Warmer may not be better

[altivo]

At this time last night it was -6°F and we had a frozen hydrant in one barn (of the type that isn't supposed to freeze.) Tonight it is +6°F instead, and the hydrants are now dead in both barns. Not only that, but there's water hemorrhaging somewhere on that supply line at an estimated rate of 3 gallons per minute. That's a big leak. Nothing is coming to the surface, so we can't tell where the problem is. The really bad thing is that there is no shutoff for that line. It runs on back pressure from the well, so the only way to shut it down is to kill the pump and therefore the entire water system, house included. I am going to do that overnight tonight, both to stop the waste and the wear and tear on the pump, and in hopes that the leak will freeze solid enough to stop further leakage for at least a few days until things actually start to thaw.

At the moment, even if we knew where to dig, it would take at least a pickaxe and more likely a jackhammer to break the ground. I'm afraid this is going to be mucho expensive. One thing's for sure. If we have to pay a well service to take care of this, they're going to put a separate shutoff in that line to avoid future complications.

If it weren't for that major PITA, I'd be just enjoying the two inches of white fluffy stuff that fell today...

Comments

[corelog.livejournal.com]

Ouch! :P Sounds like a major pain indeed! Hope it gets fixed soon, and in a non-expensive fashion... *offers lots of hugs*

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the hugs, I'll take all the warmth I can get.

I'm afraid this will be expensive no matter how it turns out. We can manage without water in one barn, but not without both for long. I'm anticipating it may cost a couple grand or more to put it right. That's really gonna poke a hole in my savings account, especially with income taxes due and the horses' annual HMO payment as well.

[dakhun.livejournal.com]

*blinks*
Horses also have HMO's?

*hugs* too :-)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yes, my horses have an HMO. My vet has a flat rate plan that includes four visits a year, basic vaccinations, and annual diagnostics. It doesn't cover emergencies or foaling, but it's a good deal on the routine stuff.

[marzolan.livejournal.com]

*scritches the plushie* Yeah, that sounds like it'll be very painful in the wallet and the "A". *hugs* Sorry to hear that Tivo, maybe something will work out that's manageable. And yes, the shutoff valve sounds like a good plan.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well, we can probably save some money by digging the hole ourselves once we know where the problem is. (Oh, my aching back.)

[marzolan.livejournal.com]

Yeah... that's one of those cases where it pay be less painful in the wallet than it is in the back. But that's one you have to decide.

[lobowolf.livejournal.com]

Ugh...why didn't they put shutoff valves in there to begin with? Water is odd like that in that sometimes it seems to disappear. Recently, a local water utility had a tank rupture and they lost 150,000 gallons. Except nobody knows where it went @.@

The lines should be 4 feet down and below the frost line, so I would tend to guess that the blockage would be in the portion of the line extending from that point up to the hydrant.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

No shut-off because they were cheap. It saved a couple hundred from the cost of installation. We've been told that this is a common practice in our area, but I find it incredibly stupid. My suspicion is that it's promoted by the well guys because they know it will get them another juicy job a few years down the road.

I was convinced for years that there must be a shutoff somewhere and we just hadn't found it. Then we had to have the well maintenance crew out a couple of years ago to pull the pump and replace the gaskets in it. They confirmed that there was no shutoff and quoted $500 to install one.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

I hope the damage is to a minimum.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Hooves crossed here too. Unfortunately, I don't see any way to avoid having to dig a big hole somewhere.

[chibiabos.livejournal.com]

I hope you don't find the leak when it opens as a sinkhole :/

[altivo.livejournal.com]

In our soil conditions, a sinkhole is unlikely. A mudpit, however, filled with something very like quicksand, is quite possible.

[vimsig.livejournal.com]

Your leak scenario is exactly what I dread too. Shut off the well = no water to the house.

Thinking of you in your troubles.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Precisely. And I've felt for years, ever since discovering that there was no shut-off valve, that this was inevitable. It seems odd, though, that we've weathered ten days at a time of bitter cold, subzero, without it. Now when it crops up, the temperature is nowhere near that low.

[hrrunka]

Leaks usually come with a thaw, unfortunately. I had the plumbing in my loft freeze one winter while I was away sweltering in 40°C temperatures in Perth WA. The temperature back home dipped below zero before Xmas and (thankfully) stayed there 'til after I returned. When I thawed things out I found one valve which was only being held in one piece by the ice...