Running potable water pipe inside 2" conduit underground. What are pipe options?

[TurboMan]

Running 150ft of water underground from one pole barn to another. Want to run the potable water line inside 2" conduit for easy replacement in case of a freeze issue. Are there any types of pipe that would flexible enough for this application? Would PEX-A be the best?

 

[John Gayewski]

We have pulled 1" pex a through 2"conduit. Actually on Monday I'm gonna attempt the farthest run I've tried yet. We need to pull roughly 150'. I think we'll be able to do it but it's not easy.

If you only need a 3/4" line it should be very doable. Just make sure you use actual electrical conduit with the really long sweep fittings.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jeff H Young]

black poly should be doable as well I seldem work with either not sure which easier poly is a bit cheaper .

 

[TurboMan]

We have pulled 1" pex a through 2"conduit. Actually on Monday I'm gonna attempt the farthest run I've tried yet. We need to pull roughly 150'. I think we'll be able to do it but it's not easy.

If you only need a 3/4" line it should be very doable. Just make sure you use actual electrical conduit with the really long sweep fittings.

Thank you John.

I wanted to use 1 1/4" but 1" will work. Did you use PEX-A or PEX-B. A is supposed to be more flexible.

I saw that the min radius for 1" is 8" which is just about what a 2" Electrical PVC 90 is.

 

[John Gayewski]

Pex a all the way

 

[Jeff H Young]

definately use Type A more bendable if going pex , 2" sweeps are 18 inch radius not 8 sorry differant radius are available std is 9.5 inch radius next size up is 18

 

[TurboMan]

Just for reference Home Depot sells two rolls of PEX-A 1" 300 ft.

PLUMBFLEX 1 in. x 300 ft. Blue Polyethylene Tubing PEX A Non-Barrier Pipe and Tubing for Potable Water A-PFW-B1300 - The Home Depot

Add length to an existing piece of your pipeline by Blue Polyethylene Tubing PEX A NonBarrier Pipe Tubing for Potable Water The Plumber s Choice.

www.homedepot.com

Apollo 1 in. x 300 ft. White PEX-A Expansion Pipe EPPW3001 - The Home Depot

Apollo - 1/2 White PEXA Expansion Pipe - this piece is a must-have for your home.

www.homedepot.com

One is labeled "expansion pipe". Is there a difference? Does it matter which one I choose for the 150 ft run I need to do?

 

[Jeff H Young]

differant brands and I have not heard of a brand being better than another. both are expandable

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

We don't typically use fittings in the conduit so that there is nothing to hang up on when pulling tubing through. But if you get pipe with bell ends on it, you can install them so the lip of the pipe is always in the same direction. We always run tracer wire with it too in order to make it findable without digging later. Make sure to run at least 1 extra pull cord through the conduit with the PEX.

 

[Jeff H Young]

Hopefully pull 150 run with no joints underground. I like the the warning tape as well that a buried water line is buryied below. can be handy

 

[John Gayewski]

Just for reference Home Depot sells two rolls of PEX-A 1" 300 ft.

PLUMBFLEX 1 in. x 300 ft. Blue Polyethylene Tubing PEX A Non-Barrier Pipe and Tubing for Potable Water A-PFW-B1300 - The Home Depot

Add length to an existing piece of your pipeline by Blue Polyethylene Tubing PEX A NonBarrier Pipe Tubing for Potable Water The Plumber s Choice.

www.homedepot.com

Apollo 1 in. x 300 ft. White PEX-A Expansion Pipe EPPW3001 - The Home Depot

Apollo - 1/2 White PEXA Expansion Pipe - this piece is a must-have for your home.

www.homedepot.com

One is labeled "expansion pipe". Is there a difference? Does it matter which one I choose for the 150 ft run I need to do?

Pretty sure the expansion pipe is pex a and the other is b. Apollo is the one I'd use.

Alot of the home depot/Lowes/ Menards sites have the pictures and the descriptions messed up. It's not a reliable way to pick materials.

 

[TurboMan]

Have the trench done and all pipes in the trench. Have strings pulled including one for the PEX pipe. My retired election friend was going to help.

Used 2" PVC with electrical sweeping 90's.

John can you elaborate on how you did the pull? Not sure how to attach the string to the end of the PEX pipe other than to drill small holes and pass the string through it.

 

[Fitter30]

Have shop vac. Tie plastic grocery bag on the string vac at the other end vac will pull the string through quickly. Don't forget tracetape for the ditch.

 

[John Gayewski]

There's a knot we use in piping to lift or pull pipe. I can't remember the name of it. You tie a knot and then loop it several times down the length of the pipe and tape it to the pipe. The more you pull the more the rope digs in and cinches tight. You actually don't need the tape but we use it anyway just in case. Sorry a can't be of more help than that.

 

[Jeff H Young]

There's a knot we use in piping to lift or pull pipe. I can't remember the name of it. You tie a knot and then loop it several times down the length of the pipe and tape it to the pipe. The more you pull the more the rope digs in and cinches tight. You actually don't need the tape but we use it anyway just in case. Sorry a can't be of more help than that.

Some sort of hitch I used a clove hitch with some variation (almost exclusively ) for picking pipe like cast iron with rope all my tag lines on 40 ft lengthes moving big pipe we used the same type knots a couple hitches and the tag taped to the pipe being pulled probebly bullet proof as well for this operation

 

[TurboMan]

Got it done over the weekend. We ended up drilling holes an inch or so from the end of the pipe and pass copper wires through opposite end holes and have the wires come out in the middle. Funny thing is after getting it ready to go my retired electrician friend started walking toward the other end. I started ramming the PEX into the PVC. He said as he was walking next to the trench he could here the PEX pipe moving along. Only hang up was the 90 at the other end. Quick pull on the pull string and the PEX emerged from the end. Took about 5 min.

We had a tornado hit our area in between digging the trench and back filling. Had a few cave ins to where in a few spots the depth of the pipe is about 40" instead of the original 48". Excavator told me he has never seen frost go below 2ft.

Thanks for all the help!

 

[Jeff H Young]

Got it done over the weekend. We ended up drilling holes an inch or so from the end of the pipe and pass copper wires through opposite end holes and have the wires come out in the middle. Funny thing is after getting it ready to go my retired electrician friend started walking toward the other end. I started ramming the PEX into the PVC. He said as he was walking next to the trench he could here the PEX pipe moving along. Only hang up was the 90 at the other end. Quick pull on the pull string and the PEX emerged from the end. Took about 5 min.

We had a tornado hit our area in between digging the trench and back filling. Had a few cave ins to where in a few spots the depth of the pipe is about 40" instead of the original 48". Excavator told me he has never seen frost go below 2ft.

Thanks for all the help!

Sweet love success stories!