Water lines

[kerley]

I'm going to install some underground water lines. Many people in my area use the white PVC type. The soil on my place varies. I thought maybe it would be better to use a flexable type water line to compensate for winter soil conditions, some times it gets muddy. I am worried that the weight of my tractor loaded with round bales may crack the underground water lines. What is your experience with this, Thanks Tom. :cboy:

 

[novatech]

Bury the pipe as deep as you can. Use as narrow a trench as you can. Schedule 40 PVC should work. I have used the black poly but it will crush easier.

 

[oscar p]

Leave the poly pipe alone, I've work for a Municipal utility board for 21 years. We used that stuff for years and years just from the water main line to the water meter,thought it was the best stuff since sliced bread. Because it was a little easy to install. The company as been digging that junk up for the last 10 years replaceing it with copper. It has cut our leaks down 90%. (our overtime to) If they go out to a house that has the poly pipe,they replace it with copper, that day. Use sch40 pvc. Leave the poly alone. There are thousands of miles of that stuff in the ground, and some that has never had a leak,but it's coming.

 

[mac]

Rats. The poly looked good to me. It is available in 300 foot rolls that do not require fittings every 10 feet like PVC making it less expensive and easier to install for a long run like we have. Tell me it ain't so.

 

[hillrancher]

Use SDR 26 it is cheaper than Sch40 and burst pressure higher, gasket joints for expansion, want have to worry about glue joints and can get it up to 40 ft. lengths. This is used on most rural water.

 

[bigbull338]

as said leave the flexable poly pipe alone.that stuff is bad news.you want sec 40 pvc pipe.an bury it 2 to 2.5 deep.an make a drawing of where the waterline is in case you have a leak or want to build fences barns an what have you.

 

[grannysoo]

Schedule 40 pvc would be my choice. Make sure that you don't use "thinwall" pvc.

 

[Jogeephus]

I use schedule 40. Thin wall stuff will cause problems later. Don't know what your soil is like but if you got to run a lot of it you can save yourself a lot of trouble by using a one shank subsoiler to lay the pipe. (I ran 1/4 of a mile of it by myself in less than 3 hours.) All you got to do is run the shank thru the dirt two or three times then glue all the pipe together and chain the pipe to the shank and pull it. Works really good and saves from having to cover up a hole too.

 

[Horticattleman]

A plumbing supply place will have it (PVC) in 20' lenghts at least. Bell ends, so no fittings. Make sure you use primer/cleaner, and GOOD glue. don't go cheapskate on that part.

 

[ROB]

having worked in the civil engineering field for the last 18 years, i would recommend using SDR-21, Pressure Class 200 PVC. you can get it in 20 or 40 ft. lengths, it is slip joint - easily put together, and allows for expansion/contraction (where glue-joint pipe will not). not knowing where you are located, the best advise i can give you for bury depth is this - top of pipe below frost level. if you are crossing creeks/ditches - go deeper.

ROB

 

[jcummins]

I use schedule 40. Thin wall stuff will cause problems later. Don't know what your soil is like but if you got to run a lot of it you can save yourself a lot of trouble by using a one shank subsoiler to lay the pipe. (I ran 1/4 of a mile of it by myself in less than 3 hours.) All you got to do is run the shank thru the dirt two or three times then glue all the pipe together and chain the pipe to the shank and pull it. Works really good and saves from having to cover up a hole too.

I've got 1500+ feet to run. Have use of a very old 3 point hitch single shank type plow, looks to be just couple inches wide. Never thought about pulling it in like that. No issues with the glued joints being subjected to that pull? And why did you make multiple passes, did it just not clean it out good enough....or to get more depth?

 

[Jogeephus]

I use schedule 40. Thin wall stuff will cause problems later. Don't know what your soil is like but if you got to run a lot of it you can save yourself a lot of trouble by using a one shank subsoiler to lay the pipe. (I ran 1/4 of a mile of it by myself in less than 3 hours.) All you got to do is run the shank thru the dirt two or three times then glue all the pipe together and chain the pipe to the shank and pull it. Works really good and saves from having to cover up a hole too.

I've got 1500+ feet to run. Have use of a very old 3 point hitch single shank type plow, looks to be just couple inches wide. Never thought about pulling it in like that. No issues with the glued joints being subjected to that pull? And why did you make multiple passes, did it just not clean it out good enough....or to get more depth?

The first pass was just a test pass to be sure there wasn't any obstructions and to get my line right. I pulled from a hole I hand dug at the well to the tank site. I then just pulled back to the well to get the depth I wanted. Being I was going to have to dead head back to the tank area where the pipe was I just figured another pass wouldn't hurt and I bottomed it out on this pass. I went down probably 38". The soil in the cut was as soft as potting soil by then. I then glued about 33 pieces together and tied a pink flag to the end.(I did this by myself so I needed a marker to know when to stop) I pulled till the marker was at the tank and then glued the rest together and pulled the rest. Was pretty scared when I started the tractor the second time cause I was afraid the jolt would pull a joint apart but it didn't. This is the furthest I ever pulled pipe through the ground but it worked fine for me.

What I did to fix the pipe to the subsoil shank was to cap off a piece of pvc and stick a bolt thru it which was attached to a chain that I attached to the bottom of the shank. I then used a fitting to join this to the pipe. Don't know why but I also wrapped this area in duct tape. Kinda silly when you think about it but it made me feel better for some reason.

(oh, I also got a quote from the well guy and he wanted $1.00 a foot to lay the pipe plust the cost of the pipe)

 

[jcummins]

33 joints. was those 40ft joints. 1/4 mile would be just about what I got to run...I'm guessing 1500 ft. I'm going to use 20ft....so if you used 40ft...I'm going to have twice the glue joints.

Don't think I want to attempt this by myself....need an observer with radio or cell, and they yell when the pipe stops, since with a flag or not...I ain't going to be able to see it.

Question....is the narrow ditch open after those passes? I thought about gluing the pipe up along side the trench, and then just kicking it into the trench. But if the trench ain't open...you have to pull it. I'm definitely going to do multiple passes regardless if I pull it or not.

 

[Jogeephus]

My joints were 20 footers with the flared ends. I faced the flare away from the pull. My subsoiller did not open the earth and form a trench. It just broke the earth and softened the soil. Once I pulled the pipe I didn't have to cover anything up cause it was already covered. I did drive down the run just to pack the little subsoil mound down. Biggest problem I had was when I decided to add a spigot halfway down the run. I thought I was digging to China and I also had to dig about 10 foot from my spot to give me some play. Also, our soil is sandy loam with little or no rocks.

 

[HOSS]

A plumbing supply place will have it (PVC) in 20' lenghts at least. Bell ends, so no fittings. Make sure you use primer/cleaner, and GOOD glue. don't go cheapskate on that part.

This is what I did. Rented a trencher for 1/2 day and dug 900 ft in a couple three hours. Used good cleaner and glue (use the purple dyed cleaner it sure helps you make sure you have cleaned up high enough) and glued 20 foot sticks together. Dug the trench 24" deep and about 4" wide. Make sure you go over your trench and remove as many rocks as you can cause over time the pipe vibrates and the rocks can cut through. I then just pushed the dirt back over the trench with a box blade on the tractor. Of course hook it up and check for leaks before covering the pipe. Trencher cost me 75 bucks for a half day. I used schedule 40 1.5" line.