Your water service line is ready for a look when the water pressure in the house keeps dropping, a wet spot shows up in the yard when it has not rained, or you hear water running in the pipes with every tap turned off. When the line is old and showing those signs, replacing the whole run is the clean, lasting fix, and a new line set below the frost carries you through New England winters for years.
Watch Your Water Pressure Over Time
Pressure that slowly gets weaker at every faucet in the house can point to a leak in the service line outside. One weak faucet is typically about that fixture, so it helps to compare a few around the house before you decide.
Look for Wet Ground When It Has Not Rained
Water pooling or flowing on the ground between the street and the house, or a soft patch that stays wet in dry weather, is one of the clearest signs of a leak in the line. Take a walk along the path the line follows and see how the ground looks.
Listen for Water When Every Tap Is Off
With every faucet and fixture off, the pipes should be quiet. A hiss or the sound of running water on the service line when nothing is turned on is a good reason to have the line checked.
See the water and sewer service lines we install across the Seacoast.
Replace the Whole Run When the Line Is Old
A single leak on a newer line can sometimes be repaired right at the leak. When the line is old or has needed more than one repair, replacing the full run from the street or well to the house is the better investment, because every foot of it is new at once and the yard only gets opened for it one time.
Bury the New Line Below the Frost
Depth is what protects a water line through winter, so a new line goes in deep enough to stay below the frost. Our article on protecting water and septic lines from a New England freeze covers more about depth and winter.
If your pressure has been dropping or there is a wet spot that never seems to dry, tell us what you are noticing and we will help you sort out the next step. Our crew digs and installs service lines across the Seacoast, including Rye, York and Stratham.