Need advice ASAP on fitting slip joints on 2" pipe.

[Tractor Seabee]

Ok, my 2002 ft water line is well underway and I need to finish it tomorrow. All trenches are dug and difficult plumbint (T's and detail work) completed. All I need to do is connect the pvc (2" slip joint), drop it in the trench and cover. Here is my delima:

The male ends of the pipe have a mark encircling them. The mark is 3-1/2 inches from the end which has a bevel making it easier to slide up into the female end with the gasket. We were told to use food grade lubricant and it is working well. If I slip the male end into the female end to the mark, there is still about an inch that I can push it on further in. With everything that is within me, I desperately want to push it in until it bottoms out. However, I suspect this mark is there for a reason, and I suspect the reason is to allow the pipe to slip either direction.

When fitting this type of pipe do you

a) push it in until it bottoms out
or
b) push it in only to the mark to allow for expansion either direction


I want to do this right and only one time. Please, please, please someone who really knows how this pipe was designed to be used tell me what to do. thanks a million.

Pharm,

Something is missing here. What is the brand and type of pipe? Is it DWV, Schedule 40, or Schedule 80? DWV rated pipe will come apart under water main pressure. Pressure piping with "O" ring seals also have an internal locking ring of some type to restrain the joint from moving after assembly. Straight bell joint pipe with an insert "O" ring is considered drain pipe and W/O the restraint the pipe has to be assembled in the ditch. Normally water mains the length and size you are using are done with 500'-1000' coils of Polyethelene pressure pipe with clamped or welded joints. As stated in my other post if thrust and anchor blocks are not installed the pipe will suddenly be coming out of the ground. Plastic pipe 2000' long will grow or shrink about 14" with a temp change of 20 degrees F. Quite often this change is taken up by not installing the line straight but including loops both horizontal and vertical in the pipe.

I hope you have researched this well and not building a trap. Some of these installations are not good DIY unless the research is done well.

Ron

 

[pharmvet]

Here are some pics of the information written on the pipe I used.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

Here are some pics of the information written on the pipe I used.

Pharm,

Looks like you have pressure pipe. Their literature does not indicate the locking ring so you will have to assemble in the ditch to maintain the socket depth. All the more reason to ensure you consider that expansion/contraction situation I discussed before. If you are putting hydrants along the line you need a thrust block at each tee also. Take each branch off horizontal and then elbow up with a block at the end of the ell also. I have designed this stuff so know a little about it.

Ron

 

[pharmvet]

Well, Ive got the line installed and burried except for the ends and the portion where my water coop will install the meter and tie into their line.

Here are some of my thoughts and observations on the project.

1) the trencher I rented dug a trench about 1 foot wide. I think a more narrow trench would have been better. At 1 foot wide it allowed my pipe to snake rather than stay straight, but was still to narrow for me to get down into it and really level out the bottom for an A+ bedding. All I could do was drop in the pipe and let the chips fall.

2) I learned to attach about 3 joints and lower the pipe behind me into the trench. We attached too much pipe on our first run.

3) I inspected each joint last night after we laid it in the trench. This morning I inspected it again and found one joint that had pulled out and the witness mark was about 2 or 3 inches from the bell. I had to pull several feet of pipe out of the trench and push this piece back together. It was not easy. Also, it makes me nervous. This was my first time to use this type of pipe and Im not sure I trust it like I wanted to.

4) I finally found detailed instructions on installing this pipe with its "Reiber" joint. I did some things correct and some incorrect. Pushing in only to the witness mark, and not beyond was apparently the correct thing to do according to instructions. However, I greased the gasket rather than the spigot and the instructions said to grease only the spigot.

5) I burried the pipe 3 ft. deep. I think this may be good to prevent against gophers and temp fluctuations, but it will be a booger bear to get to should I need to repair it.

6) Anyway, its done. I guess I will just have to try it and see if it holds.

Thanks so much for all your advice and opinions. I really like bouncing questions off lots of people. Even if the advice varies, I like to gather as much opinions as I can and then use the best of everyone's experience.

thanks again!!!!

 

[BeezFun]

Manufacturer's website doesn't have installation instructions, but product guide says this pipe is for applications where other pipe isn't possible. Way off the topic here, but why did you choose this product? I'm guessing it was really expensive compared to polyethylene, which comes in really long rolls and probably would only have needed a few joints.

 

[AchingBack]

Just make sure you double check for leaks - before back filling.

 

[vtsnowedin]

A little extra lubricant won't hurt anything.
I see you found what the witness ring is for,. showing you from the top of the trench that the joints were right or not before you back filled them. What are you using this water supply for?

 

[pharmvet]

It is the water supply for my proposed new home.

I used this pipe because it is what my local water co-op manager recommended. He told me its what they use.

Regarding backfilling, too late. I wanted to verify no leaks, but I only had this trencher rented for the weekend. Got to get it back tomorrow. It will be a week or more before the water company ties me in. I could not wait. I may regret it, but its just something I had to do. The trencher had a tilt blade in front that made back-filling very easy and actually fun.

If I had not been given the advice from my co-op manager, I would have looked more at PEX or something. However, I have not been able to find how you install T's and Elbows in PEX.

What would most of you consider the very best type of pipe for running water 2000 ft. In best, I mean bury it and forget it?

 

[vtsnowedin]

My house water comes 1800 feet down through the woods from my spring. The pipe was first laid over 100 years ago when it was open sheep pasture. The original pipe was 3/4" galvanised iron pipe and 900 feet of that is still in use. The other 900 feet is 3/4" and 1" black plastic that comes in 100 ft coils. They didn't have 900 ft of inch when I went to buy it. If and when I can get it all up to one inch I'll have more then enough flow and pressure for a single family house. As it is now the friction loss in the 100 year old rusty pipe gives me enough flow but the pressure is only about 10 psi when flowing.

 

[Tractor Seabee]

It is the water supply for my proposed new home.

I used this pipe because it is what my local water co-op manager recommended. He told me its what they use.

Regarding backfilling, too late. I wanted to verify no leaks, but I only had this trencher rented for the weekend. Got to get it back tomorrow. It will be a week or more before the water company ties me in. I could not wait. I may regret it, but its just something I had to do. The trencher had a tilt blade in front that made back-filling very easy and actually fun.

If I had not been given the advice from my co-op manager, I would have looked more at PEX or something. However, I have not been able to find how you install T's and Elbows in PEX.

What would most of you consider the very best type of pipe for running water 2000 ft. In best, I mean bury it and forget it?

Pharm,

The product you used is fine and is used by water utilities for main lines in the streets. Branch lines are the customer's responsibility. The most common is coiled Polyethelene connected with barbed fittings and gear clamps or fusion welded. Comes in variouis size rolls depending on what you can handle. There are installation instructions on this stuff all over the internet and from the manufacturers and suppliers. Too bad he did not inform you about the expansion/contraction situation. Unless you are in the cold west or north Texas areas temp will probably not be your problem if temp doesn't vary much but water hammer may be. If that pipe layed out in the sun when installing; when the cold city water hits it it will shrink fast that 14" for every 20 degrees change and will manifest at the weakest point. The larger the pipe the more force is developed when a surge is transmitted as it works just like a hydraulic cylinder.

Ron