Copper pipe through slab feeding pressure tank?

[craig1980]

Hi guys,
I have seen several well related posts as well as plumbing issues so I am really hoping I can get some advice before I start this job. I need to replace my well pressure tank but as you can see 3/4" copper is coming up from the slab. I need to relocate the tank and I'm just unsure what I will find underneath. At some point I'm guess the original owner spliced the black poly with copper? Has anyone seen anything like this or can offer some advise before I shut my water off and start chipping concrete. Thanks in advanced

 

[sberry]

You want to move the pipe too we assume? A diamond blade on a grinder and air chisel would take only a bit to cut it out. I agree that is a poor place for it. You could cut all around and do pre design and set up before turning water off.

 

[kd3pc]

I would use a composite or plastic sleeve....concrete, copper and moisture will eventually oxidize away....

 

[73RR]

Casting the concrete around the copper (or any pipe) can easily lead to a broken pipe.
The earth and the building both move around and not always at the same time in the same direction. Any pipe penetration needs a generous sleeve to accommodate movement.
How far are you moving the tank?
Have you located the sub-slab pipe outside of the building? Is it any closer to the new tank location?

 

[BillK]

Craig,
Have you tried chipping a little of the concrete away from around the pipe ? The copper pipes in my house are all run through the slab but they have pipe insulation around them. The original installer might have trimmed the insulation flush and then parged over it with some concrete to make it look pretty ?? Either way if you want to move it any distance you are going to have to cut out the slab to run the pipe to the new location.

 

[ishiboo]

Hi guys,
I have seen several well related posts as well as plumbing issues so I am really hoping I can get some advice before I start this job. I need to replace my well pressure tank but as you can see 3/4" copper is coming up from the slab. I need to relocate the tank and I'm just unsure what I will find underneath. At some point I'm guess the original owner spliced the black poly with copper? Has anyone seen anything like this or can offer some advise before I shut my water off and start chipping concrete. Thanks in advanced

Pretty hard to tell. I have two houses on one well and the second house is fed from the first with 1" copper the whole way that comes through the slab just like that. The feed from the well is black poly the whole way, but it was replaced somewhat recently.

No choice but to open it up and see what happens.

 

[craig1980]

Thanks guys- I am only going to relocate the tank to the corner so its out of the middle if the room (probably around 6 feet). I am mostly worried on what I will find and if the parts and fittings I will need will be easy to get the same day. The other thing that is really concerning is where do I stop? I mean if I chip up 5 feet and its still copper do I keep going? If so to what end? I know its hard to tell and speculate what the former owner did. The well casing is about a hundred feet from the house. I know the general direction it travels but have NO idea where it even enters the house.

 

[craig1980]

I may just take the one suggestion and cut everything and open it up and try to determine what I will need. Hope I wont hit the water line in the process......

 

[sberry]

Do a lot of the grunt work one day and be ready for replacement at the start of another so you are not so jammed up in a day.

 

[sberry]

You are doing yourself a disservice here by not having your location on. Personally I would find out where the pipe enters the building. you want to move it anyway. I would see about fishing a new service in while the old was still in place, no law says its got to be the same pipe and you want to move it anyway, do all the new work similar to electric change over, turn it off and re hook it, may be down for as little as 10 minutes which is my record for electric.
Last electric I did for buds went from old OH to new underground with new panel location. The poco didn't even unhook the old until they had new line in, as I said, power down about 10 minutes. You get a free chance to redesign here, simply abandon the old pipe after and don't even have to cut the floor there.
There is plenty of room here to set all the new equipment.

 

[craig1980]

I like that idea. Any idea how I would even locate the pipe and find where it enters the building? I live in NY so its burried at least 5 foot deep.