My New House & Workshop

[Rick W]

Actually dead without water…

Journey of 1,000,000 miles starts with a single step, or with a single shovel full of dirt chasing down the waterline. It will be glorious when it’s done!

I’m sure you’ve got an air compressor. Tap it into the line and maybe you can see where the air is coming out in the yard.

I hope it helps

May not want to sit on that bidet until you figure it out if you’re using full air pressure…

 

[Jim Oaks]

So is it leaking or something? Did I miss why there’s no water, is it air locked like you said?

I’d pick an outside wall, dig down under the slab and drill a hole thru the cement from inside the building, in that wall and run your new pipe through the hole to the meter or whatever and bury it. Then run your new pex through the walls to your sink/pooper shutoff. Insulate any pipes that are on an outside wall,

I know it is popular to run water lines in attics down there but I would not do that. Way easier to fix a busted pipe near the ground and patch a wall than it is to fix it in the ceiling, plus the ceiling itself and the walls and whatever else it sprays onto.

The meter doesn't show water flowing, so no leak.

Someone ran a 3/8" copper line off the main line going to the house and ran it to the shop for the sink and toilet. I'd say the water hasn't been used in there for several years.

I replaced the shutoff valve in the shop with a new valve.

There isn't any other valve in the line. I don't understand why it won't let water flow. Sediment? Air pocket? The water line runs up hill a little from where it connects to the main line.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Perhaps its plugged. Try blowing air back down the line?

 

[Jim Oaks]

Perhaps its plugged. Try blowing air back down the line?

I set my air compressor at 100 psi (PEX is rated at 160) and blew air in the line. When I remove the air gun from the line, air in the line comes shooting back at me. Still no water.

I really wasn't ready to dig up the rest of my water line. Last summer I bought 100' of 3/4" PEX when I fixed my broken water line.

This kind of shows what I'm dealing with. The water line runs straight back from the meter to an outdoor spigot, and then runs at an angle to the house. At that same point is the 3/8" copper line that runs to the building.

The bathroom is in the rear corner of the original building, and the water line went behind the building and under the floor into the floor plate of the 2x4 wall. An addition was added later, so this area of copper line is now under the slab of the addition.

My thought was if I get the water going and there's good flow, I'll just connect the PEX to the copper line at the foundation of the building and save myself the work and expense of running line through (2) cinderblock walls and connecting to my new shutoff valve below.

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I have enough 3/4" PEX, I just need some brass fittings and a check valve.

I fricken dread this. I was without water for a week when I was digging up and fixing my broken water line. I'm sure it won't go smoothly, and I'll end up without water for a couple of days.

 

[ericbphoto]

If it was mine, I would put a shutoff valve right where it tees off the main supply. That should be a quick “first step”. Then you don’t have to be without water at the house any time you want to work on the shop line.

 

[Rick W]

Afterthought: I very rarely need hot water in my bathroom in the garage or the slop sink. When I built my garage, I actually ran a hot water line separate from the cold water line from the house. It probably takes a full 10 minutes for hot water to come out hot hot, but I’ve only used it about once a year.

Since it looks like you’re going to have to dig it up anyway, I just thought I’d throw it out there that you may want to run the two lines.

When I built the garage, I put a 2 inch PVC conduit from just outside my crawlspace under my deck to the corner of the garage. I bet I’ve pulled 10 different things through that conduit over the years, it’s actually getting full. Alarm system, the old phone system ran through there, I actually have a little air line so I can use compressed air in my kitchen, etc. etc. Again, if you’re digging it up anyway, just a thought.

Hope it helps

 

[Rick W]

Afterthought afterthought: I have one of those 2 1/2 inch augers you can put on the drill to plant the tulip bulbs and such. I don’t have any tulips. I’m old and feeble, and don’t do so well with a pick and shovel anymore, but I can use that drill and that auger and in seconds make all kinds a holes or at least loose dirt that’s easy to get out. I’ll bet it wouldn’t be hard to put an extension on it so you could drill right underneath your slab if you need to. I learned the trick do it is to only go about three or 4 inches at a time, and pull it out and pull the soil out with it, and then go another three or 4 inches. It sounds tedious, but it goes really quickly.

I think they’re about 12 or $15 at Home Depot

 

[ericbphoto]

When I built my garage, I actually ran a hot water line separate from the cold water line from the house. It probably takes a full 10 minutes for hot water to come out hot hot, but I’ve only used it about once a year.

Since it looks like you’re going to have to dig it up anyway, I just thought I’d throw it out there that you may want to run the two lines.

But you just told us how inefficient this method is due to the length of pipe and lost heat energy making the hot water travel that far. Plus, he would have to dig a greater distance and use even more materials to connect the hot water line from the house.

It’s an option, indeed. But not one I would choose.

 

[Rick W]

But you just told us how inefficient this method is due to the length of pipe and lost heat energy making the hot water travel that far. Plus, he would have to dig a greater distance and use even more materials to connect the hot water line from the house.

It’s an option, indeed. But not one I would choose.

Understood, I’m not pressing it, I just thought I’d throw it out there.


Edit: When I do these kinds of things and stuff like the Road Ranger, etc., I do an awful lot of blue sky-ing beforehand to try and consider all options, and a lot of times something seemingly goofy can trigger something that I would consider seriously.

 

[ericbphoto]

Understood, I’m not pressing it, I just thought I’d throw it out there.
Two
Edit: When I do these kinds of things and stuff like the Road Ranger, etc., I do an awful lot of blue sky-ing beforehand to try and consider all options, and a lot of times something seemingly goofy can trigger something that I would consider seriously.

Brainstorming is important. You never know how good or bad an idea is until you compare it to other ideas.

 

[Jim Oaks]

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This is the line coming into the water meter. You can see the big nut with some threads behind it. The threaded diameter seems to be 1-1/4" but the line coming into it is 3/4". There's also a small section running through the wall that attaches (2) 3/4" pipes together. The section of pipe outside of this meter well is rusty.

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If I could figure out what kind of 1-1/4" connection is and connect the PEX, my life would be a lit easier. However, I'm wondering if that threaded part outside of the meter area (2nd pic) is where the city expects me to connect to?

I'm probably going to have to ask the city.

 

[franklin2]

You can buy those water meter fittings. They come in various sizes. They have the large nut and then a flat rubber washer inside that seals the fitting, sort of like a washer in a garden hose fitting. They do that on both sides so they can turn the water off, loosen those fittings with the washers on both sides of the water meter, and pull the water meter out.

We do it every year where I work since we drain the system. Water stays in the meter and it will bust if we do not pull it out and take it to a heated building.

If you do any pipe work, just make sure you are downstream of the meter. You have to pay the man you know.

 

[Jim Oaks]

I looked earlier. I've yet to find one that goes from 1-1/4" to 3/4".

 

[Jim Oaks]

Wondering if I can piece these two together to attach my 3/4" PEX to the meter.

 

[ericbphoto]

Wondering if I can piece these two together to attach my 3/4" PEX to the meter.

View attachment 106769
View attachment 106770​

That should work fine.