Under ground water lines, best practice for joints and fittings

[Budweiser John]

I recently hired a contractor to directional bore some water lines on the farm.
Now that the lines are installed, several Tees, Ells, and Couplings need to be installed to compleat the network. The drilling contractor suggested I should pay him additional $$ to heat fuse the connections rather than use barbed fittings with stainless steel bands.

I'm debating the cost vs benefit of fusion joining or using the more traditional barbed fittings and clamps which I can do myself. I have lines in the ground joined with clamped fittings that are over 40 years old with no issues.
Any members have any experience or opinions on heat fusing plastic water lines?

B. John

 

[techman]

Fused joints are for sure the best solution. I use them on underground piping for geothermal systems. I do not have a tool, but I rent it from a local supplier. Fittings are cheap, just learning the procedure is an issue. If you can find someone to just do your joints, it should not cost much.

If you go with barbed fillings, for sure use stainless and double hose clamps.

Paul

 

[MF283]

A contractor friend of mine said the fused joint's are the way to go, this guy is a perfectionist & i'd follow anything he said knowing it was the right way.
Like techman, should the need arise, i'd see if i could borrow my friends with a little tutoring, or rent myself.

Ronnie

 

[Billrog]

I suggest doing a trial one or have him do one then cut it open and take a look at the inside of the joint. I did this on a geothermal system one of my clients had installed and the inside of the pipe at the joint wasn't something I'd like with dozens of stands of plastic. I prefer mueller or similar type compression fittings no restriction and trouble free.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Is this black poly pipe, PEX, or what?

 

[Budweiser John]

Is this black poly pipe, PEX, or what?

Pipe is a good grade of black poly. Directional bore was about 150 feet mostly up hill and under some established landscaping, a side walk, and a 10' deep front porch. Depth was maintained at +- 6' and the emerging end of the drill came with in inches of the desired target in the house crawl space. Amazing technology.

B. John

 

[Larry Caldwell]

For only 150', just buy a roll of poly pipe long enough. No joints to leak.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Sorry, I don't trust anything anymore. Yes, maybe a fused joint is superior, IF it's done right. Will it be? Barbed fittings and SS clamps are proven. I am in the same boat soon. Don't know if I should use plastic, galvanized or nylon fittings. A friend suggests two clamps. Good insurance for the price of them. I quite often heat the pipe before putting on the barb.

 

[xring100]

Sorry, I don't trust anything anymore. Yes, maybe a fused joint is superior, IF it's done right. Will it be? Barbed fittings and SS clamps are proven. I am in the same boat soon. Don't know if I should use plastic, galvanized or nylon fittings. A friend suggests two clamps. Good insurance for the price of them. I quite often heat the pipe before putting on the barb.

I wouldn't use galvanized. Brass sure but not galvanized. Id rather use a poly fitting. Who ever built my house and installed the well used two pieces of galvanized pipe and a fitting to go into the pressure tank. Guess what failed and flooded my crawl space and well pit? The fiting only made it 18 years before corrosion won. The water is very hard here.
I walked into my house that day to the sound of running water

 

[ultrarunner]

When my neighbor installed his well... he was short a length of bronze pipe... so he used galvanized... I was 16 and offered to run to the supply house to get him one and he didn't want to wait... said it will last as long as he's around and it did.

Fast forward and his son is having well problems... turns out that galvanized nipple rotted away... good thing the well pump was tethered?

It did last 35 years...