New 1200' polyethylene water line questions

[klwinter2]

I will be installing 1200' of new waterline to gain access to city water after my well has failed.

My question are:
1. Given such a long run, can I install a few cut offs in the line for leak testing in the future?
I planned to add a large pipe down to the valve and insulate the hole.
If I have a leak I can then shut down valves and narrow my digging requirements.

2. Using polyethylene, should I pay extra and double sleeve the waterline...This is what we do in rocky areas, but what about the whole length?

dry in TN

 

[hj]

1. WHY would you do that, if you have a leak, dig where the ground is wet.
2. Doing that would make finding ANY leak impossible since the water would come out of one end of the sleeve or the other no matter WHERE the leak was in the 1200'.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Gary Slusser]

Special order if necessary a 1300' coil of 1.25" or 2" 200 psi rated PE pipe from a pump or plumbing supply or online and install it correctly a foot below your frost line and there shouldn't be any leaks.

 

[Gary Swart]

I don't claim to have super knowledge of hydralics, but if I was doing it, I would opt for the 2". I think a 1200 foot run will result in a fair amount of pressure/flow loss which be lessen with 2" pipe. It will be more money, but if you put in 1-1/2" then someday you had a need for more capacity, then what? You'd either have to live with what you have or redo it. Besides, it never hurts to have something in reserve.

 

[klwinter2]

what about the extra shut offs ever 400'?

What about the shuts offs?

 

[Gary Slusser]

I would not install valves, if you install the line correctly it probably will never leak. A couple million wells in North America up to 30+ years old don't have leaks in their underground water lines.

You really do not want anything between a sub pump and its pressure switch that can block/stop water flow. You don't want the pressure loss of valves and fittings either.

 

[Jadnashua]

If, for some reason, you do end up with a leak, the first thing is to look for a wet spot. Then, if that isn't definitive enough, there are companies that have specialized leak location devices. My sister works for a municiple water company, and one of her jobs used to be leak location. She could isolate a leak to within a few feet nearly 100% of the time and this was underneath a road, curbs, etc. Much easier to do in plain soil without that covering. If you get it burried properly below the frost line, the most likely source of a leak would be excavation, and then, you'd pretty much know where it was anyway.

 

[Ballvalve]

What is the inlet pressure? 1" would very likely suffice. If you sleeve it, in say 2" PVC, you can pull the entire pipe out and replace it easily, but it likely will be in your next lifetime.

No shutoffs.

Here is one of many calculators. there are better ones if you search more.

http://irrigation.wsu.edu/Content/Calculators/General/Pipe-Velocity.php

 

[Jadnashua]

As stated earlier, if you sleeve it, and your worries about getting a leak have merit, you wouldn't be able to locate the leak and fix it...you'd essentially need to redo the whole thing as the sleeve would mask where the problem was as it could only come one one or the other end...just run the stuff, be careful about backfilling, and you should be okay. Unless you have a very rocky, sharp-edged fill, you should be okay.