Water Service Line Repair in Canal Fulton After Digging Damage and Fitting Failures

If you just hit the water line

A damaged service line can fill a post hole or trench quickly, and the water will start undermining the soil around it. Stay calm and work through these steps.

• Close the main shutoff valve where the line enters the house, usually in the basement near the meter.
• If water keeps flowing, the break may be on the street side of your shutoff; call your water utility about closing the curb stop.
• Keep people and equipment back from the hole, since saturated soil can collapse.
• Do not try to tape or clamp a pressurized line. Leave it for a proper repair.
• Take photos of the damage and the markings, if any, for insurance or contractor discussions.
• Call us at 330-875-8003 for repair.

Why 811 markings did not show your line

Ohio's 811 call-before-you-dig system notifies member utilities, who mark the lines they own. In most cases that means the water main in the street and the line up to the curb stop, but not the private service line from the curb stop to your house. The same goes for sprinkler lines, buried lighting, pet fences and gas or electric lines feeding detached garages.

A good rule of thumb: the service line usually runs in a fairly straight path from the curb box to the point where the pipe enters your foundation. If you are planning a project near that path, dig the last few inches by hand or ask us to help locate the line first. A quick locate is far less expensive than a repair.

Plastic lines and fitting failures in newer homes

Many homes built in the last few decades have polyethylene or PEX service lines. These materials resist corrosion and handle freezing better than older metal pipe, but they are not indestructible. The most common weak points are the fittings at each end and any joints along the run. Compression fittings can loosen if the line was pulled tight during backfill, and ground settlement around a new foundation can put stress on the connection where the line enters the house.

Rocks in backfill are another issue. A sharp stone pressed against plastic tubing for years can wear through it. When we repair a plastic line, we bed it in clean material and check the fittings at both ends, not just the visible damage.

Making the repair

After a free estimate and your approval of the plan, we expose enough of the line to work safely, cut out the damaged section and join it with fittings approved for buried water service. If the damage is near the foundation or the line has other problems, replacing the run may make more sense. Either way, the line is pressure tested and flushed before backfill, and the main shutoff is checked so you know it will close tightly next time.

If the break sent water into your basement, our Canal Fulton restoration services handle cleanup and damage inspections, and we can help with insurance paperwork. For leaks on the indoor plumbing, see our leak repair work in Canal Fulton.

Older lines near the historic downtown

Homes in Canal Fulton's older blocks may have copper or galvanized service lines that have been in the ground a long time. Those lines fail from corrosion rather than shovels. Signs include rusty water, falling pressure and a slow rise in the water bill. When an older line needs work, we discuss whether a full replacement makes more sense than a patch. Our Stark County water main repair guide walks through the materials and methods we use.