Starting to replace the water main...

PVC is what the inspector recommended, so I'm going that route. While sure, I'd prefer copper, that $800 is way more than the $75 PVC will cost. Never used poly, and since I'm DIYing this, and PVC is what I know, PVC is it. The pipe coming into the meter is actually poly, so I guess that's ok here (just not for me).

Got 1/2 of it trenched out now. Helper's finishing that, and I'm going to tackle the fittings on each end.

Elbows? About 4. I plan to use 2x 45's instead in each place. Or is the pressure "cost" of an extra fitting a wash with using a 90?

The meter has a valve on the street side. I picked up a 1" ball valve to use on the opposite side - or is that overkill. I figure why not. I also have a ball valve on the exterior just before the water comes into the house (1' off the ground). No problem in my climate.

Why is PVC not allowed in some areas for water supply inside, but allowed for main lines under ground and used in most wells? Is there any chlorine issues with PVC? Terry, where you live can you use PVC in under ground mains and inside or just underground?

Well, after a long day, I'm done. Sort of.

Just turned the water back on, after waiting 2.5 hours for the last PVC joint to cure, just in case.

No PVC glue joint leaks!

But, I have two small leaks at threaded joints. Maybe a drop every 10 seconds each. Hoping they self-plug by the AM, else I'll go back at it.

I guess that gets to a question. What did I do wrong? I did 4x wraps of teflon tape, but I did notice the tape I used seemed thinner than normal. I even tightened the bejeeses out of one of the joints, and it's still leaking. I'm guessing not enought tape?

Thanks all for your help. I'm gonna go hit the shower - and be thankful that I CAN take a shower tonight!!!

-Shawn

Shawnharper said:

What did I do wrong?

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Maybe you tightened the threads too much.

I'm no fan of underground PVC. For example, plastic pipe expands and contracts due to temperature. Poly pipe, installed in serpentine fashion, will flex easily and not be bothered by it. In addition, brass fittings used with it are less likely to have leak problems with the threaded joints.

shawnharper said:

But, I have two small leaks at threaded joints. Maybe a drop every 10 seconds each. Hoping they self-plug by the AM, else I'll go back at it.

I guess that gets to a question. What did I do wrong? I did 4x wraps of teflon tape, but I did notice the tape I used seemed thinner than normal. I even tightened the bejeeses out of one of the joints, and it's still leaking. I'm guessing not enought tape?

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Very likely not enough tape. Most written advice on teflon taping seems to assume the tape is always a certain thickness, and that doesn't jibe with reality. With ball valves to thread the PVC male adapters into, they can be tightened without fear of splitting female threads.

I'd use pipe dope as well as teflon.

Wet Boots said:

Since the difference between a one-inch line and a inch-and-a-quarter line (with a 3/4" meter) is three fixture units, what happens if you swap out the 3/4 for a one-inch meter, and leave the one-inch supply line in place? How many fixture units does the increase give?

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Marlin336 said:

Zero. And that's if you can get your hands on a 1in meter.

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That doesn't follow. Look at the table again.
With an 1-1/4 service line, increasing the meter from 3/4 to 1 increases the FU count from 39 to 76. Why doesn't the table doesn't have the combination of one inch service line, and one inch meter? It's a very common combination in new construction with in-basement water meters.

Mind you, increasing the size of the service line is a good thing, and as long as it doesn't involve five-foot-deep trenches, it's all good exercise.

And now that I've discovered that the old line was galvanized, and not copper as I'd thought, I'm even more glad I did it.

Really, pipe dope on PVC? Just never heard of that in my limited experience. No issues with the inspector on that one?

Lastly, our water co only does 3/4" meters or 1.5" meters. No inbetweens.

Do not use pipe dope on PVC unless you read the label and it says it can be.

(oops - originally posted this on the wrong post - reposting here for completeness)

Just wanted to close the loop on this one. I had the inspection at lunchtime today, and passed with flying colors.

Actually, the inspector really didn't look at much. Just looked into the trench along most of the distance to see if I sis 1.5" the whole way.

He didn't get any closer than 12 feet to the meter, and to the house inlet, where I thought it'd get closer scrutiny (i.e. did I use a union/disconnect at the meter, how did I transition from 3/4" up to 1.5" at the meter, and how did I get back down to 1" going into the house).

I'm happy though. It's done, it doesn't leak, and I can cross it off the list of "things that will probably fail in the near future" with this house.

Thanks for all your help and guidance. It's really appreciated!

-Shawn

edit: I should note that this was not the normal inspector. The building inspectors in San Jose are on strike, and this guy was a replacement who came in from a neighboring county). I have a strong feeling my "normal" inspector would have given it much more scrutiny. I took pictures of all the connections, just in case.

Wet_Boots said:

That doesn't follow. Look at the table again.
With an 1-1/4 service line, increasing the meter from 3/4 to 1 increases the FU count from 39 to 76. Why doesn't the table doesn't have the combination of one inch service line, and one inch meter? It's a very common combination in new construction with in-basement water meters.

Mind you, increasing the size of the service line is a good thing, and as long as it doesn't involve five-foot-deep trenches, it's all good exercise.

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the table linked is an incomplete table. UPC table 6-5 is the complete table.

Construct30 said:

Why is PVC not allowed in some areas for water supply inside, but allowed for main lines under ground and used in most wells?

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I don't know about the cold water, but I do know that if you hook it to a hot water system, the PVC will virtually explode. At least, that's what my customers who were foolish enough to do their own piping have reported to me when they called me out to do it right.

As to being in wells, I've never actually seen that. Galvanized, poly, but never PVC. How deep are your wells? Here, they may be 60 - 160 feet. Ya gotta remember to tie off the nylon rope to the pump, just in case.

jadnashua said:

I would much rather use roll stuff so you won't have any joints except at the ends. I know CPVC is okay for potable water, not sure about PVC.

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PVC is okay underground outside the foundation.