Water Line Help for 1500' run from Spring to Homestead

[8N Ren]

They're just made a lot better and operate smooth as silk. I used some cheaper brand from TSC a few years ago and my dad used some Orschelins. Guess what, all 6 have had to be replaced with Merrills.

I just bought one but haven't installed it yet, I'll have to check the brand, I have heard that the Merrills are good.

 

[YardBikeBob]

How about a contrary view. What's the matter with Blue Poly?



Years ago the excavation contractor liked anything over black poly. He said it grows brittle over time and leaks. And leaks were hard to fix as the pipe would split when trying to splice. He recommended PVC for short runs and blue poly for longer runs. I didn't know anything so I went with his advise.

The pipe seemed inexpensive as half the costs were those brass fittings.

Bob

 

[cre10]

If that blue is polybutylene then

Polybutylene water pipes are no longer accepted by United States building codes and have been the subject[13] of class action lawsuits in both Canada and the US.[14][15] The pipe is still listed for use in Canada.[16] There is evidence to suggest that the presence of chlorine compounds in water will cause deterioration of the internal chemical structure of polybyutylene piping and the associated acetal fittings.[17] The reaction with chlorinated water appears to be greatly accelerated by tensile stress and is most often observed in material under highest stress such as at fittings and kinks. Localized stress whitening of the material generally accompanies and precedes decomposition of the polymer. In extreme cases, this stress activated chemical "corrosion" can lead to through perforation and leakage within a few years. Fittings with a soft compression seal can give adequate service life.

 

[YardBikeBob]

If that blue is polybutylene then

Nah, that was the stuff with the banded connections. It does leak as my 15-year-old RV can attest (drat!).

This is Blue Flexible Polyethylene Pipe. Connections have an SS inner sleeve clamped with brass connections & rubber washers.

And my well doesn't have much in the way of added chlorine.

Bob

 

[cre10]

I just like fused poly on poly pipe. You have the same expansion and contraction versus going with mechanical fittings or fittings of different material. I trust poly over 50 years more than stainless and brass when buried.

 

[forgeblast]

Just wondering if you pull out the metal and throw in the poly, do you want to put some metal (al foil, etc) in the hole to find the line again?

 

[ultrarunner]

Most likely will put in a copper trace wire to run the length of the new line.

 

[paulharvey]

Small disadvantage of PE pipe is:

Brass fittings are costly

Brass fitting aren't just laying around at Ace Hardware, for repairs/modification

Larger Poly has a tendency to string back up if you don't compact well at the meter box (at the city I worked for we only allowed 1" poly; the 2" would actually lift the meter box and yoke out of the ground if not compacted well)

Make sure you use the provided SS inserts at the compression fittings

Make sure you tighten the screw on the compression fitting till brass touches brass, and the stop. The brass will brake if you horse on it too much

 

[ultrarunner]

Good to know about 2" PE... kind of going in that direction now with the added benefit of better fire suppression with a 2" line.

What does the city accept for greater than 2" lines?

 

[paulharvey]

We used to use schedule 40 Pvc, but lately we went to schedule 80 pvc. The schedule 80 is a bit stronger, and doesn't crack as easily.

I'm not making a blanket statement that all cities don't use 2" PE (poly) . Some do and some dont. I've even been told that up north they still use some copper for services.

3" lines we didn't really use
4-12" we used CLlDIP (concrete lined ductile iron pipe) or C900 PVC DR-18 or SDR-11 HDPE. The city I worked for was very big on DIP, but I would guess 90% of city and counties don't use much DIP anymore. Iron and steel pipes get an interior rusty build up called tuberculation, that reduces the ID over time.

Note: as oof like jan.6 2014 all the brass sold is No Lead (NL) and it created a bit of a shortage. So make sure you can get your 2" (or 1"; 1.5"; ect).