Chasing a Water Leak?

[Geezy Rider]

The water flow at my barn is down to a trickle and the water stream coming out of the hose is dirty brown so I’m assuming I have a busted pipe underground. The water at my house is full pressure and clean so I figure the break must be between the house and the barn.
So, I’m in he process of chasing this leak down. I’ve looked in all the stalls of the barn and all around the barn. No water showing anywhere. I’ve looked along the ground from the house to the barn and still no water or damp ground showing. I’ve started digging about every two feet along the waterline going to the barn trying to find wet ground. My ground is very hard and about like trying to dig through cement. Speaking of cement, my barn sits on a cement slab so if the leak is under there then that changes things.
Does anyone have any tips or tricks to finding an underground leak or do I just keep digging?

[dhillis]

Id dig right next to the barn, add a spicket and put a pressure gauge on it. Could also do a shut off valve to the barn and see what ya get.

[Jon B]

If you have a cut off valve at the house. Turn it almost off and put a piece of metal on the valve up to your ear. You will be able hear if there is a water leak.

[bowhuntz]

I had the same problem. Eventually had to wait until I saw a spot that looked a little greener in the pasture and found it. Someone buried my water lines almost 3 foot deep.

[easeup]

so what evidence is there your pipe is not plugged up instead of leaking beneath grade?

[bullhead44]

get a probe and go along the water line to see if you can find a soft spot. With only a trickle of dirty water, it should not be too hard to find unless it is indeed under the slab. As dry as it has been, it could be under the slab if it has shifted any.

[Briar Friar]

I found a yard line leak one time with a flir iphone attachment before sunrise, when the soil is most cool. The warm wet subsurface soil stood out from the drier cool surrounding soil. The break was about 3 feet down….at a joint. Eliminate all other water use prior to scanning to get full pressure at the break. Maybe turn water off to let surrounding area dry a bit, then turn on water a little while before scanning to cause an isolated and exascerbated soil temperature difference.

My handyman contractor uses the same device to find leaks in house walls in specific stud cavities.

Isolating like what MrHillis prescribed is next easiest but still doesnt identify where the leak is…. just approximates and eliminates variables….whereas useful.

Its going to be a coupling somewhere. Its always a farkin coupling or joint for me.

Good luck MrRider.

[okrattler]

Don't go chasin water leaks.

[Slabby]

Have you checked meter to confirm you have a leak?

[Briar Friar]

Have you checked meter to confirm you have a leak?

These are good points. The brown water is a good telltale though.

Ill wager Heezy is on well. Ive had well pebbles clog up my water heater cold water side and washing machine cold water intake.

Additional thought to my original point, Ill also wager youve (or a friend has) got a thermal scope on a rifle thatll work if a flir aint handy.

[eradicator]

What type of waterline do you have? Carry around an old inner tube in your back pocket until you find it

[dclifton]

What type of waterline do you have? Carry around an old inner tube in your back pocket until you find it

This aint no joke. My dad had a leak across the road at one of his wells. We knew roughly wear it was but not dead on. He called me said he was up there looking bring pvc glue etc. I pull up to him litterally waist line deep. I just busted up laughing. He was just walking across there looking and sunk up to his @$$. Sandy soil in our area but i was still suprised it was that soft.

[glen]

Like said above dig up where it comes into barn. Put in a cut off valve. Turn off- turn water back on and look at meter and see if it’s still running.

[eradicator]

This aint no joke. My dad had a leak across the road at one of his wells. We knew roughly wear it was but not dead on. He called me said he was up there looking bring pvc glue etc. I pull up to him litterally waist line deep. I just busted up laughing. He was just walking across there looking and sunk up to his @$$. Sandy soil in our area but i was still suprised it was that soft.

I think you misunderstood, a piece of deflated inner tube will fix the break in a pinch. But yes, you're scenario can absolutely happen also!!!

[Geezy Rider]

so what evidence is there your pipe is not plugged up instead of leaking beneath grade?

Good point but what would cause it to plug and why would the water be brown?