Main Water Line Leak Repair in the Charleston Lowcountry
Below ground water line leaks can make you water bill skyrocket quickly!
Don’t wait to fix a main water line leak. Call Swell Guy Plumbing now! We’ll put over 25 years of leak repair experience to work fixing your main water line.
Many water purveyors have stopped issuing credits for high water bills due to leaks, so you may be responsible for the costly water bill.
Our $45 dispatch/scheduling fee isn’t an extra charge—it goes straight toward the cost of your service.
Below ground leak repairs typically run between $350 – $850.
Main line water replacements typically run between $1250 – $3500.
What are the signs of a main water line leak?
The most common signs of a below ground main water line leak, that we routinely see, are:
- A puddle in your yard when it hasn’t rained
- An area of your yard is constantly wet
- A hole forming in your yard
- Low water pressure in your home
- You can hear a hissing noise when you’re not running water
- Your faucet or toilet water may appear dirty
- Your water bill is much higher than normal
What causes a main water line to leak?
Water lines can leak for many reasons but these are the most common reasons that we find.
- Tree roots are the most common culprit (especially oak roots in the Lowcountry)
- Copper pipes tend to develop pin holes over time (most homes built before 1990 used cooper)
- PVC cracks easily (roots and vehicles driving over the pipe area cause a lot of leaks in PVC)
- We even find galvanized pipe in homes built in the 1960s and earlier (galvanized pipe should never be used for water line now)
- Buried poly pipe fittings from homes built in the 1980s and 1990s
- Improperly installed meter connection fittings (primarily PEX being shoved into a compression meter fitting).
Steps To Take if you have a water leak in your yard
Some leaks are slow and some leaks are fast. But all pressure leaks will gradually get faster and they will leak 24/7 until they are fixed.
Pressurized leaks cause your meter to spin and the Water Company is charging you for every gallon of water (whether the water went into your water bottle or if it leaked into the ground). Many Water Providers no longer credit your bill for any type of leak, so the longer your meter spins, the more money you owe. And we’ve seen customers pay over $4,500 for a monthly bill because of a leak.
First & Only step - Call a plumber - Now
If you call Swell Guy Plumbing, we’ll take the following steps:
- Check the flow rate on your meter to see how big the leak is.
- Isolate your home by shutting off the main shut off valve to determine if the leak is in the yard or in your home.
- If you do not have a main shut off valve we will quote you to install one. Main shut off valves are important to isolate leaks.
- Locate the leak.
- Give you a repair recommendation and an estimate.
- Repair the leak or replace the main water line.
Sometimes it is more cost effective to repair the leak. Other times it is more cost effective to replace the main line.
Swell Guy Plumbing values your time and money so we will diagnose the problem quickly and give you the most cost effective solution.
A Quick Precaution to consider
Be careful when digging in your yard, especially in the utility easement where your water meter is located. Cutting a utility line (especially gas or electric) can be hazardous. And if you cut a utility line, the utility provider’s repair will not be cheap! We recommend having SC811 (this is a free service) mark the utility lines in your yard before you dig.
Our Lowcountry Mainline Water Repair Service Area
Why Do Lowcountry Homeowners Trust Swell Guy Plumbing When Their Below Ground Main Water Line Breaks?
- Over 25 Years of Local Experience: We aren’t a massive national franchise, we’re your neighbors. Steven Dyson, owner and licensed plumber at Swell Guy Plumbing, is a lifelong Lowcountry resident with over 25 years local plumbing experience. Born and raised in Hanahan, SC – living in Summerville, SC – and operating in Goose Creek, SC. We know the area and strive to maintain a great name in the Lowcountry community.
- Licensed & Experienced: Swell Guy Plumbing is a licensed SC plumbing & gas contractor (M115194) and certified SCDES backflow tester. You won’t find our owner sitting behind an air conditioned desk all day because he’s out helping his neighbors solve main water line leaks.
- Upfront, Transparent Pricing: How many plumbing companies actually post their plumbing price ranges online for their Lowcountry neighbors to see before scheduling? Swell Guy Plumbing Co does because we believe in transparent pricing.
- Serving Your Neighborhood: Swell Guy Plumbing works hard to keep your water lines flowing in Goose Creek, Hanahan, Ladson, Moncks Corner, North Charleston, Charleston, and Summerville. The Lowcountry is our home and we value the opportunity to help our neighbors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some common questions we get from customers.
Swell Guy Plumbing Co uses PEX pipe from the meter to the house. We feel it is the best option for price and longevity. PVC pipe is easily cracked by roots and copper is very expensive.
Sometimes, if the yard is too flooded, it would cost more to try to pinpoint the leak than to replace the yard. Many times we will connect a new line at the meter and at the house. We’ll leave the new pipe exposed on top of the ground while the ground dries out and while we wait for SC811 to mark the yard. Once the yard is marked, we’ll return to bury the pipe and finish the job.
Swell Guy Plumbing highly recommends having a main shut off valve. The easiest way to isolate a leak in the yard is by shutting off the home’s main shut off valve to see if the meter still has water passing through it.
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