I live in a nice old row house in Washington D.C. The plumbing is the original steel (or iron?) piping from about 1933. The water pressure is getting kind of low, and I was told that it was likely because the water main has rusted up inside, between the house and the meter, constricting the flow. I understand the solution to this is to dig up the old water main from where it connects to the meter to where it enters the house and to replace it.
This would be a huge job, depending on how it was done. The meter is out on the street, and the main passes under a sidewalk, then under a 5' raised front yard with a tree and brick retaining wall, then under the concrete slab in the finished part of the basement, and emerges in a utility area that is in the middle of the house. To dig it up would mean breaking lots of concrete, probably killing the tree, and doing major damage to the finished basement.
I was complaining about this to my grand dad, and he told me he didn't think that was necessary. When his brother needed the same thing done, the folks who did it came out, dug a hole by the meter and one in the basement. They then carefully measured and had a computer-controlled digger of some kind dig a tunnel that they were able to thread the new main through, disconnecting and abandoning the old one. No trench needed between.
Is this something that is commonly done? Do you know what this procedure is called? How would I go about finding someone in DC who could do this?
Thanks,
Liv
This would be a huge job, depending on how it was done. The meter is out on the street, and the main passes under a sidewalk, then under a 5' raised front yard with a tree and brick retaining wall, then under the concrete slab in the finished part of the basement, and emerges in a utility area that is in the middle of the house. To dig it up would mean breaking lots of concrete, probably killing the tree, and doing major damage to the finished basement.
I was complaining about this to my grand dad, and he told me he didn't think that was necessary. When his brother needed the same thing done, the folks who did it came out, dug a hole by the meter and one in the basement. They then carefully measured and had a computer-controlled digger of some kind dig a tunnel that they were able to thread the new main through, disconnecting and abandoning the old one. No trench needed between.
Is this something that is commonly done? Do you know what this procedure is called? How would I go about finding someone in DC who could do this?
Thanks,
Liv