Underground water line repair

[shamrock12]

I recently dug through a black plastic water line that is buried about 6 to 8 inches underground. That line is used for watering the garden so it gets shut off in the winter. Anyway, it is 1" black plastic line, so I went to the local hardware store and got a splice coupling like this one:

http://plumbing.hardwarestore.com/52-334-black-plastic/insert-coupling-240374.aspx

So using a couple hose clamps, I thought it was an easy fix until after I turned the water on. It leaks badly so I thought maybe PVC glue was needed but that did not work either.

This is my first time repairing black plastic water line, so I believe I might be missing something. Yes, I am using properly sized fittings ... it just seems like the line is too stiff to make a good seal. Should I try to heat the line over the fitting and let it form into shape? Or is there a proper way to repair this type of line? Thanks

 

[jhelrey]

Gotta use two clamps per side and clamp hard. I sometimes will use heat to make the connection easier and thus more play in the line. The good news is it is an easy fix.

I hit them god knows how many times landscaping.

 

[EvilWelder]

Punch Lok clamps are great if you have access to them. They make a compression repair for irrigation line you just have to look for it.

 

[DragPack69]

If its 1 inch CTS (copper tube size) you should put a compression fitting w/ a stiffener on each side of the line.
We use these exclusively at work.

Your line should be rated at least 160 lbs.

Hope this helps.

John

 

[HeelSpur]

Make sure your hose clamps are directly over the splines on the coupling.
Thats what is gonna seal the joint and a little heat makes it work better too.

 

[pstnbly]

You need to heat the pipe with a propane torch or heat gun to just above where you find it hot to touch, then insert the fitting and clamp with 2 clamps per side. The heat allows the pipe to conform to the barbs on the fitting.

 

[Doug B]

Gotta use two clamps per side and clamp hard. I sometimes will use heat to make the connection easier and thus more play in the line. The good news is it is an easy fix.

^^^ This...plus I like to use the brass fittings, I think the poly pipe "bites" better into the brass.-Warm the pipe up with a torch,slide pipe onto fitting and clamp while still warm.(use a nut driver or 1/4" socket instead of a screwdriver)

 

[NUTTSGT]

Like the others have said, HEAT, not alot of it though. You just want to make it pliable and not melt.

 

[sberry]

2 or 3 clamps per side especially on 1 inch.

 

[WV Hillbilly]

If its 1 inch CTS (copper tube size) you should put a compression fitting w/ a stiffener on each side of the line.
We use these exclusively at work.

Your line should be rated at least 160 lbs.

Hope this helps.

John

this is what you have to have to correctly fix it, just make sure what size you really need, you measure the inside diameter. as stated above, there is a metal stiffener that goes inside the plastic tubing on each side, be sure you ask for these. Just ask for a CTS repair coupling & 2 stiffeners of the right size.

 

[shamrock12]

Thanks everyone ... I'm going to try some heat and see what happen. By the way, some of you mentioned using two clamps on each side ... I am not sure how that would be possible as there is only enough space for one clamp on each side (see drawing). I don't believe you are supposed to put clamps over the area where barbs are?

FYI - it is just a plain old regular black plastic line ... no brass or copper inside the line. Thanks

 

[Milton Shaw]

You have to clamp over the barbs to seal it. A little heat helps the pipe conform to the barbs but the clamp has to tighten over the barbs to seal the connection.

 

[Highbeam]

There's your problem. If you didn't clamp on top of the barbs then the barbs haven't been forced to dig into the plastic. Stab fittings are fine and way way cheaper than that brass fitting. I would rather use brass, next is plastic, and would rather not use a galvanized iron stab fitting which is strong and cheap but will corode very quickly.

You need to put two hose clamps, one in each direction, over the barbs. You're close, just add two more clamps and reposition the oned you put on already.

Every homeowner should be able to make the repair you have.

 

[jhelrey]

Gotta clamp over the barbs. I have never had a plastic fitting fail. I think the brass one shown is overkill

 

[signcrafter]

Gotta clamp over the barbs. I have never had a plastic fitting fail. I think the brass one shown is overkill

X2.

Two clamps over the barbs and you will be fine. I have used a few of these same plastic splices and never used heat, just two clamps over the barbs and fill the hole.

IF you tried using PVC glue on the barbs you will probably need a new splice, the PVC glue will prevent the pipe from crimping down on the barbs.

 

[shamrock12]

I actually did try placing two clamps (one on the barbs) on each end but they still leaked. I'll try heating and re-clamp again and see what happen.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I actually did try placing two clamps (one on the barbs) on each end but they still leaked. I'll try heating and re-clamp again and see what happen.

Even a hair dryer will work. Get the pipe nice and hot and tighten the clamps. I'd done this a couple of times and never had a leak.

Charles

 

[EOC_Jason]

Gorillatize those clamps!

 

[jhelrey]

Man handle those clamps! Get on them carefully with a 1/4 inch ratchet

 

[ihredo4]

Space the clamps on opposite sides of the pipe also. Kind of like when you put rings on a piston. You don't want one gap in line letting the water leak out. And yes you do have to clamp over the barbs to seal it off. Tighten them as tight as you can get and then another 1/2 turn. lol. Then you will be just about tight enough.

 

[hockey88fan]

Space the clamps on opposite sides of the pipe also. Kind of like when you put rings on a piston. You don't want one gap in line letting the water leak out. And yes you do have to clamp over the barbs to seal it off. Tighten them as tight as you can get and then another 1/2 turn. lol. Then you will be just about tight enough.

Is it possible to tighten the clamps too tight that it actually cuts through the plastic piping? The only reason I ask is I'm about to install an outdoor hydrant and will be connecting to plastic piping.

 

[jhelrey]

No, that **** is thick!

 

[Highbeam]

You're more likely to crush the plastic fitting than push the barbs through PE pipe. The actual barbs are so shallow and the PE so tough that either the fitting or the clamp will fail before cutting the pipe.

 

[ihredo4]

Only way would be if the pipe got too hot when you warmed it to slip onto the fitting. I would expect the pipe to melt before that would happen though.

 

[wssix99]

Ummm...

Why not first confirm what kind of pipe it is? If its black, it could be ABS. BTW - It sounds like ABS to me.

If it is ABS, PVC glue will not work and it won't be pliable enough to take a clamp. However, ABS glue and a ABS coupler will work wonders on an ABS pipe.

 

[WV Hillbilly]

I have never seen ABS pipe used for a water line, only DWV (drainage, waste & vent)

 

[csp]

I have never seen ABS pipe used for a water line, only DWV (drainage, waste & vent)

x2, especially in 1" and soft enough to put a shovel through.

 

[Highbeam]

It's not ABS, ABS is for drain pipes. It would be like asking whether he used sausage casing.

The poster said "FYI - it is just a plain old regular black plastic line" which in the world of buried water supply line is Polyethylene.

 

[wssix99]

I have never seen ABS pipe used for a water line, only DWV (drainage, waste & vent)

Someone could use any type of pipe for watering a garden. Poly pipe is common, but I would have expected the splice the OP tried to work on that.

The main point is that the OP should determine exactly what kind of pipe it is before effecting a repair.

 

[shamrock12]

Ok, I tried heating with a butane torch to soften up the line, inserted the fitting and clamped them down really good. Two clamps on each side. They actually left imprints on the line because it was soft at the time. Re-tightened a few times. Much better now but not perfect as a drop of water would seep out about every 15 seconds. Not a big deal I would think. Thanks for all of your help!

 

[signcrafter]

Ok, I tried heating with a butane torch to soften up the line, inserted the fitting and clamped them down really good. Two clamps on each side. They actually left imprints on the line because it was soft at the time. Re-tightened a few times. Much better now but not perfect as a drop of water would seep out about every 15 seconds. Not a big deal I would think. Thanks for all of your help!

Something isn't right here. If you have the correct splice for the correct pipe then you shouldn't have to heat it and you certainly shouldn't have any leak after heating it. Either you have the wrong splice coupling for the pipe or you aren't doing something right.

 

[csp]

Probably got it too hot.

People use heat to make it easier to slide poly onto the fitting. Many get it too hot and deform the pipe permanently. It takes very little heat to warm it enough to slide on easily. A hair dryer is the safest method to avoid too much heat.

 

[pattenp]

I've gotten those type of splice couplings that have had a raised seam in them from the manufacture process that caused leaks. I had to sand the seam down smooth to get them to seal tight.

 

[shamrock12]

The line is a hard plastic, so I believe that plastic fittings does not bite into the line very well which is why I heated the line to help deform the line into the shape of barbs for better seal. It seems to work better than just slipping on and clamp without heating first.

 

[ihredo4]

Did you turn one of the clamps on each side to a different spot around the pipe? If not then the water will seep past the clamps.

 

[csp]

Every sprinkler system I've installed has been black poly pipe with the plastic fittings and hose clamps. I've never had to heat a pipe or use more than one clamp per connection and haven't ever had a leak to date because of that. We're talking hundreds of connections and hundreds of feet of pipe over the years.

The manufacturers didn't build the pipe/connectors such that they require heat to install or multiple clamps to prevent leaks. Heat helps, but too much is a bad thing.

If you have leaks something on the installation is wrong or the connector itself is defective. It's not rocket science to get a leak free install.