive solution for you. No, I really appreciate it. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtyhip Posted September 25, 2019 Share #59 Posted September 25, 2019 If you are concerned about the funds, you could do a HELOC. Those have pretty low rates. Not ideal, but far better than a CC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtyhip Posted September 25, 2019 Share #60 Posted September 25, 2019 People make fun of me for the van life idea, but vans do have less upkeep. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share #61 Posted September 25, 2019 1 hour ago, Dirtyhip said: If you are concerned about the funds, you could do a HELOC. Those have pretty low rates. Not ideal, but far better than a CC. Would I need to refi? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share #62 Posted September 25, 2019 1 hour ago, Dirtyhip said: People make fun of me for the van life idea, but vans do have less upkeep. The more I'm a home owner, the more I see through the crap. I like living in a house -- better than a condo -- usually -- but they're money pits. I find that I'm happier with less and I'm probably one of those guys that could live out of a small motor home. Of course I'd park it in a nice park somewhere and pay a monthly fee. But it'd be a HELLUVA lot cheaper to do that and in worst case upgrade/downgrade to a new one every 7 years than to own a home. Folks always talk about the appreciation of a house -- no doubt -- but they forget the annual costs for upkeep, maintenance, insurance, etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtyhip Posted September 25, 2019 Share #63 Posted September 25, 2019 23 minutes ago, Dottie said: Would I need to refi? Not exactly. It is more of a credit line against your equity. You can write it off still, if it makes sense on your taxes. The rates are very low. Don't think they require an appraisal, if you have enough equity. It does show up as a note against your home. Some heloc info on the rates: https://www.bankrate.com/home-equity/heloc-rates/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share #64 Posted September 25, 2019 7 minutes ago, Dirtyhip said: Not exactly. It is more of a credit line against your equity. You can write it off still, it it makes sense on your taxes. The rates are very low. Don't think they require an appraisal, if you have enough equity. It does show up as a note against your home. Some heloc info on the rates: https://www.bankrate.com/home-equity/heloc-rates/ My credit card rate is awesome but I may not have the room. So this might be a good choice. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Indy Posted September 25, 2019 Share #65 Posted September 25, 2019 We've gone the equity route. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prophet Zacharia Posted September 25, 2019 Share #66 Posted September 25, 2019 2 hours ago, Dottie said: No, I really appreciate it. Thank you. You know where your line leaves the main, or no? Isn’t that something the water company can tell you? Obviously, IANAP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share #67 Posted September 25, 2019 Just now, Prophet Zacharia said: You know where your line leaves the main, or no? Isn’t that something the water company can tell you? Obviously, IANAP. I know where the mainline comes in from the street (they replaced my old water meter) but they don't have a record of where the port of entry comes into my house. I've had 2 plumbers come out and they are baffled. I have a finished daylight basement w/o a crawl space with all the water on the backside of the house (the main comes in the front). Lot's of speculation and lots of obtuse and pricey solutions to fix it. I'm going to be paying for a service to trace the line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prophet Zacharia Posted September 25, 2019 Share #68 Posted September 25, 2019 1 minute ago, Dottie said: I know where the mainline comes in from the street (they replaced my old water meter) but they don't have a record of where the port of entry comes into my house. I've had 2 plumbers come out and they are baffled. I have a finished daylight basement w/o a crawl space with all the water on the backside of the house (the main comes in the front). Lot's of speculation and lots of obtuse and pricey solutions to fix it. I'm going to be paying for a service to trace the line. I see. So it’s not as easy as disconnecting the old line at the main and putting a new line to your water meter and just leaving the old line untouched, disconnected? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Author Share #69 Posted September 25, 2019 9 minutes ago, Prophet Zacharia said: I see. So it’s not as easy as disconnecting the old line at the main and putting a new line to your water meter and just leaving the old line untouched, disconnected? Well, I have a general contractor that was referred to me by a friend. He has replaced many water lines -- as part of his business is sprinkler systems -- for example. I don't think he's a 'plumber' by trade but his contracting license does allow him to replace main water lines. I'm probably going to go with him as he was a third of the price than this last guy. He wanted to go around the house and use a jack hammer in the corner of the house and do just what you recommended. And he wanted to use a backhoe -- that is not possible. No plumber is taking a jackhammer to my house. What an asshat. The first guy says he has a sub-contractor with a pipe locator device. Once we know with certainty where the pipe feeds into the house -- then I think he is proposing just that. He will dig up the line and install new piping. I want PEX installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Share #70 Posted September 25, 2019 How come you don’t have access to your back yard? Houses too close together or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtyhip Posted September 25, 2019 Share #71 Posted September 25, 2019 17 minutes ago, Longjohn said: How come you don’t have access to your back yard? Houses too close together or what? He lives in the city. Suburbs. So it's likely a city lot. Too tight. I would have the same issue with a backhoe, depending on where it is needing to dig. They puled down part of our cyclone, when they came in to do some foundation repair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Share #72 Posted September 25, 2019 I wonder how many inches of access he has. A ditch witch isn’t much wider than a lawn mower. I’d dig a trench and roll a new line of polyethylene pipe. It comes with a fifty year warranty. That’s longer than you are going to need it to last. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted September 25, 2019 Share #73 Posted September 25, 2019 Yes, I was thinking ditch witch too. They have those for rent ootside our LHS. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Longjohn ★ Posted September 26, 2019 Share #74 Posted September 26, 2019 They bounce around a lot when you hit a big rock but they either work around it or through it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Further Posted September 26, 2019 Share #75 Posted September 26, 2019 When I was doing side work I would rent something like this. It cost 40.00 for 1/2 a day, it dug more in half a day than I could in a week. If you can get a lawn mower in there you can get this thing. Figure out where you want the water to come into the house, dig a ditch from there to the meter. If you have to pay somebody to do the connections, it will be much cheaper with the ditch dug. PS the 40.00 was a long time ago, but I'm sure it is still economical 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post 2Far ★ Posted September 26, 2019 Popular Post Share #76 Posted September 26, 2019 4 hours ago, Razors Edge said: I'll keep thinking. I'm hoping someone else here has a creative and inexpensive solution for you. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 26, 2019 Author Share #77 Posted September 26, 2019 On 9/25/2019 at 2:39 PM, Dirtyhip said: Not exactly. It is more of a credit line against your equity. You can write it off still, if it makes sense on your taxes. The rates are very low. Don't think they require an appraisal, if you have enough equity. It does show up as a note against your home. Some heloc info on the rates: https://www.bankrate.com/home-equity/heloc-rates/ On 9/25/2019 at 2:50 PM, Indy said: We've gone the equity route. Actually I'm going to go this route. I understand the big banks like Wells Fargo and BOA are offering some of the best rates.... but my local credit union is offering some very good ones too and it'll be a swisher for me to get approved there (and eff BOA and WF). I'm going to consolidate some other stuff -- and when this is all said and done -- it literally will save me thousands of dollars (most likely?). Not sure why I didn't think of it before -- having some great rates on my checking LOC and credit cards -- guess I didn't want to bother with loans (they are yucky!) so wasn't paying attention. Anyway, A, thanks for the great tip! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 28, 2019 Author Share #78 Posted September 28, 2019 Well the line is not leaking at the meter or where it enters the house. And it's leaking like hell. That means the best plan of action is to replace the whole line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted September 28, 2019 Share #79 Posted September 28, 2019 On 9/25/2019 at 3:24 PM, Dirtyhip said: 10k is painful. That's what my well cost a few years ago. It wiped me out that year. Owning a house is moving from one disaster to another is going to be my new motto soon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 28, 2019 Author Share #80 Posted September 28, 2019 The guy is going to place a shut-off valve where it enters the house. That way we can figure out if the leak is under the house. They would have to cut into the line anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 29, 2019 Author Share #81 Posted September 29, 2019 So the guy came out and identified my problem is in the line between the meter and my house. He offered to replace the whole thing for $3000 and I talked him up to $3500. Initially that confused him. He has been very honest with me, ensuring I am not paying for anything I don't need, and has been hard working. I feel he is just trying to make a living -- so I shared with him the quote the other guy gave me at $9300 and he laughed. In my humble opinion, he's way underselling himself and he deserved to know what the other guy's bid was. I like rewarding people that try to do the right thing. Truth is, I would have jumped on anything less than $5000 -- and maybe I should offer him that anyway. In the back of my mind I was prepared to go as deep as $10,000 and take out a HELOC to cover it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petitepedal ★ Posted September 29, 2019 Share #82 Posted September 29, 2019 When does he start work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted September 29, 2019 Share #83 Posted September 29, 2019 Between you and maxx, I have decided that water is evil!e! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 29, 2019 Author Share #84 Posted September 29, 2019 7 minutes ago, petitepedal said: When does he start work? He's doing this extra and is targeting next weekend. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 29, 2019 Author Share #85 Posted September 29, 2019 11 minutes ago, RalphWaldoMooseworth said: Between you and maxx, I have decided that water is evil!e! Except when it works -- it works beautiful. So much so you take it for granted. Without it, there's no washing hands, no washing dishes, not showers, no baths, no washing clothes, no taking poops or pees cleanly and easily. It's far worse than having your toilet go out, for example. When the water goes out, it's like having both toilets go out, the shower and bathtub go out, dishwasher, and the washing machine -- all at once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dottleshead ★ Posted September 29, 2019 Author Share #86 Posted September 29, 2019 On 9/23/2019 at 2:51 PM, Longjohn said: I don’t know how much city water costs but $250 worth has to leave a wet spot. I fixed many a water leak when I was the maintenance supervisor at the retreat center. It helps if you have a backhoe. A home waterline shouldn’t be too deep. About 3 feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted September 29, 2019 Share #87 Posted September 29, 2019 I am always amazed that two of the things that kick human ass the most are water and microbes. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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