This is why plumbers get paid the big buck!

**nursedoe** · 01-22-2013, 06:58 PM

So, the galvanized pipe from the 1950's broke under the patio. Scores of plumbers gave estimates for more than I make in month, but when we settled on one, he took the deposit and disappeared. So, enter good guy plumbers with good skills and common sense but still more money that I have. So my nephews, nieces and friend came to dig the 300 foot 2 foot trench with strict orders to avoid the line with the current main supply line because the weird black poly is in a size that NO plumbing supply place in the world has fittings for. The boys are pretty strong and it didn't take long before they hit and broke the pipe meaning we could not even turn the water on for 30 minutes in the morning! They didn't want to tell me while I was at work, so they went to every plumbing supply place in the high desert before finally remembering that the ONLY folks that have fittings for that are the water company and it is on our side of the meter. UH! So, I came home from work with NO water at all now, 5 very dirty and sweaty 20 somethings with no hope of a shower.
At this point it is hilariously funny. Broken shovels, more broken pipe, trench not finished and a house full of folks who REALLY need a shower! Still have to cut the cement patio to get to all of the pipe to replace and I can't wait to see what happens next. You guys earn every penny you make! It is not as easy as you make it look and if I actually have 5 grand I would so gladly pay you to do this.
So, thanks for the help and guidance so far. We will do all the manual labor and call in the plumber to do all the connections and explaining about how to run the irrigation/landscape stuff. They mostly have the trench completed. Another day's work and we will be in search of 1 1/4 inch pipe of some sort..that is what the black stuff is.. Thank you, thank you , thank you for all the guidance so far.
NURSE-not plumber

Doe

**cacher_chick** · 01-22-2013, 08:26 PM

You should post a picture of the cut cross-section of pipe with a tape measure held up on it. Someone here can probably tell you what it is and how you can connect to it.

**jimbo** · 01-23-2013, 05:41 AM

What color is the pipe? You may be looking for the wrong thing. It is is black, it is PE. If it is blue, it is PB, and the fittings are different.

hj · 01-23-2013, 05:48 AM

quote; If it is blue, it is PB

They called it "weird black poly" in the original posting. If they hadn't hit the poly you should have been able to keep it and just replace the leaking galvanized. Are you making a mountain out of a mole hill? We make "big bucks" because of what we know, more than for what we do. And we do NOT replace an entire 200' line if there is only a short section of bad pipe. There are also very few, especially modern, pipes which "no one has fittings for". IF the water company has the fittings, then we can also get them from the same place they do.

**nursedoe** · 01-23-2013, 09:14 AM

They were attempting to find the galvanized end point. No one knew where the rusty galvanized ended. When the PE came out of the meter, it was in an arc and they were trying to trace it and broke it. ( Maybe because it was uncovered and it is FREEZING). So, all the galvanized is rusty with little wet spots here and there. It is more than 60 years old, so as long as the patio had to come up, we were going to replace the length of it. I called the water company manager this morning and they will come out and try to fix the two places the kids hit while we finish trenching for new pipe. At least from the house to the cross fence is rusty pipe of some sort. I thought galvanized didn't rust..like galvanized nails. :-(. ....Looks like 1.5 or 1.25 black pipe- I will take a picture in a bit. The outside measurement of the pipe with a cloth tape is 5 inches. I don't know why there are no darn fittings. My nephew went to the big box stores, two plumbing stores AND an irrigation place trying to fix it before I got home. I will ask the city WHY no one has the supplies for that pipe.

**cacher_chick** · 01-23-2013, 09:32 AM

Any piping beyond the meter belongs to you, and the utility is not responsible for it. If they come out and fix it, they are doing you an awfully nice favor.