DaveK OR
Silver Member
Some time back I anticipated some work on my water supply line to the house. I'm fed from city water, but must have a booster to get it another 100 ft in elevation. The existing line is some 50 years old, and I has been plagued by assorted leaks. I'd hoped to be able to simply find the worst leaks, and possibly repair the worst sections.
Silly me!
It turned out that what was installed all those years ago was basically 2" PVC irrigation pipe. It was rated for potable water, according to the labeling, but wasn't anywhere near schedule 40 in wall thickness (maybe SDR 29?). Anyway, it quickly became clear that the entire line needed to be replaced, and I needed to move the booster pump as well. The current pump requires a separate power meter, so I end up paying commercial rates for a tiny bit of electricity. The new pump can be powered from the house, and I can eliminate the pumphouse in the process, since it also needs to be torn down or replaced.
The fun part has been digging the new trench. My property is hillside forest land, so I get to work on slopes up to about 30% in places, create a path through the brush, around trees, boulders, and stumps, and dig a 12" wide by 2 ft deep trench to bury pipe and conduit in. The biggest issue I've faced is that there's nobody who has more than a clue about where the existing water line runs. I "think" I have an idea about that, but it's no more than a slightly educated guess. I managed to hit the old line once, and that was quite a geyser... 100 psi and about 800 feet of water line to empty after I shut the water off!
Still, it's coming along, and the digging part should be done soon. I have one tricky section to dig, where I know I have to cross the existing line, and then it's a matter of building a vault for the pump (freeze protection), installing the new pipe and conduit, pulling wires, and then hooking it all up at both ends.
It's given me quite an education in running a backhoe, but I'm very glad I went with the Woods BH75. It's done almost everything I've asked of it. But this all runs the hours up on the tractor, so the oil and filter replacement interval is about to catch up with me. I'm just glad I'm "retired" so I can manage to find the time to do all of this!
Silly me!
It turned out that what was installed all those years ago was basically 2" PVC irrigation pipe. It was rated for potable water, according to the labeling, but wasn't anywhere near schedule 40 in wall thickness (maybe SDR 29?). Anyway, it quickly became clear that the entire line needed to be replaced, and I needed to move the booster pump as well. The current pump requires a separate power meter, so I end up paying commercial rates for a tiny bit of electricity. The new pump can be powered from the house, and I can eliminate the pumphouse in the process, since it also needs to be torn down or replaced.
The fun part has been digging the new trench. My property is hillside forest land, so I get to work on slopes up to about 30% in places, create a path through the brush, around trees, boulders, and stumps, and dig a 12" wide by 2 ft deep trench to bury pipe and conduit in. The biggest issue I've faced is that there's nobody who has more than a clue about where the existing water line runs. I "think" I have an idea about that, but it's no more than a slightly educated guess. I managed to hit the old line once, and that was quite a geyser... 100 psi and about 800 feet of water line to empty after I shut the water off!
Still, it's coming along, and the digging part should be done soon. I have one tricky section to dig, where I know I have to cross the existing line, and then it's a matter of building a vault for the pump (freeze protection), installing the new pipe and conduit, pulling wires, and then hooking it all up at both ends.
It's given me quite an education in running a backhoe, but I'm very glad I went with the Woods BH75. It's done almost everything I've asked of it. But this all runs the hours up on the tractor, so the oil and filter replacement interval is about to catch up with me. I'm just glad I'm "retired" so I can manage to find the time to do all of this!
