Anyone repaired a water line?

[alwaysFlOoReD]

You might try using a bigger shovel...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You might try using a bigger shovel...

Maybe he is paying himself by the hour?

 

[Jim Oaks]

LOL. That's my archeological shovel. I unearthed a sprite can, a wrench, and a sparkplug doing this job.

 

[RonD]

You can cut out a section and if you can clean off some of the rust on the old pipe ends, use compression fittings and a short new section of pipe in between

Like these compression fittings: https://www.plumbingsupply.com/galvanized-compression-fittings.html

There is also fiberglass type epoxy tape that might work, but never used it myself

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

LOL. That's my archeological shovel. I unearthed a sprite can, a wrench, and a sparkplug doing this job.

Should switch to brushes...

 

[Jim Oaks]

I tried brushes. They don't work well in the mud.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I had my main burst back in December. It was over 7 foot down at the house... 9 foot at the road. Snow on the ground... freezing temps... and was leaking into the basement. Lots of tree roots from a huge tree we removed.

With only one good hand left... I paid. Wasn't a battle I was willing to participate in.

 

[Jim Oaks]

The line is to rusty and the hole is to big to patch, so I'm digging it up and replacing the section that runs between the foundation and a spigot next to the concrete slab. There's threaded connections there that I'm hoping to hook to.

I bought a roll of 3/4"x100' white PEX. When I searched online to see if there's an recommendations about burying it, people are saying to sleeve it with PVC.

Seriously. Why the hell wouldn't I just use PVC instead? It's like I'm running a water line inside if a water line and wasting money.

 

[G8orFord]

I'd run PVC in ground.

 

[2011Supercab]

I bought a roll of 3/4"x100' white PEX. When I searched online to see if there's an recommendations about burying it, people are saying to sleeve it with PVC.

What they have doing out here where I live is put the PEX inside 4" non-perforated drain pipe.

Idea is so next time it needs replaced, all you have to do is dig up both ends, and use the old water line to pull the new water line through.

 

[superj]

I just run that new pipe in the ground. We sleeved iron and copper but not plastic.

Someone thought that through, the reason to run it in that other plastic line. But i don't plan on ever replacing plastic lines so i havent sleeved any. I guess jn those areas where it freezes though, you have to plan for things breaking

 

[Jim Oaks]

The water is finally back on.

I tried to repair it but it leaked so I dug out the line between the house and a water spigot next to the patio/driveway.

I was able to heat the fitting at each end of the pipe connection and use 2 pipe wrenches with some long square tubing over the handles for leverage to get them apart.

From start to finish it took a week. A couple of days to find the leak and dig it up, then more time to try to repair it, and then dig up the rest of the line and replace it. The whole line was 16 feet.

I used 3/4" PEX B with push to connect fittings. I has going to just cover the PEX with sand, but it was $6 a bag, so I got some 1 inch PVC for a lot less. I had to buy a pipe thread tap to clean the threads near the spigot.

i was pretty excited when I turned the water on and there were no leaks, but then felt a punch to the gut when I went inside and there was no water at the faucets.

I went outside and turned the spigot on to confirm that there was water. Came back inside and got a little water running, but very little pressure. Seems like every time I ran the spigot it helped the water oressure a little.

At one point I'd have pressure and then it would drop. After a while I had pretty decent pressure through the whole house. It took hours though to get the air out of the lines and get good water flow.

It was cheaper to buy 100 feet of line than section to do this and the rest of my line.

I'm about $100 in right now for material and I have enough PEX to fo the rest if my main water line. Just need more Fittings.

I'm guessing I would have paid over $1,000 to have a plumber fix this

 

[Curious Hound]

Glad you got it worked out.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Good job!

 

[Josh B]

Awesome Jim, it was some tough weather too. Glad you got it fixed