BEST way to set up a long water main?

Westonium · Jun 4, 2006

( 1", 200psi, poly pipe rolls 100' long for 38$ at home depot today. )

Man, I guess I'll have to see about getting an order through them. The HD near me is pretty crappy when it comes to plumbing - they often have NO 1.25" fittings or sch40 pipe.

I've been wondering what this flexible blue pipe stuff is that is under my house connecting from the house line to behind the garage (presumably for watering animals etc). I figured it had to be freeze resistant the way it was laid - I bet it is PE.

I am going to do some shopping for this stuff come Monday. I'm hoping the local rental will have the trencher available mid-week (hopefully we'll have a couple of days of sunny and dry by then)

I want to leave the current power feed where it is, but there is no reason I couldn't have a low voltage relay to the house (cheap wire and minimal electrocution risk if the line gets worked on). The wire required to power a 3HP pump over a distance of 600' would be ridiculously expensive. I know you'd want to be real sure the voltage was okay at the pump because as I know it undervolting an a/c motor is bad news.

This PE stuff being sold in HD must be a regional thing because they have been like a second home for the last 10 years and I've never laid eyes on it.

Westonium · Jun 4, 2006

( 1", 200psi, poly pipe rolls 100' long for 38$ at home depot today. )

Man, I guess I'll have to see about getting an order through them. The HD near me is pretty crappy when it comes to plumbing - they often have NO 1.25" fittings or sch40 pipe.

I've been wondering what this flexible blue pipe stuff is that is under my house connecting from the house line to behind the garage (presumably for watering animals etc). I figured it had to be freeze resistant the way it was laid - I bet it is PE.

I am going to do some shopping for this stuff come Monday. I'm hoping the local rental will have the trencher available mid-week (hopefully we'll have a couple of days of sunny and dry by then)

I want to leave the current power feed where it is, but there is no reason I couldn't have a low voltage relay to the house (cheap wire and minimal electrocution risk if the line gets worked on). The wire required to power a 3HP pump over a distance of 600' would be ridiculously expensive. I know you'd want to be real sure the voltage was okay at the pump because as I know it undervolting an a/c motor is bad news.

This PE stuff being sold in HD must be a regional thing because they have been like a second home for the last 10 years and I've never laid eyes on it.

Westonium · Jun 6, 2006

UPDATE:
I ordered 700' of 200psi 2" Poly pipe (2 300' rolls and 1 100' roll).

I found a pipe supply place. I'd been searching for a place like this - a plumbing supply paradise for a while.

I'll have the hand-digging stuff done this weekend, and I'll rent the trencher once I have the pipe ready to go. I've read that it is a pain to get to un-roll, so I'm betting that won't be very fun.

I am going to try to correct some of the well-house mess while I am at this.

Thanks for the advice!

Westonium · Jun 6, 2006

UPDATE:
I ordered 700' of 200psi 2" Poly pipe (2 300' rolls and 1 100' roll).

I found a pipe supply place. I'd been searching for a place like this - a plumbing supply paradise for a while.

I'll have the hand-digging stuff done this weekend, and I'll rent the trencher once I have the pipe ready to go. I've read that it is a pain to get to un-roll, so I'm betting that won't be very fun.

I am going to try to correct some of the well-house mess while I am at this.

Thanks for the advice!

turnkey4099 · Jun 6, 2006

( UPDATE:
I ordered 700' of 200psi 2" Poly pipe (2 300' rolls and 1 100' roll).

<snip>

I've read that it is a pain to get to un-roll, so I'm betting that won't be very fun.

I am going to try to correct some of the well-house mess while I am at this.

Thanks for the advice! )

I haven't handled the PE tube in that size, only up to 1". 1" is very easy to kink while unrolling. Once kinked you have to cut that out and splice.

Harry K

turnkey4099 · Jun 6, 2006

( UPDATE:
I ordered 700' of 200psi 2" Poly pipe (2 300' rolls and 1 100' roll).

<snip>

I've read that it is a pain to get to un-roll, so I'm betting that won't be very fun.

I am going to try to correct some of the well-house mess while I am at this.

Thanks for the advice! )

I haven't handled the PE tube in that size, only up to 1". 1" is very easy to kink while unrolling. Once kinked you have to cut that out and splice.

Harry K

Highbeam · Jun 6, 2006

Set the poly out in the sun to get it warm. The 2" will be a bugger but here's how I do it. I pull off the start of the roll and anchor it with whatever you have like a big pile of dirt back over it with your truck. Then unroll the roll as you walk along the trench. every so often, say 50 feet, flop the pipe into the trench and backfill at that spot to hold it down. Keep the roll together as much as possible because if that pipe uncoils and turns into a rats nest you won't be happy.

Are you going to rent the welder? You need to join those three chunks of pipe and the ideal method is with a welding iron. Though I have used all types of fittings with zero failures to date.

I had no kinking problems. The 200 psi stuff is tough. If You intentionally kink it, no problem, it is still perfectly usable as long as it is not at a joint. In fact, our water department actually has tools to pinch it shut so that they can replace a meter setter with the line still under pressure.

Let us know how it goes. A 300' roll of 2" will be pretty heavy and hard to handle. Better be sure to have a helper or two.

Highbeam · Jun 6, 2006

Set the poly out in the sun to get it warm. The 2" will be a bugger but here's how I do it. I pull off the start of the roll and anchor it with whatever you have like a big pile of dirt back over it with your truck. Then unroll the roll as you walk along the trench. every so often, say 50 feet, flop the pipe into the trench and backfill at that spot to hold it down. Keep the roll together as much as possible because if that pipe uncoils and turns into a rats nest you won't be happy.

Are you going to rent the welder? You need to join those three chunks of pipe and the ideal method is with a welding iron. Though I have used all types of fittings with zero failures to date.

I had no kinking problems. The 200 psi stuff is tough. If You intentionally kink it, no problem, it is still perfectly usable as long as it is not at a joint. In fact, our water department actually has tools to pinch it shut so that they can replace a meter setter with the line still under pressure.

Let us know how it goes. A 300' roll of 2" will be pretty heavy and hard to handle. Better be sure to have a helper or two.

Westonium · Jun 7, 2006

Thanks for the advice Highbeam

I am going to bring a helper out to the place to pick up the rolls. I am hoping we get it on a trailer without incidence.

I think I will opt to use quick-attach forks on my FEL to move those beasts up the hill. The place I am getting it from suggests I use the stainless steel clamps and barbed fittings. It seems a little odd, but then I assume that method has been tried/true/tested by now?

I'll let them warm up in the sun, and start at the house and work our way down vs. UP (yepper I'm a fart smeller). Hopefully we can roll the stuff out easily. Perhaps I can use bailing twine to keep the rest of the roll together - hopefuly we'll figure something out.

Hopefully the 200psi stuff will be a little harder to kink?

Westonium · Jun 7, 2006

Thanks for the advice Highbeam

I am going to bring a helper out to the place to pick up the rolls. I am hoping we get it on a trailer without incidence.

I think I will opt to use quick-attach forks on my FEL to move those beasts up the hill. The place I am getting it from suggests I use the stainless steel clamps and barbed fittings. It seems a little odd, but then I assume that method has been tried/true/tested by now?

I'll let them warm up in the sun, and start at the house and work our way down vs. UP (yepper I'm a fart smeller). Hopefully we can roll the stuff out easily. Perhaps I can use bailing twine to keep the rest of the roll together - hopefuly we'll figure something out.

Hopefully the 200psi stuff will be a little harder to kink?