Interesting issue. Water company left a notice that we may have a water leak 1 month ago.

Reviewing our water bill I can see how it has increased month by month very slightly the last 12 months. Then when I received our bill this month it had jumped from 80.00 dollars (2 months) to $500. Never lost pressure inside the house to indicate a problem this huge. There was no indication in the yard condition that indicated a water leak. Under the house was dry also.

So the only place left was under the front deck where the water shut off is located for the house (approx 3.5 ft under the ground inside a PVC pipe). The deck is pretty old and in some places it was rotting so I removed the whole thing (approx 10x10). Found a trickle of water seeping up so started digging.

Being on a very tight budget (economy has not helped) I really need to do this myself after fielding estimates of anywhere from 1500-3000 or higher depending on what they found.

A friend told me that the water main almost always runs straight from the meter to the shut-off was off a touch. Somewhere in the yard must be a bend as the pipe heading to the street is not in direct line to the house.

Anyway started digging close to the shut-off valve to see where the inlet pipe was and dig back from there. Found the pipe (metal 3/4-1" metal) and started digging the direction it headed. Approximately 2 feet from the shut-off valve the metal pipe entered a PVC pipe indicating that the original pipe had been replaced? And connecting these 2 pipes was a hose clamp. Yes a hose clamp. I work as an auto technician by trade and I honestly can state I do not know a lot of about house plumbing but looking at this repair screamed wrong. I can see since this was not an actual break how we were not losing water pressure.

Sorry for the long story - is there a recommended repair to attach a metal pipe to a PVC Pipe?

Again I am really trying to save money and I definitely want to replace the water main from the meter to the valve once things get more steady financially stable.

You said metal. I don't know if you mean galvanized or if it's Type K copper for underground.

Fittings should be threaded, welded or brazed. Not soldered.

So, you will need to attach a female adapter by brazing or silver soldering it to the copper pipe. This will require MAPP or MAPP oxygen to do. So you would have to practice and use the correct flux. Some info on brazing will be found here: Copper.org: Copper Tube, Pipe & Fittings: Technical References: Copper Tube Handbook: Table of Contents (http://www.copper.org/applications/plumbing/techref/cth/cth_toc.html)

Clean the fitting aferwards and fill the area around it with some homongenous fill, probably about 6" around the repair with something like sand.

The female adapter will give you female threads. This is safer than putting a male adapter there.

The rest is easy. PVC pipe+Union+short pipe+male adapter

This shows a way to do a sleeve for the house penetration: Copper.org: Plumbing: TechCorner - How to Prevent Corrosion of Copper Tube in Underground or Buried Applications (http://www.copper.org/Applications/plumbing/techcorner/prevent_corrosion_cu_tube_buried.html)

It also mentions how to prevent corrosion.

If galvanized, then threaded fittings are permissible. Use the same type. Don't use black iron if the pipe is galvanized.

My take is as follows:

1. separate PVC from Metal pipe ( here you will be left with Male thread )
2. install metal coupling on end of this metal pipe ( now you have Female thread )
3. take Schedule 80 Male Adaptor, put teflon tape on threads and screw it tight into the coupling
4. measure, how much pipe you need to connect metal and PVC pipes
5. connect with schedule 80 piece of pipe

Use primer on PVC pipe / fittings before you apply glue. Let dry for 15 minutes before you turn water on.