Water tastes funny after tapping service line

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hughbiquitous

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Last night I tapped into my HDPE service line to start an irrigation system.

The connection went like this:

1. HDPE service line from street
2. Flo-control adapter (HDPE to 1" spigot)
3. SCH40 1" coupling
4. 4-inch length of 1" SCH40 pipe
5. SCH40 tee -> off to backflow preventer and sprinkler
6. 4-inch length of 1" SCH40 pipe
7. SCH40 1" coupling
8. Flo-control adapter (1" spigot to HDPE)
9. HDPE service line to house

This morning the water tastes and smells funny - I recognize the smell; I think it's the PVC primer or cement.

Is that normal? Should it flush its way out, or do I need to do something different?
 

Gary Slusser

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IMO it's not normal, and I've done a lot of potable water line plumbing using sch 40 pvc and poly pipe. I can't recall the last time anyone had the problem. It should flush out, depending on how much cleaner/primer and cement was used. The thing is that I've not used those materials on chlorinated water; assuming you are on chlorinated water which may be chlormines instead of chlorine now.

But what is the "flow control adapter"? And why the couplings?

Gary
Quality Water Associates
 

hughbiquitous

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Thanks Gary - yes, it's pretty much flushed out now. By last night it was fine; there was a little smell when I ran the water this morning but it disappeared quickly.

The flo-control thing (see http://www.flocontrol.com/compress.htm ) lets me connect to the HDPE lines. It's like a compression tee except on the HDPE side it has a smooth insert (not barbed) on the inner side and a metal ring with teeth and a gasket on the outer side. Is that clear as mud?

Initially I was just going to use a barbed insert tee and clamp it off but I couldn't find one that would fit the inner diameter - 1" barb was too big; 3/4" barb was too small...

Anyway, I didn't discover that until I cut into the line. I had to get water service restored, so I rigged something up until the plumbing supply store opened the next day. The guy showed me these flo-control gizmos and they work like a champ. Turns out that's what they used to connect the HDPE to the meter as well.

Why all the couplings, etc.? By the time I was done rigging up a temporary solution I had removed enough of the HDPE that I couldn't span the distance with a regular 1" SCH40 tee.
 
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