Senile Texas Aggie - comic relief for the rest of you

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

Congratulations on your anniversary!!

I hope you figure out what's causing the increase without having to dig up that whole distance.

 

[Bruce]

I hope there is not a leak somewhere between the water meter at the highway and our house. That line is 1/2 mile in length!

OK, here is what you do:
Read the meter
Turn off the water at the house
Leave it off for 24 hours and then check the meter.
If the meter hasn't changed, you are either using a lot more than you think (did you forget about the 50,000 gallons to fill the pool? ) or you have a leak somewhere between the shutoff and all the places you use water.
UNLESS
The meter is on the house side of the shutoff. In that case, shut off the water right after the next meter reading. Leave it off until the next reading and see how many gallons you used. If any, there is a leak in that 1/2 mile pipe.
(This might be just a little inconvenient)

I hope you figure out what's causing the increase without having to dig up that whole distance.

Especially with no tractor!

 

[Bruce]

I forgot 2 things when I came up with the extremely helpful suggestions!

First: Happy Anniversary! You not only married young but kept it going! That is not very common.

Second: Your plumbing problems have leaked over to me!!!! Today I got out the hose and reel that sit by the pool and feed both a hose for that and one to take out to the veg garden. Came inside and opened the valve. Heard water outside, not a good thing because I was pretty sure I'd closed the tap AND both parts of the splitter. Went back outside looked under the deck and yep, water spraying. That means the black plastic pipe ruptured. No idea how old it is, it came with the house. So now I need to replace maybe 30' of black plastic pipe before I can do anything with the pool or water the garden.

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

Thank you, Miss @Larsen Poultry Ranch and Mr @Bruce, for the anniversary wishes! Yes, I am very lucky to have the wonderful woman as my wife!

Regarding reading the meter, I tried doing that, only to discover that the meter had been replaced (covered over?) with a device that permits the water company to read the meter remotely. While I was there at the meter, I did listen for water flowing and did not hear any, unlike back in February when I dug up the water line to begin with. Of course, back in February I had already busted the line at that point and water was gushing out the pipe, so I should have been able to hear water flowing!

I bailed out most of the water from the holes yesterday. This morning they have filled back up, but not as much as when I first bailed them out yesterday. So either the leak is VERY slow, or it is simply rain water from the ground that is seeping back into the holes (I think the latter). I will bail out the water again today and see if I can find any leaks.

I hope you can get your leak fixed easily, Mr. @Bruce. I would hate to know I infected you with a plumbing problem!

Senile Texas Aggie

 

[CntryBoy777]

Something ya can do to find a leak, if any, is to walk the path of the pipe....if there is a leak there will be water "boiling" up from the ground, erosin, or soft spots.....what ya are describing sounds like ya have had rain and the perculating groundwater is what is refilling the holes...the water company will come check the meter and their side for free...

 

[thistlebloom]

Belated anniversary congratulations STA!
Plumbing issues are the worst IMO.

At our first house, a decrepit fixer-upper, dh redid all the plumbing. He had a terrible time getting the copper pipe to be leak free at the joints. I remember distinctly the frustration and disappointment when yet another joint started dripping. Ugh. We found out it was due to old -something- I can't remember the name of, that is essential to soldering copper pipe joints- that my dad had given him to use.
Thanks dad! Probably meant it for character training, haha.

 

[Oakknollfarms]

@Senile_Texas_Aggie Hope you are well, friend!

Just a thought...... while making your decision on the tractor and bush hog that you need, have your thought about leasing it to a farmer for hay production? About half of my 68 acres is cared for by a wonderful farmer who grows hay and soy beans. It’s always cut, fertilized and kept beautifully manicured. And generates an income. I don’t know about your area, but maybe people lease out that way as well?

Your farm is gorgeous, by the way. And I totally second the suggestions of starting with chickens. I’m addicted now. As far as goats, they could be helpful with cleaning up undergrowth as well!!

 

[Bruce]

I hope you can get your leak fixed easily, Mr. @Bruce. I would hate to know I infected you with a plumbing problem!

Well I'm already jinxed! And not too bright. I went to the hardware store to get the plastic joining piece and 2 hose clamps. Plus a PVC pipe cutter because I am too dang old to be laying half on my back and half on my side in a space perhaps 18" high cutting tubing with a Stanley knife. Came home with the parts for the 1/2" tubing. Too small!! I had ASS-U-MEed that since the copper pipe inside the house was half inch that the tubing would be as well So now that I have had lunch I'll be heading back to the store to get the proper size. At least now I have a section of pipe so I can make SURE I get the right size pieces.

Regarding reading the meter,

OK, brain going all over the place. IF the meter is at the house and the leak is in the 1/2 mile between the house and the road, you wouldn't be measuring ANY usage for the water that leaks out in the 1/2 mile pipe because that water never got to the meter, right? I wonder if they have any tools that can detect leaks in a water line. I'm sure they would rather not be cleaning up a lot of water to make it potable just to have it leak into the ground.

Do you suppose the water company MIGHT be willing to read the meter (can they do it remotely or do they have to drive by?) Once in the morning and once in the afternoon? If you use little to no water during that time (or hopefully can turn the water off on the house side of the meter) but they show a big use you will know that it is leaking somewhere between the meter and the use points.

I remember distinctly the frustration and disappointment when yet another joint started dripping. Ugh. We found out it was due to old -something- I can't remember the name of, that is essential to soldering copper pipe joints- that my dad had given him to use.

That must have been frustrating!!!! I don't know how long ago you did the plumbing but my guess is the solder or the flux was old.

When I did our old house 29 years ago I was lucky and had only one bad joint and that was found with the pressurized air test.

 

[thistlebloom]

That must have been frustrating!!!! I don't know how long ago you did the plumbing but my guess is the solder or the flux was old.

Flux! That's it, you genius you. This plumbing adventure was 37 years ago, and of course I was a child bride so I don't feel as old as I should.

 

[Senile_Texas_Aggie]

have your thought about leasing it to a farmer for hay production?

Miss @Oakknollfarms,

Good to see you back on the forum! I've missed you while you were gone. Regarding leasing the pastures for hay production, I currently have all of the good pastures leased for hay production. (The one overgrown pasture is not leased as it has excess water drainage issues which I am trying to fix.) See the picture below.

Came home with the parts for the 1/2" tubing. Too small!! I had ASS-U-MEed that since the copper pipe inside the house was half inch that the tubing would be as well

Oh, no, Mr. @Bruce! You sound more and more like me. We are both getting close to each earning a Zinger™ award!

IF the meter is at the house and the leak is in the 1/2 mile between the house and the road, you wouldn't be measuring ANY usage for the water that leaks out in the 1/2 mile pipe because that water never got to the meter, right?

I have about concluded that the leak, if there really is one, is not at the plumbing repair next to the house. The water meter is at the road, 1/2 mile from the house, so it should register any water leaking anywhere along the 1/2 pipe. Here is a picture depicting our property, with the red lines outlining the pastures we are currently leasing (~50 acres), the blue lines representing the water lines, and the yellow lines representing the property boundaries. The smaller yellow lines represent the boundaries of other properties around us.

Senile Texas Aggie