Adding a "T" to buried black poly water line?

[slackdaddy1]

Figured this was the best group to ask in.
I have a 3/4" 200psi black poly water line from the house to a yard bib.
It is buried at 28-30" deep.
I want to add a branch line about mid span for the garden.

I have the proper S.S. 3/4" barbed "T" and S.S. clamps. And I know all about heating the pipe ends with hot water, etc.

Question,, any easy way to get the "t" in both pipe ends after exposing the pipe and cutting about 3/4" out of it where the T is going??
It's not like I am going to have a ton of slack to flex the pipe up and manipulate it onto the barbs?

 

[cvairwerks]

Dig your trench along the line for a couple feet either way and a couple feet wider at the point you want to cut it. Should give you enough flex space to get the tee inserted.

 

[jack stand]

Get yourself a $15 HF heat gun for softening the pipe and make your first connections in the main (existing) line. The new line to the garden will be simple as you have the "slack" available to you for that side of the connection.
(If I'm understanding the situation correctly)

 

[PCustoms]

Mark the spot so that when you have a massive water bill in 5 years you know where to find the leak.

Should be too hard to install. Like someone already said, dig about 4' of trench (longer if deep and you need to stand in it) to give some room to flex the pipe. Clean all the dirt off the pipe, warm up one end and PUSH. A couple people and a rubber mallet might help. Use high quality clamps on it once in.

 

[Bert_]

3/4 is pretty flexible. You won't have much trouble getting the tee in. Never used hot water I just use propane torch. Water might work well but would probably have to be boiling.

 

[larry4406]

Our plumbers use 3 worm gear style stainless steel clamps per barb. Middle one opposite direction to the outer two. Not exactly sure the reason, but that’s what I’ve seen for the past 25+ years.

 

[speed bump]

It won't be particularly hard, warm it up until it goes. Personally I prefer compression fittings versus anything metal but you should be fine.

 

[alfadan]

Do yourself and the next guy a favor; take and print pictures of where the T is and hang it up in the house somewhere like a utility room. Could really help find a leak later.

 

[Dagny]

make sure the clamps are all stainless including the screw.

 

[kerrynzl]

Figured this was the best group to ask in.
I have a 3/4" 200psi black poly water line from the house to a yard bib.
It is buried at 28-30" deep.
I want to add a branch line about mid span for the garden.

I have the proper S.S. 3/4" barbed "T" and S.S. clamps. And I know all about heating the pipe ends with hot water, etc.

Question,, any easy way to get the "t" in both pipe ends after exposing the pipe and cutting about 3/4" out of it where the T is going??
It's not like I am going to have a ton of slack to flex the pipe up and manipulate it onto the barbs?

Are you putting a PVC T fitting into a hard PVC line ???

 

[PCustoms]

Are you putting a PVC T fitting into a hard PVC line ???

The OP clearly stated, in what you quoted, that's it a poly line and he has the stainless tee.

 

[olytdi]

Our plumbers use 3 worm gear style stainless steel clamps per barb. Middle one opposite direction to the outer two. Not exactly sure the reason, but that’s what I’ve seen for the past 25+ years.

^^^^^^
This....at least two clamps per connection if you can't fit three.

 

[TxSteve]

One other hint, very large bolt about 6" down right above the T. You'll be able to find it with a metal detector anytime in the future.

Also, take some pictures and annotate the photos with dimensions from a known object. I've been digging up water lines for the past 2 years trying to find where my dad and my brother buried them years ago. Dad's gone, and my brother just doesn't remember. Lots of shovel time.

 

[johnre]

Our plumbers use 3 worm gear style stainless steel clamps per barb. Middle one opposite direction to the outer two. Not exactly sure the reason, but that’s what I’ve seen for the past 25+ years.

The radial pressure exerted by the area that's under the clamp's screw and saddle isn't going to be the same as the rest of the SS band; it was designed for the clamp's average diameter. Smaller diameters than this will leave the saddle high centered; larger will be gapped. Turning one of three clamps around 180 degrees assures that they aren't doing this in a straight line, leading to premature failure.

And I suppose one should really space them 120 degrees apart!

 

[TxSteve]

If it was me, I would use crimp clamps. Double them up.

 

[Robinson1]

Skip the hose clamps use pex crimp rings