pvc PITA

[FredWanaker]

working on this and found that the plastic tee that a water hammer arrestor goes into broke so
i will rewrite this

 

[nadogail]

I used one of those 6" long couplings that both sides slide onto, then the nut on each end gets tightened, which clamps a rubber ring around each pipe. I don't exactly remember when I did it but it seems like 15 years ago. I did this to repair one of my rentals, and maybe it will someday become somebody else's problem.

 

[FredWanaker]

fighting with PVC sprinkler. Very tight quarters. Need some ideas for gluing PVC in tight quarters where there isn't enough flex to get two pieces into fittings. Supply line where it is 60 - 90 psi all the time. 3/4 sch 40

 

[Bucko]

First I will say that I only use Christie's red hot blue glue for all my sprinkler stuff and have tried the Oatey hot medium blue lava and it is not as good. Also use a primer and make sure all your connections are clean and square. With that out of the way I would not want to run the flex line unless is was downstream of the valve and it sounds like your leak is before the valve. I have done the "U" repair that you mentioned and not lost noticeable pressure. They do make a slip coupler that can be used before the manifold but I am not a big fan of it.

As for being to much of a pain to dig out the manifold I usually dig a deeper trench next to the area and use the hose to erode the area and flood the soil into the trench. This helps to avoid cracking a pipe or cutting zone wires while digging.

 

[FredWanaker]

I used one of those 6" long couplings that both sides slide onto, then the nut on each end gets tightened, which clamps a rubber ring around each pipe. I don't exactly remember when I did it but it seems like 15 years ago. I did this to repair one of my rentals, and maybe it will someday become somebody else's problem.

15 years is permanent enough. I saw one at Home Depot yesterday and was wondering what the life expectancy was on the part. I use the big couplings to make valves easy to replace but they are on the sprinkler side.

 

[FredWanaker]

First I will say that I only use Christie's red hot blue glue for all my sprinkler stuff and have tried the Oatey hot medium blue lava and it is not as good. Also use a primer and make sure all your connections are clean and square. With that out of the way I would not want to run the flex line unless is was downstream of the valve and it sounds like your leak is before the valve. I have done the "U" repair that you mentioned and not lost noticeable pressure. They do make a slip coupler that can be used before the manifold but I am not a big fan of it.

As for being to much of a pain to dig out the manifold I usually dig a deeper trench next to the area and use the hose to erode the area and flood the soil into the trench. This helps to avoid cracking a pipe or cutting zone wires while digging.

Usually I can get enough flex to put the ends together but this one was a nightmare. I thought that was the joint that had failed because that is where the water was bubbling out of but it is the tee that the water hammer arrester went into that split. Now to figure how to avoid that from happening again. The device was put in 3 to 4 months ago and this just happened.

 

[FredWanaker]

this is what the line looks like. I guess I could bury the copper and run the water hammer arrester off that but I try to avoid any metal in the ground so there isn't some failure from the acidic soil down the line. The lines to the house are all a special plastic used in the late 1970's, then all the plumbing is overhead in the attic area. None is under the slab. Sometimes around here pipe under the slab corrodes.

If I add the arrester to the existing copper then it has to be done parallel instead of with a tee and 90 degrees so someone doesn't bump or lean on it and break the pipe. If I do that I don't know how effective it will be due to adding a tee and 90 elbow that moves it away from the supply line.

 

[FredWanaker]

so I have the failure cause figured out. Normally when i go from copper to PVC I use a female copper fitting and a male PVC. This time the water hammer arrester is a copper male and the tee a pvc female. That stress eventually cracked the tee. I need to go from a female copper to a male PVC. The water hammer arrester is a male 3/4 fitting. The only way I think I can do that is to build a double female 3/4" copper fitting, which adds too much length to the water hammer arrester. It is already over 8" long with the threads. So far my searches are not coming up with one, or a 3/4 PVC transistion to 3/4 copper female threaded.

I can also extend the copper supply under ground and put the arrester into copper then convert to PVC underground but the copper is part of the house copper, and nothing in the house plumbing system goes underground, it is just grounded with cables. I am a bit concerned about creating another ground path that might potentially cause electrolysis or corrosion. I lived in a house once where that happened. Unfortunately I am not a plumber, and don't really know what those risks might be long term or how to look for them. Around here most houses are copper above ground and special plastic supply lines etc below ground.

Or I could make a frankenstein that goes from pvc to copper and back to pvc for the arrester underground but we are working with limited space here, and every junction can be a potential leak with no way to tighten it if over time it leaks a little.

 

[FredWanaker]

so I found this part at Lowes but it looks like a straight thread? https://mobileimages.lowes.com/prod...4967-bd3c-e4fcbff57a9a/09386966.jpg?size=pdhi

The water hammer arrester is 3/4" MIP. Male PVC fittings are a taper thread according to the Lasco site.

I don't know if this will work or not. The only specs say "machined. doesn't give the type thread.

A female copper fitting is normally FIP.

 

[Copymutt]

I have 21 yrs on one of those slip over repairs and holding tight. I know because I have a pressure gauge in plain view in the garage just for the purpose of monitoring the on @ 40 off@ 60. Saved my **** about 5 yrs ago when drought caused our clay soil to shift and broke a feed line.

 

[FredWanaker]

I think this will work. I'll either tee the copper over a bit then extend the water hammer arrester straight down and the drop to the PVC off the tee thru an elbow, or run a tee, then run the water hammer arrester up and the sprinkler drop down. "A" has probably less chance of breakage, and would be more stable than B.

 

[CraigStu]

I am glad you figured the cause. I 'think' it was on this forum maybe 4-5 yrs ago where I found a link to how to properly make PVC to metal connections and have never forgotten it. My simplification of the rule is; metal never screws into PVC, the PVC always screws into the metal.