Any Plumbers Online ?

[Billfo]

After this winter, I want to have someone install a "MAIN WATER SHUT OFF VALVE" outside my house. The wellhead is aprox 300-400 feet from the house (I have NOT measured yet). My question is HOW does a plumber find the path of the water main ? No one seems to know the path. House is 33 yrs old.

Thanks for your experience; Bill

[FishinCricket]

Well I don't know any plumbers, but I do know a little about laying pipe..

But that's neither here nor there...

Try ground penetrating radar, maybe?

[jdmidwest]

Why not cut the pipe where it enters the house or where it leaves the well, the pipe should be easy to figure out at those 2 spots? Installing a shutoff near the well would be the best, put a saddle pipe around the shutoff valve and a cover lid. Is there a shutoff near the pressure tank?

I assume you had a busted water line in the cold weather.

[Billfo]

Thank you for the reply, here is some additional information.

It is a shared well, and it is not on my property. We have a contract to pay a small amount each year & share maint & repairs. The Person in charge of the well tells me there are NO individual shut offs to the 6 homes it supplies. It is a vacation home which I (or we) visit once a month. The water shut off to the house is waaaaaay back in a nasty crawlspace. I dont want to & I certainly dont want my wife crawling down there each time I (or we) visit the house. SO.... I want a shut off OUTSIDE the house where either one of us can use a T- wrench to turn the water on & off each time we visit. Also I have NO idea where the water enters the home. I would have to dig in the crawlspace (as the pipe come straight up from the ground) and remove a bunch of decking around the two sides I suspect it enters. It would be best to have a shut off in the front yard someplace.

* I will check next time I am there if there is a shut off at the pressure tank.. I dont even know where that is...

Why not cut the pipe where it enters the house or where it leaves the well, the pipe should be easy to figure out at those 2 spots? Installing a shutoff near the well would be the best, put a saddle pipe around the shutoff valve and a cover lid. Is there a shutoff near the pressure tank?

I assume you had a busted water line in the cold weather.

[jdmidwest]

That answers a few questions.

If you are on a shared well, you have no pressure tank, it is probably at the wellhead.

There are companies and probably good plumbers that will "locate" and mark your lines. You may try Missouri One Call, tell them you are digging a ditch or building a fence and they should mark all utility lines for you. Locate the line where it crosses your property somewhere, and have someone install a saddle with a shutoff valve. You will probably have to coordinate with well owner/manager to shut down water at the source.

[Jason Essary]

Tip, Mo one call will not mark the water lines. It is just a set-up that will have your utility companies mark their lines such as electric, telephone, and cable. Purpose is for you not to hit them. Unless you are on a city water, you are the water utilities. If no one remembers where the water line is, then it is diffecult to find. Some times you can simply look around and tell where it will run. Your last resort is to "witch" the line. Dont laugh, it works. I have done it many times. Its not full proof thou. any water or electrical current will have a positive mark.

Hope this helps.

[Billfo]

Thanks guys for your replies. I had the one-call locates last summer. They didnt locate the well service (as suspected).. I spoke with the man that built the home, he was pretty old & seemed to still have pretty good wits. He THOUGHT that the water came into the property from the front center of the lot but wasnt 100% sure ( about that location there IS a old fashion "standing well hand pump". So that is probably where the water comes from.. THAT maybe a good place to dig. HE had no idea where the water came into the house because the foundation & construction came later.. Wow, I may have just answered my own questions !!! Should be easy to dig as the home in on Table Rock Lake and almost all the ground is rock with little dirt- so the trench would be the dirt part... That said I would suspect that if they blasted the rock to dig a trench- they would have only done it once & put ALL the utilities in the same trench (yes underground elec svce & phone).. I know where THAT path is..so, NOW I have a plan.. "for the plumber"... Thanks for the tips... Bill

Tip, Mo one call will not mark the water lines. It is just a set-up that will have your utility companies mark their lines such as electric, telephone, and cable. Purpose is for you not to hit them. Unless you are on a city water, you are the water utilities. If no one remembers where the water line is, then it is diffecult to find. Some times you can simply look around and tell where it will run. Your last resort is to "witch" the line. Dont laugh, it works. I have done it many times. Its not full proof thou. any water or electrical current will have a positive mark.

Hope this helps.

[back2roots]

My son is a Licensed, Master Plumber in Springfield. Give him a call 417-866-4488. "Franco American Plumbing".....really sure he can fix you up with whatever you need and can answer your questions.

[gotmuddy]

Have you ever "witched" a well? You can do it with water lines too. google it.

[Billfo]

Do you mean THIS ???

Have you ever "witched" a well? You can do it with water lines too. google it.