Briggs2513
New Member
Thats what I thought but one fitting has come apart and the other was leaking around the seal, I have yet to find the other leak.
Leaking underground 2" PVC water line
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Briggs2513
New Member
Found the other two leaks yesterday, they were right upstream from the original leak right off the meter. At first it was just one but after I repaired it the next one up leaked. Again these were just spraying out around the fitting they did not come apart. After fixing those I turned the water back on and tested the pressure at the hydrant off the hose I had connected. The pressure is 84 PSI, it held for 10 min. before I removed the gauge. While connected it fluctuated a few times by 1 or 2 PSI but I’m not sure that’s not just the pressure change with the main supply. It always went back up to 84 PSI though. Do you think my pressure is too high? I am already planning on putting in a hydrant in an underground box to water trees up front later down the road. Do you think I need to add a pressure regulator in as well? If so please let me know what a good adjustable regulator would be.
Thanks again for all of your help.
Thanks again for all of your help.
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How do you think the leaks occur, and why do you think you won't get new similar leaks?
Pressure regulator... the magic number is supposedly 80 PSI. If I had such a system, I would put a pressure gauge in place that had a lazy/tattletale hand to remember the peak pressure. That peak might occur at 4AM when the power rates are low and the water tower is filled to the top. I might stretch the limit myself.
In the PRVs, some have a feature called a "bypass". With a bypass, if the downstream pressure gets higher than the incoming pressure, water is bypassed back to the input. How does the downstream pressure get higher? When water gets hotter, the water expands. You take a shower. Cool water comes into the WH. The water heater heats and expands the water. The normal cure for this is to have a big-enough thermal expansion tank. This has an air precharge that should be set at or a little above the PRV regulated pressure. In a few cases, the bypass feature allows you to not have and expansion tank. In other cases, the water meter has a checkvalve. In that case, you need the expansion tank, even if you don't have a PRV.
A PRV will have some pressure drop below its regulating pressure when the flow is big. Look at the specs. Some PRVs have a cartridge that can be replaced rather than replacing the whole valve. So I don't know which are better, which was what you were asking.
Pressure regulator... the magic number is supposedly 80 PSI. If I had such a system, I would put a pressure gauge in place that had a lazy/tattletale hand to remember the peak pressure. That peak might occur at 4AM when the power rates are low and the water tower is filled to the top. I might stretch the limit myself.
In the PRVs, some have a feature called a "bypass". With a bypass, if the downstream pressure gets higher than the incoming pressure, water is bypassed back to the input. How does the downstream pressure get higher? When water gets hotter, the water expands. You take a shower. Cool water comes into the WH. The water heater heats and expands the water. The normal cure for this is to have a big-enough thermal expansion tank. This has an air precharge that should be set at or a little above the PRV regulated pressure. In a few cases, the bypass feature allows you to not have and expansion tank. In other cases, the water meter has a checkvalve. In that case, you need the expansion tank, even if you don't have a PRV.
A PRV will have some pressure drop below its regulating pressure when the flow is big. Look at the specs. Some PRVs have a cartridge that can be replaced rather than replacing the whole valve. So I don't know which are better, which was what you were asking.
Briggs2513
New Member
I'm not sure I won't get more leaks, I wish I knew why they were happening. The leaks have all happened in areas where the trench was perfectly straight. Not sure if the pipes were not bedded properly and thats why they leaked or not.
Flapper
Member
I've read that the max allowed by code is 85 so I think you'll be ok without a PRV but it might be a good idea to get one.
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