Zach and I mowed the lawn this morning then headed to the lumber yard. After buying materials, we spent four hours installing a roof on the project bathroom. I feel like we made good progress and we're taking the rest of the day off. Tomorrow, we have to find the water line (I've got a pretty good idea where it is), and that's going to require shovel work. While we're digging, we might as well expose the sewer line so we'll know what we are dealing with.
Projects like this are daunting, because in a bathroom, you have to have incoming water, sewerage, electrical all installed before you can start putting up interior walls. To the un-educated observer, it looks like you're spending a lot of time spinning your wheels.
I might be able to help you locate the buried water line without a lot of unnecessary digging. The only materials required are a medal coat hanger and a pair of wire cutters.
ReplyDeleteUsing the wire cutters snip off the hook and the twisted portion of the coat hanger. With your hands straighten as best you can the remaining wire. Half the wire and with each portion make a 90 degree bend apt 4 inches from one end.
While standing erect with your forearms parallel the ground hold the 4 inch portions loosely in each hand and apt 1 foot apart. The longer portion of each wire should be pointed directly ahead and will droop slightly. Remember, hold the wires very loosely.
Check the overhead to make sure that you are not underneath a power line. Walk slowly across your lawn and at a 90 degree angle to the suspected water line. When you are within a foot or two of the water line you should see the longer portions of the wire coat hanger begin to point inward and when you are on top of the water line the longer portions should overlap.
Mark the spot directily undereath. To recheck repeat from the opposite direction. It's not magic, think magnetic field.
Once you locate the line simply zig zag across the lawn until you have determined its complete path.
Remember, this method cannot distinguish a water line from a buried power line, buried gas line, sewage line, etc nor can it tell how deep the line is buried. Dig at your own peril.