Maintaining your plumbing is great. It helps keep your pipes working well, but it doesn’t guarantee that your pipes will not deteriorate eventually.
The main water pipe is connected to your home from your water meter. In the winter, pipes may freeze up and crack or burst. Hazardous corrosion may occur in older galvanized pipes. These situations and others like them, lead to nothing more than property damage and a heightened water bill.
Know that you may need to replace your water supply line, when…
- You have very low water pressure
- Your bill has made a sudden distinctive increase
- Your lawn is soggy or flooded.
You can fix it by…
- Shutting off the main supply: simply close the shut-off that’s right next to your meter.
- Excavating: Plot your pipe’s path and dig a trench under it, to give you space to work right below it.
- Measuring: Work out how much 1″ PVC or PVC Schedule 40 pipe you will need and make note of any connectors and fittings you will need to replace too. (Keep in mind that you’ll need to buy PVC glue and primer too).
- Insulating: Wrap your pipe in PVC insulation tape, so that it doesn’t freeze in the winter.
- Disconnecting: Disconnect the old pipe at both ends and don’t worry if some water falls into your trench.
- Laying the new pipe: Lay the new pipes into the trench after you have removed the old pipes, using connectors and PVC glue. Then use the fittings to connect the PVC to the house.
- Turning on the mains: Before you do that, double check to see if there are any leaks, by turning on the main supply. If everything is ok, then you can go ahead and fill that trench up.
That’s pretty much it: changing your pipe in 7 steps. Maybe you don’t have time to do this on your own or you’re still not sure you’d like to take the chance to this as a first-timer. No problem! Contact the professionals if you need help with plumbing problems like this and more. We’ve got experienced and affordable plumbers in Ottawa. With just one call, we can help you solve your plumbing needs and offer you emergency plumbing services!
