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plumbing - main water line repair Coloradotrout 01-28-2007
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Posted by Coloradotrout on January 28, 2007, 1:20 pm


I have a 15 year-old home.

Water line between street(meter) and home was leaking (line is about 60
feet).

A large sinkhole developed. I dug down 7' to find the solid copper line
from the house joined to PVC. The connection was as follows.

3/4" copper line from house (10') --> brazed to 1" female connector --> 1"
male nipple w/ threads to 3/4" male threaded fitting (solid brass) --> PVC
3/4" female thread to 3/4" slip --> 3/4" pvc pipe

The PVC slip connector sheared off. All of these are RH threads, and no
unions. So it all had to be assembled sequentially.

How do I fix this? The right solution in my mind is to run a new trench and
lay continuous copper. I don't believe that is feasible. We are looking to
spend another 1-2 years here. But I hate leaving anyone a problem waiting
to happen. Going to Lowes/HD, the best I can come up with is:

3/4" copper line from house --> 3/4" union --> short copper pipe --> 3/4"
male thread adapter --> 3/4" PVC female thread adapter to slip --> pvc pipe

The original solution was 4 joints. The above is 6. Thoughts? (would a
3/4" female adapter --> 3/4" male pvc to slip be better)

I can do basic sweating of copper. But I've never brazed. Should my copper
joints be brazed?

Thoughts? Ideas? Volunteers (just kidding.. at least half way)




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Posted by DerbyDad03 on January 28, 2007, 1:34 pm


Do you know what you own vs. what the water authority owns? Is it
possible that the water authority is responsible for the PVC section
and it's their responsible to fix it? Perhaps at sometime they
replaced their old copper with PVC up to the point where the homeowner
owns the rest.

That's what they did with my sewers a few years ago, so maybe it's the
same wih your water.


wrote:
> I have a 15 year-old home.
>
> Water line between street(meter) and home was leaking (line is about 60
> feet).
>
> A large sinkhole developed. I dug down 7' to find the solid copper line
> from the house joined to PVC. The connection was as follows.
>
> 3/4" copper line from house (10') --> brazed to 1" female connector --> 1"
> male nipple w/ threads to 3/4" male threaded fitting (solid brass) --> PVC
> 3/4" female thread to 3/4" slip --> 3/4" pvc pipe
>
> The PVC slip connector sheared off. All of these are RH threads, and no
> unions. So it all had to be assembled sequentially.
>
> How do I fix this? The right solution in my mind is to run a new trench and
> lay continuous copper. I don't believe that is feasible. We are looking to
> spend another 1-2 years here. But I hate leaving anyone a problem waiting
> to happen. Going to Lowes/HD, the best I can come up with is:
>
> 3/4" copper line from house --> 3/4" union --> short copper pipe --> 3/4"
> male thread adapter --> 3/4" PVC female thread adapter to slip --> pvc pipe
>
> The original solution was 4 joints. The above is 6. Thoughts? (would a
> 3/4" female adapter --> 3/4" male pvc to slip be better)
>
> I can do basic sweating of copper. But I've never brazed. Should my copper
> joints be brazed?
>
> Thoughts? Ideas? Volunteers (just kidding.. at least half way)


Posted by Coloradotrout on January 28, 2007, 1:40 pm


The own up to the meter. Unfortunately this section is between the meter
and my house. They would not even come out and locate the line.
Fortunately the sink hole was right over the leak.

> Do you know what you own vs. what the water authority owns? Is it
> possible that the water authority is responsible for the PVC section
> and it's their responsible to fix it? Perhaps at sometime they
> replaced their old copper with PVC up to the point where the homeowner
> owns the rest.
>
> That's what they did with my sewers a few years ago, so maybe it's the
> same wih your water.
>
>
> wrote:
> > I have a 15 year-old home.
> >
> > Water line between street(meter) and home was leaking (line is about 60
> > feet).
> >
> > A large sinkhole developed. I dug down 7' to find the solid copper line
> > from the house joined to PVC. The connection was as follows.
> >
> > 3/4" copper line from house (10') --> brazed to 1" female
connector --> 1"
> > male nipple w/ threads to 3/4" male threaded fitting (solid brass) -->
PVC
> > 3/4" female thread to 3/4" slip --> 3/4" pvc pipe
> >
> > The PVC slip connector sheared off. All of these are RH threads, and no
> > unions. So it all had to be assembled sequentially.
> >
> > How do I fix this? The right solution in my mind is to run a new trench
and
> > lay continuous copper. I don't believe that is feasible. We are
looking to
> > spend another 1-2 years here. But I hate leaving anyone a problem
waiting
> > to happen. Going to Lowes/HD, the best I can come up with is:
> >
> > 3/4" copper line from house --> 3/4" union --> short copper pipe -->
3/4"
> > male thread adapter --> 3/4" PVC female thread adapter to slip --> pvc
pipe
> >
> > The original solution was 4 joints. The above is 6. Thoughts?
(would a
> > 3/4" female adapter --> 3/4" male pvc to slip be better)
> >
> > I can do basic sweating of copper. But I've never brazed. Should my
copper
> > joints be brazed?
> >
> > Thoughts? Ideas? Volunteers (just kidding.. at least half way)
>



Posted by on January 29, 2007, 11:40 am


On Sun, 28 Jan 2007 11:40:29 -0700, "Coloradotrout"

>The own up to the meter. Unfortunately this section is between the meter
>and my house. They would not even come out and locate the line.
>Fortunately the sink hole was right over the leak.

Get a well drilled and tell your water utility to fuck off. If they
cant even locate the line, why give them your money.


Posted by Speedy Jim on January 28, 2007, 1:46 pm


Coloradotrout wrote:
> I have a 15 year-old home.
>
> Water line between street(meter) and home was leaking (line is about 60
> feet).
>
> A large sinkhole developed. I dug down 7' to find the solid copper line
> from the house joined to PVC. The connection was as follows.
>
> 3/4" copper line from house (10') --> brazed to 1" female connector --> 1"
> male nipple w/ threads to 3/4" male threaded fitting (solid brass) --> PVC
> 3/4" female thread to 3/4" slip --> 3/4" pvc pipe
>
> The PVC slip connector sheared off. All of these are RH threads, and no
> unions. So it all had to be assembled sequentially.
>
> How do I fix this? The right solution in my mind is to run a new trench and
> lay continuous copper. I don't believe that is feasible. We are looking to
> spend another 1-2 years here. But I hate leaving anyone a problem waiting
> to happen. Going to Lowes/HD, the best I can come up with is:
>
> 3/4" copper line from house --> 3/4" union --> short copper pipe --> 3/4"
> male thread adapter --> 3/4" PVC female thread adapter to slip --> pvc pipe
>
> The original solution was 4 joints. The above is 6. Thoughts? (would a
> 3/4" female adapter --> 3/4" male pvc to slip be better)
>
> I can do basic sweating of copper. But I've never brazed. Should my copper
> joints be brazed?
>
> Thoughts? Ideas? Volunteers (just kidding.. at least half way)
>
>
>

No need for brazing. The PVC is the weak link here, weaker than
soldered connections.

BUT.....DO use a PVC Male adapter going into a Female copper adapter.
That will be waaaaay stronger than using a Female PVC (as you suspected).

You can avoid the PVC slip joint. Get a copper "repair coupling".
This has no internal ridge and can be slipped over the ends of 2 pieces
of pipe. If you can, move this splice back from the PVC connection
a foot or so to keep from heating the PVC. The copper Female adapter
can be soldered onto a short length of copper working outside the
trench.

Another approach would be to put a 3/4" Union in the line.
Normally, one wouldn't bury a union in the service, but given
all the other connections, I don't see it making any difference.

Jim

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