Water Pressure Line Advice

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James L Gayhart

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I just repaired a leak on the water line coming off the water meter box. One PVC junction had blown out. Possibly due to the prior plumber not doing the PVC weld right or it could be from the extreme drought were currently having here in Texas causing soil shifting. However in getting the line repaired, I noticed that the line was only about 5-6 inches below soil level where the junction leak occurred.

The water line starts out at about 10-12 inches below ground (3/4 inch pipe) at the meter, but they then did a junction and raised the pipe up 5-6 inches and connected it into a 1 inch pipe. This 1 inch pipe runs about 16 feet before then being turned down with a junction and then another short 1 inch junction into a 2 inch PVC pipe. In researching the line buried depth may be okay since the SW Texas Freeze line for the Hill Country is estimated around 5-10 inches.

However, would there be anything I would need to consider if I attempt to eliminate all the junctions that raise the pipe and just connect from the water meter straight horizontally from the water meter to the 2 inch pipe? I'm assuming that the 3/4 inch PVC coming out of the meter and then connected to a 1 inch PVC and then connected to a 2 inch PVC pipe is arranged that way to account for water pressure???
 

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Reach4

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The increases in diameter during the path is not something you would plan.

Speaking of pressure, how is the water pressure at the house when you are not using water? How is it when you are using a lot of water? Instead of "how is", I should have asked the PSI.

Zigs and zags have their advantages.

See https://www.charlottepipe.com/Documents/PL_Tech_Man/ExpansionandContraction.pdf

If you consider redoing the path, I would consider polyethylene. Don't pull it tight so as to allow for contraction when cooler.
 

Jeff H Young

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typically after the tailpiece I'll put a 3/4 brass 90 pointed down a male adapter and then a short piece of pipe going down to 18 inches minimum depth at the bottom a 2 inch 90 with 2x3/4 bushing and run your 2 inch wherever.
If you don't mind spending a few more bucks put a 2 inch brass 90 on with a 2x 3/4 bushing looking down at the tail piece and run all 2 inch. this is a little better but if you need a 2 inch line you should have a little bigger meter but I've run with undersized meters at least your part of job is good
 

James L Gayhart

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The increases in diameter during the path is not something you would plan.

Speaking of pressure, how is the water pressure at the house when you are not using water? How is it when you are using a lot of water? Instead of "how is", I should have asked the PSI.

Zigs and zags have their advantages.

See https://www.charlottepipe.com/Documents/PL_Tech_Man/ExpansionandContraction.pdf

If you consider redoing the path, I would consider polyethylene. Don't pull it tight so as to allow for contraction when cooler.
The increases in diameter during the path is not something you would plan.

Speaking of pressure, how is the water pressure at the house when you are not using water? How is it when you are using a lot of water? Instead of "how is", I should have asked the PSI.

Zigs and zags have their advantages.

See https://www.charlottepipe.com/Documents/PL_Tech_Man/ExpansionandContraction.pdf

If you consider redoing the path, I would consider polyethylene. Don't pull it tight so as to allow for contraction when cooler.
Hello Reach4,

The water pressure hovers around 50-54 PSI when nothing is being used. Drops down to about 40 PSI if something is turned on! The town I live (Leakey, Tx) has only 428 people with a small City Water Supply. The term building/plumbing codes don't hunt around here so no surprise if the different diameters and pipe being raised and lowered are not according to code. I was thinking maybe the former plumbers were elevating the pipe over a possible electric line, but I've cleared out around the pipe and have made a trench level from the water main to the 2 inch and didn't see any sign of an electric line???

Anyway, the 2 inch pipe runs about a 1/4 of a mile uphill to the residence and I guess it is downsized to smaller PVC pipe there since the pressure gauge sits on an incoming PVC pipe of 3/4 before going into a water softener. When fixing the leak it took about 10-15 minutes for the pipes to pressurized back to where water would run.

So there shouldn't be a problem cutting out the elbow junctions and lowering the pipe to ground trench level and reconnect the 3/4 to the 1 inch and the 1 inch to the 2 inch with appropriate couplings?

You also mentioned polyethylene. Is that PEX? Never have worked with it. Although I hear that it has advantages over PVC. Probably would be able to withstand soil movement better?

I just repaired a leak on the water line coming off the water meter box. One PVC junction had blown out. Possibly due to the prior plumber not doing the PVC weld right or it could be from the extreme drought were currently having here in Texas causing soil shifting. However in getting the line repaired, I noticed that the line was only about 5-6 inches below soil level where the junction leak occurred.

The water line starts out at about 10-12 inches below ground (3/4 inch pipe) at the meter, but they then did a junction and raised the pipe up 5-6 inches and connected it into a 1 inch pipe. This 1 inch pipe runs about 16 feet before then being turned down with a junction and then another short 1 inch junction into a 2 inch PVC pipe. In researching the line buried depth may be okay since the SW Texas Freeze line for the Hill Country is estimated around 5-10 inches.

However, would there be anything I would need to consider if I attempt to eliminate all the junctions that raise the pipe and just connect from the water meter straight horizontally from the water meter to the 2 inch pipe? I'm assuming that the 3/4 inch PVC coming out of the meter and then connected to a 1 inch PVC and then connected to a 2 inch PVC pipe is arranged that way to account for water pressure???
 

Reach4

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Polyethylene pipe comes in various type. If you use SIDR (standard inside dimension), it connects with barbed fittings.

It is available in long rolls. It is cheaper than pex for similar sized pipe, and it is larger ID than PEX for a given nominal size.

While you don't have Menards in your area, this serves as a convenient place to see what is available, and to see what a good price would be.

The 55 psi you see with no flow would be the same if the pipe was 1/2 inch or 4 inch. It is when you start putting flow through that he dynamic head pressure loss happens, and pipe diameter has a big effect on that. There is nothing wrong with starting with 3/4 inch pipe out of the meter, and then switching to maybe 1-1/2 inch for the rest of the trip. Pressure drops add.

http://irrigation.wsu.edu/Content/Calculators/General/Pipeline-Pressure-Loss.php is a simple calculator that you can use to examine the dynamic losses. Figure about 7 to 10 gpm for a common house.
 

James L Gayhart

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typically after the tailpiece I'll put a 3/4 brass 90 pointed down a male adapter and then a short piece of pipe going down to 18 inches minimum depth at the bottom a 2 inch 90 with 2x3/4 bushing and run your 2 inch wherever.
If you don't mind spending a few more bucks put a 2 inch brass 90 on with a 2x 3/4 bushing looking down at the tail piece and run all 2 inch. this is a little better but if you need a 2 inch line you should have a little bigger meter but I've run with undersized meters at least your part of job is good
Hello Jeff,

I was thinking of eliminating all of the 1 inch elbow couplers and then just reconnect the water meter to the 2 inch line at ground level (about 15-24 inches depth) with regular couplers so the line would just be laying at the bottom of the trench I've dug out between the main and the 2 inch pipe. Would that work or have any disadvantages?
 

James L Gayhart

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Polyethylene pipe comes in various type. If you use SIDR (standard inside dimension), it connects with barbed fittings.

It is available in long rolls. It is cheaper than pex for similar sized pipe, and it is larger ID than PEX for a given nominal size.

While you don't have Menards in your area, this serves as a convenient place to see what is available, and to see what a good price would be.

The 55 psi you see with no flow would be the same if the pipe was 1/2 inch or 4 inch. It is when you start putting flow through that he dynamic head pressure loss happens, and pipe diameter has a big effect on that. There is nothing wrong with starting with 3/4 inch pipe out of the meter, and then switching to maybe 1-1/2 inch for the rest of the trip. Pressure drops add.

http://irrigation.wsu.edu/Content/Calculators/General/Pipeline-Pressure-Loss.php is a simple calculator that you can use to examine the dynamic losses. Figure about 7 to 10 gpm for a common house.
Reach4,

I'll look at the Menards website regarding polyethylene. Also how to install. I believer there are certain tools to enlarge the pipe and then put in the various diameter barb/clamps I would need? I was looking at the web last night and their was a video on using PEX. I'm assuming poly is connected the same way or not????

Thanks
 

Jeff H Young

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Poly is black and you don't use expansion, it just takes a barb fitting and clamps you would likely need to use different material at the meter connection to get down to proper depth. the sooner you get the pipe upsized to 2 inch the better but if you have a minimal fittings and length it can be negligible advantage but as soon as I get down to my desired depth I would be at full size
 

WorthFlorida

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Millions of homes in the sun belt have PVC from the meter to the home. As you experienced leaks happen all the time. Usually I find its roots lifting the soil and pulling apart cemented fittings no matter how good the work was performed. PEX is approved for underground and under the slab work. One big advantage is there would be no fittings except at each end of the run. With Shark-bite fittings available, an expansion tool is not needed, however to be compliant, Shark Bite sells wrapping material to be used at any below grade fitting for any kind of pipe.

 

Fitter30

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Max flow is what comes through the meter. The 2" " will lower the fiction loss as will less fittings. If theres a shut off valve your side of meter or in the house full port valves should be used. Don't know how many feet your running but tracer tape might be a good idea to put in ditch with the pipe so it can easily found.
 

Reach4

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Reach4,

I'll look at the Menards website regarding polyethylene. Also how to install. I believer there are certain tools to enlarge the pipe and then put in the various diameter barb/clamps I would need? I was looking at the web last night and their was a video on using pex. I'm assuming poly is connected the same way or not????
Barbed fittings (sometimes called insert fittings) are pushed into the heated SIDR pipe end, and one or two stainless steel worm gear clamps are used over the pipe, which is over the barb. Boiling water is one way to heat the pipe to make it more flexible temporarily to accept the barbed fittings.

Rather than using cheap irrigation fittings, you might spring for the more expensive brass fittings.
 

Jeff H Young

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Good call fitter 30 on the tracer wire required in my code for plastic water main.
small pipe less flow so yea get to the 2 inch asap 3/4 meter with 2 inch main if you actually need that size piping then likely the meter is undersized but you will still have some benefit of bigger pipe, and if meter is ever upsized at least the main is good
 
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