KBF
DIY Junior Member
I have to run a new water service line from my meter to my house.
The problem is 1) it's awfully expensive to have a plumbing company do it (quotes have been around $6-7k!!), and 2) I think I can do it myself, but haven't really worked with this sort of thing before.
I have no real plumbing experience, but have a lot of experience working on cars/motorcycles and other mechancial types of work.
It seems like this project basically involves digging a trench, laying in some PEX pipe to run the length needed, connect one end of the PEX to the copper pipe coming from the water meter, and (here's the tricky part) connect the other end up through the foundation into the copper pipe that is right before the shut off valve for the house.
So my questions to the experts on this forum....
1) The bid I have specs a 1" Qline pipe...does that mean I should use a 1" PEX line? Can I get away with something smaller (since it's a good bit cheaper)
2) It's about 140 feet from meter to where it'll go into the house - does that mean I should be aware of anything in particular (my plan is to run a single piece of PEX tubing from meter to house, so no worries about me not doing any joints wrong, just the connections at the meter and in the house)
3) It needs to go through an unbelieveably thick foundation slab...plumber came out and ran a 20" hammer drill bit next to where the water would come into the house, and never reached dirt (they tell me they've never seen this before). Is this a job an amateur could do (either bust up that part of the slab and repour concrete, or try to hammer drill a hole through the concrete large enough and deep enough (about 2 to 2 1/2 feet below the top of the ground)? Or should I leave the last part to the professionals.
Currently the plumber ran a garden house from the meter into an outdoor spigot so I still have water in my house (and pretty good water pressure, too!). He tells me this will work fine and for a long time (until the freezing weather comes).
From what I've read about PEX and a few folks I've talked to, it seems like a good type of material for a water service line.
Any opinions/advice/caution from any of you plumbing experts out there?
Thanks
The problem is 1) it's awfully expensive to have a plumbing company do it (quotes have been around $6-7k!!), and 2) I think I can do it myself, but haven't really worked with this sort of thing before.
I have no real plumbing experience, but have a lot of experience working on cars/motorcycles and other mechancial types of work.
It seems like this project basically involves digging a trench, laying in some PEX pipe to run the length needed, connect one end of the PEX to the copper pipe coming from the water meter, and (here's the tricky part) connect the other end up through the foundation into the copper pipe that is right before the shut off valve for the house.
So my questions to the experts on this forum....
1) The bid I have specs a 1" Qline pipe...does that mean I should use a 1" PEX line? Can I get away with something smaller (since it's a good bit cheaper)
2) It's about 140 feet from meter to where it'll go into the house - does that mean I should be aware of anything in particular (my plan is to run a single piece of PEX tubing from meter to house, so no worries about me not doing any joints wrong, just the connections at the meter and in the house)
3) It needs to go through an unbelieveably thick foundation slab...plumber came out and ran a 20" hammer drill bit next to where the water would come into the house, and never reached dirt (they tell me they've never seen this before). Is this a job an amateur could do (either bust up that part of the slab and repour concrete, or try to hammer drill a hole through the concrete large enough and deep enough (about 2 to 2 1/2 feet below the top of the ground)? Or should I leave the last part to the professionals.
Currently the plumber ran a garden house from the meter into an outdoor spigot so I still have water in my house (and pretty good water pressure, too!). He tells me this will work fine and for a long time (until the freezing weather comes).
From what I've read about PEX and a few folks I've talked to, it seems like a good type of material for a water service line.
Any opinions/advice/caution from any of you plumbing experts out there?
Thanks
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