Water Main question
We are about to hire a company to replace our very aging lead water main before we begin some other construction. For those that have done this, any specific tips or advice about having the work done? If it helps, there are no large trees in front of the house and the hydrant is immediately across the street. Anything to make sure to include in the contract? Thanks!
ditmasmom
in Inspection 12 years and 4 months ago
7
Please log in, in order to post replies!
7 replies
henryreev | 12 years ago
I ended up using Harris after reading this posting, they installed a new water main and sewer for us (YES – the sewer was a big job) and we would not have been more satisfied with our decision. The workers were very professional, the office staff seemed to be well organized/attentive and they were priced very well. We also had a few companies come out, estimate the job for us and I still cannot figure out what would make one company that much more expensive than the next one unless they are installing a golden pipe…….
ellenlourie | 12 years and 4 months ago
You get what you paid for. Protection of the property is a costly proposition, core drill of foundation cost much more than destroying foundation wall with sledge hammer. Then you have to restore and waterproof foundation wall. Properly done street service connection opening must be core drilled and sealed after pipe installation , they have to use linkseal website linkseal.com
slopemope | 12 years and 4 months ago
What cipster sid – harris will be coming in and out of your house after digging huge holes in yoor yard and the street, so make a *very wide* clear walkway into where the water main comes into the house. Lay down lots of plastic and cardboard – more than you think you need. They will rip out the wall, and if the mud jack slips out of their control – and if you have baseboard heating or a finished wall et al – oops! Not their problem. My hole in the drywall ended up being about 6 feet long, 3 feet high after the jack got back at the operator. the junk that comes out of the new hole (they leave the existing pipe in the ground and dig a new hole for the new pipe) stays where it lands when the job is done. Mud stains and streaks on the walls (these guys get seriously dirty esp when the ground is wet like it is now). Also, they will dig up your cement and the chances of it matching what yiou have are slim. They don’t use a diamond blade to notch out where they dig into your cement – they take a sledgehammer and hit the concrete. As a result, the hole will be irregular, and cement in places will be thin in areas that merely cracked in notches and not deep. Why that matters is the cement they replace will crack around the edges of their patch within weeks or months. Real amateur hack stuff. Its competitive, the prices are bare bones cheap with the usual suspects, and that is what you get. Could be OK, could be an f-ed up mess. You should have a new water main though.
ditmasmom | 12 years and 4 months ago
Thanks for the tips! After meeting with a few companies we are likely to go with Harris. Their bid was competitive with the others (and yes, more expensive because of the location of the hydrant). All companies recommended 1 1/4 inch copper pipe. I’ll confirm that it is sufficient with a plumber. We are in ditmas park so I believe they will dig a hole in our front yard rather than the sidewalk? Is it standard to have to replace a tap? Thanks again!
widthom | 12 years and 4 months ago
Bob is right… with the hydrant across the street, the main is further so there will be additional expense. I wound up using Balkan in 2010\. They were fine but not exceptional. They will need to dig two major holes – one right over the main in the street and one closer to your house. I paid a little extra for them to dig the closer hole on the street side of the curb so as not to destroy the sidewalk or the concrete paving in front of the house. For me, this was worth it. Get a realistic estimate on what gague pipe you need. I think they up-sold me on 2″ or so and it’s probably way overkill for my house. Talk to a licensed plumber not the water-main guys. Finally, move or remove as much as you can from near the front wall in your cellar… they use a compressed air hammer to push the pipe through and it throws a lot of dirt and stones. Good luck!
BobMarvin | 12 years and 4 months ago
Sorry–scratch “the hydrand is across the street” from paragraph one
BobMarvin | 12 years and 4 months ago
Use a company that specializes in water mains and get recommendations from your neighbors. I used Figliolia; that company and Harris are pretty standard for mains and sewer lines–I’m sure people here will chime in with other companies. Do be careful. A few years ago one of my neighbors used some little-known company to replace their water main. When it failed, less than a year later, that company was nowhere to be found and my neighbor had to pay a second time to have a reputable firm do the work. It turns out that the hydrand is across the street original con artists had used black iron gas pipe instead of copper! Unfortunately, if the hydrant is across the street from your house that means that the water main runs closer to that side and the job will cost somewhat more.