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TreyHouston wrote:Have you really had the water shut off for 2 days already? My wife would have left me by now! (Or called a plumber)

Actually I only had the water off for about 21 hours. I "fixed" it much faster than I thought I would. Besides, my wife couldn't call a plumber any more readily than I could - she's a stay at home mom and I've been out of work for months. When we offered to pay the plumber with good vibes, he didn't think that was a fair arrangement.

Excaliber wrote:
In the FAQ's from the website you provided, it states that PEX is not approved for outdoor applications.

I've read from other places that underground usage is fine. The reasoning is that UV exposure causes rapid deterioration, but if it's underground that's not an issue.

Updated pictures again. I'm finished...such as it is.

Given the temporary nature of the repair, the guy at my local mom and pop hardware store recommended just using some PVC couplings and pipe. Said it would hold for a year or so. I've been out of work for six months, and am still looking, so there's no way I could replace the whole thing. I would have to destroy concrete, mess with the city meter, etc. I would have to get a professional. Maybe once I have income again I can get that done, but for the time being, the temp fix will have to do. It's not permanent, but it got the water back on for my family.

Thanks everyone for your help!

Also, to make a good seal I grabbed a metal file and ground down the outsides until smooth.

Added some more pictures here.

Judging from the color of the pipe (and the difficulty I had sawing through it) it is not copper, but rather galvanized steel. It looks like it has been rusted through for some time. Some areas are so thin I can bend or break them with my fingers. I wish I had the money to replace the whole line, but there's just no way right now. Looks like I'll be addressing this spot only.

Just chipped off the "stone" around the pipe. Took a hammer and chisel to get through it. I added 3 more pictures to the collection where you can actually see the rupture in the pipe, but...it doesn't look like a rupture. It looks like it's been eaten through after many, many years of disgusting water and stuff has been in/around it. I don't know if freezing did this. Some of the areas around the breach are paper thin. Does that mean this hole has been there for some time and the "stone" around it has been holding it together?

So here's what I found when I dug the hole. As you can see, a chunk fell off the bottom of the pipe, and the pipe itself is covered in a thick...I don't know, calcification? the outside looks like stone has grown on the pipe and fused with it. No way a fitting is getting on that. Should I chip/sand it down until I can get a fitting on there or am I out of luck, having to replace the whole pipe?

Thanks for the responses, everyone. I'm going down to city hall to make doubly sure there aren't any code restrictions that would net me a misdemeanor for trying to fix a pipe. Then I'll start digging. Once I reach the pipe I'll head to the only two hardware stores in town and see what they have. If they have the sharkbites and PEX, I'll use that, if not I'll replace with copper. I may use that U-shape trick, troglodyte. Thanks for the advice, guys - I'll let you know how it goes.

swilkes wrote:Shark bite fitting. And pex A lil expensive but easy to do

Not sure what you just said could you elaborate a little?

So you know how it's been reeeeeally cold the last few days? You know how you're supposed to drip your taps when it's that cold?

I dripped my taps and my main line burst anyway.

I can't pay for a plumber or contractor to fix it - I've been out of work for 6 months. I'm gonna have to dig it up and fix it myself. I have a little plumbing experience and could figure out anything I don't know, but I have no knowledge when it comes to plumbing codes and laws and stuff. Am I allowed to fix it myself? I'm going to visit city hall tomorrow and ask if there are any municipal codes that would prevent me from doing so, but does anyone have any advice to share now? Do you have to be licensed/certified to do work like this? Does it require an inspection after the fact? Do you need a permit? Has anyone done this before and have experience to share?

More details:
No, it isn't something the city will fix - it's in my backyard halfway between the meter and my house.
No, I can't get insurance to pay for it (not withing some serious negotiating anyway) because I still couldn't afford the deductible.
Yes, I already shut off the water.
It is a metal pipe (presumably copper), not PVC. I've seen it once before while digging for another reason.
Yes, I intend to dig the hole whether or not I'm allowed to fix the pipe.

EDIT: View pictures through my Google Drive here.

EDIT: I've applied a temporary PVC fix that should give me at least another year to acquire the funds to replace the whole line. The line is either iron or galvanized steel and is likely 70 years old. Thanks everyone for your help.