Water Main question

Dottore · 11-20-2006, 01:03 PM

The water main to my house recently burst causing considerable damage to the property. It was a 2 inch PVC main that seems to have been subject to damage from roots and shifting soil.

Question:

Would you replace this with PVC or copper or some sort of flexipipe? If PVC - what grade would you use? What is the best solution for a difficult main? (Difficult because it is on a slope and has various roots and rocks to contend with.)

Any insights will be much appreciated.

Rot 911 · 11-20-2006, 01:19 PM

you definitely want to check with you city or county department that deals with plumbing permits. Most of them are pretty strict about what materials and sizes are allowed for the feed line to the house. Copper or iron pipe is the most common. However depending on the ph of the soil you might not be able to use copper.

Joeaksa · 11-20-2006, 01:24 PM

Kurt hits it on the head. You are bound by what is in the code, so start there.

Since you live in Lotus Land, we have no idea if you are north or south, cold or warm, and thus subject or not to freezing, which makes a difference.

stevepaa · 11-20-2006, 01:24 PM

Mine just developed a crack in the PVC elbow after 22 years. When they installed it the angle was not 90 degrees and they forced a fit. It fatigued and developed a hairline crack at the inner elbow. I replaced mine so that there was no inherent stress. I used PVC again.

Superman · 11-20-2006, 01:37 PM

I used polyethylene pipe. The real herky stuff. Still, it was slightly more flexible than PVC. And it met code.

Dottore · 11-20-2006, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joeaksa
Since you live in Lotus Land, we have no idea if you are north or south, cold or warm, and thus subject or not to freezing, which makes a difference.

The Code permits PVC, copper or some kind of flexible stuff that's been on the market a few years.

I was more interested in general comments about the durability of one over the other.

Presumeably if a root presses on the pipe - copper would be a better solution than PVC - since the latter could simply split. But what do I know?

It seldom if ever freezes here, and the Code requires the pipes to be two feet underground in any case.

Superman · 11-20-2006, 01:47 PM

Like I say, I was told to use the slightly more flexible, rubbery polyethylene pipe. The thick-walled stuff made to withstand 180 psi. It's cheap. Joints are easy to make. And it flexes. A little. If you lay the coil (the stuff comes in a coil) in the summer sunshine.

slow&rusty · 05:20 PM

I design water main for a living and you have some choices based on pressure in your neighborhood. You say water main but I belive you meant to say "service" to you house broke?
Without getting technical here are your choices:

1) High Density Poly Ethylene is the best, most common, flexible and best in terms of price. In the industry its known as HDPE

2) PVC

3) Copper is used still widely for services.

I would recommend the HDPE all day long, the industry is going this way.

Hope that helps - Yasin

Dottore · 11-20-2006, 05:20 PM

Many thanks for all of the helpful replies.

TerryH · TerryH's Garage

2 inch supply is larger than I've worked on. Do you have a very large estate with 10 bathrooms or what?

competentone · 11-20-2006, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TerryH
2 inch supply is larger than I've worked on. Do you have a very large estate with 10 bathrooms or what?

That's what I was wondering about too. Are you sure you are looking at your pipe? Or, with your description about "roots and rocks" is the actual main a smaller pipe encased in the 2-inch PVC?

Dottore · 11-20-2006, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by competentone
That's what I was wondering about too. Are you sure you are looking at your pipe? Or, with your description about "roots and rocks" is the actual main a smaller pipe encased in the 2-inch PVC?

No. Where I live the Code requires 2 inch PVC when the house has an outdoor sprinkler system - which we do.

So the main is actually 2-inch PVC.

TerryH · TerryH's Garage

Interesting. I don't think I have 2" going to my water meter from the street. Looks to be 1.5 NPT which measures just under 2". It's only 1" NPT from the meter to my house and 3/4 inside. We do run a lot of pressure here in LA though, so there is quite a bit of flow.

CurtEgerer · CurtEgerer's Garage

It could be worse ..... this is the result of a broken 12 inch watermain under a 1-year old house. The 75-year old homeowner woke up last New Year's Eve to the sound of churning water. She opened the basement door and saw what appeared to be the Colorado River swirling around at her feet

The water was up to the floor joists and pouring out of the windows into the street.

The guy built the house on top of a city watermain. The city had a record of the main but couldn't find it in the field and assumed it was abandoned years ago, so they issued the permit. Not. After probing for a few hours, I found the watermain and it was only 3 inches below the footing! The weight of the house cracked it.

Dottore · 11-21-2006, 03:00 PM

I need the help of the experts here again.

So the plumbers are drilling a new hole in my foundation (for the new water main) with a 2 1/2" concrete core drill. The hole is supposed to come into the house near the ceiling of my basement utility room. The core drill is water cooled. And the plumbers had drilled a small exploratory hole.

So now they are drilling from the outside with the core drill, and the water pours into the house through the exploratory hole. The insulation between the drywall and the cement foundation is soaked as are the 2 x 4's. I think the entire wall may be effected.

These guys are supposed to be with the most reputable plumbing shop in town - but I have the sense they have no idea what they are doing.

Am I right in thinking they need to replace the drywall and insulation and vapour barrier etc that got soaked???

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing??

CurtEgerer · CurtEgerer's Garage

I deal with this daily. Are you saying the cooling water from the drill is soaking the wall? If so, it depends on how much water. Bare minimum remediation: holes need to be drilled thru the drywall near the floor and a commercial air mover hooked to them to run air continuously up the wall cavity for a couple of days. It is possible to save everything if the drying starts right away. I've even seen bubbled drywall dry out and you'd never know it was wet. I would call a reputable insurance restoration contractor - they have the right equipment and do this all the time.

If its really wet, its time for new insulation and drywall. The wood framing won't be damaged - just needs to be dried.

Dottore · 11-21-2006, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by CurtEgerer
I deal with this daily. Are you saying the cooling water from the drill is soaking the wall? If so, it depends on how much water.
If its really wet, its time for new insulation and drywall. The wood framing won't be damaged - just needs to be dried.

Thanks for this. Yes it was a lot of water and the insulation and drywall are soaked.

I am insisting they replace it - but they claim its minimal damage, and they don't do drywall etc.

Fortunately they haven't been paid - so I have some leverage.

But thank you very much for the suggestions.

CurtEgerer · CurtEgerer's Garage

Take many photos and a video too. It will come in handy when dealing with the various insurance companies down the road! Once its documented, I'd tear the drywall out and get any kind of fans you have moving some air. You don't want this to turn into a mold problem.