water leak under slab, need advice

[msingell]

hello,
i would like to thank anyone reading this as i am in quite a bind and i am in need of some advice. im a regular on my car forum and came here because i know how a good forum and its members can make all the difference in a situation.

3 months ago i thought i was going crazy as i heard water running underneath the slab of my home ( my first home of course ) and it came to pass that my main water pipe into the house from the curb had cracked. the plumber who did the repair jackhammered the floor, found the leak and installed new pipe from the crack to the meter where water enters the house.

just the other day, i again hear water and know that im in deep crap. i couldnt get anyone out to shut off the water and being the diy er that i am, i sourced a curb key and shut it off myself. the sound of water stopped.

i had the plumber who did my first fix out to look at it and he ensures me that its not the section of pipe he worked on and that the fix will not be covered with his 1 year warranty. so after some calling to friends and googling, i think his "fix" may be the problem. he told me when he was doing the fix 3 months ago that he was using white pipe from the water leak to the house and this was not up to code. the plumber had jackhammered up my floor and i felt backed into a corner and let him do his job. he also used a sharkbite fitting to couple the new white pipe to the existing black pipe, which i now read is a probable source for my new water leak ( sharkbite is only to be used with copper, cpv or pex ).

i am not sure that i want him and his methods to be used anymore in my house. can anyone out there advise me with my issue? thanks everyone, im sorry that i dont know much about plumbing and connot give back to this forum community as much as others. but hopefully my tale will maybe help someone down the line. thanks again.

 

[johnjh2o]

To make a judgement if the repair was done correctly we need to know what type was used to make the repair and the type he connected to. Calling one black and the other white doesn't help. As far as using shark bites go they are approved but it is not good practice to use them in a location that you don't have access to.

John

 

[LiQuId]

yellow brass on shark bite also means no slab or underground installation here by code. Must be Red brass.

 

[Another-Plumber]

if the connection is leaking that the plumber tied into, then yes, he should cover it under warranty, even though plumbers dont like to cover old pipe thats in bad shape, HOWEVER, if the new leak is beyond his repair/connection then sorry, but this NEW leak is just coincidence and NO WAY can a plumber or anyone for that matter cause a leak like your talking about even if they wanted to...

 

[msingell]

another-plumber. thanks for the input and i totally agree with the idea that if its not the section that he worked on, then its not his problem. im just concerned with the idea that he used that sharkbite connector on a section of black pipe when that type of fitting was not intended for such use i dont believe.

the original pipe that he connected to was black and runs all the way to the curb supply. its under the slab foundation and is surrounded by about a foot of gravel. i wish i knew more about the pipe so i knew for sure if the sharkbite was an acceptable part to use or not.

im just stuck as to what i do next. if i were made of money, id pay to have all new lines put in. but i may just have to fix the poblem spot and make sure to insist on up to code, proper materials. thanks again to everyone for their input.

 

[LiQuId]

sharkbite is likely accepted on that pipe, it is usefull on pretty much ANY piping, though The connection you speak of I would've rather a compression fitting.

 

[Another-Plumber]

sharkbite is likely accepted on that pipe, it is usefull on pretty much ANY piping, though The connection you speak of I would've rather a compression fitting.

however he is saying in under a slab, and i belive in all states this is NOT to code, however with this being said, even though its not code, sometimes its the best option... NOW, is the leak in the same area?

 

[msingell]

the leak sounds like its actually in the exact same spot. but the original plumber came out with a stethascope and concluded that the leak was past his work and was not his problem. i have had 5 contractors out to look at the problem and im wondering if i get in there and the original contractors work is to blame if i have any recourse.

 

[Another-Plumber]

when this kind of problem comes up with me, ill tell the customer ill go ahead and dig it up, HOWEVER, if whats leaking is NOT what i repaired then ill have to charge you.. if it is my work, then its covered..its that simple, seriously, odds are its a new problem...