Underground Water Pipe issue -help please

[ssffnomad]

One submersible Well for two buildings. Both on same Water Softner . 75' of black roll 3/4" pipe between two buildings. Neighbors say it was put in 25-30 years ago. Readout on H2o conditioner says daily useage has more than doubled, and 0.3 GPM flow with only pressure to underground pipe. As in both buildings valued off. When I valve off that underground pipe, flow goes to zero.
Currently Snow and Frost. New line would have to cross 200 Amp service and Cat 5 / Tele conduits. In Spring I could redig much easier and make new line 25' shorter. As current line goes to far corner of Carriage House and underPatio Slab.
Help questions. Inside of black roll 3/4" should measure 3/4" ? What does outside dia of 1/2" Pex measure ? Is all outside dia of 1/2 pex the same ?
Thinking of a temporary fix during winter. Push and pull method. How bulky are those China Fingers that Go over conduit ? As I type this I am thinking of what we could put inside Pex to pull on . Sacrifice a pipe tap with loop welded on or something?
Positive ideas please .

 

[ard]

Pay someone to come out and find the leak? I think they have sound detectors that can do that.... Then you only dig a 4-5-6 ft hole... Still cold

 

[D45]

The black poly pipe used in the 1970s and through the late 1980s had a $900 million class action lawsuit..........failed common, often, without warning

The funds dried up in the late 1990s

I just had to dig up 60 feet of it at my house last summer........split without warning. Not worth the repair or patch it, decided to replace it all

 

[TractorJeff]

Animals love to chew black plastic! At least the old stuff. Neat idea to shove the PEX through the 3/4 plastic. Be warned there is probably a kink/collapse from a stone that will thwart your plans after you have easily gone half way or more!

 

[nyy845]

Pay someone to come out and find the leak? I think they have sound detectors that can do that.... Then you only dig a 4-5-6 ft hole... Still cold

This. Leak detection services.

 

[pcmeiners]

"Pay someone to come out and find the leak? "
Great answer, obviously the OPs first brain cell came up with that.

According to my friend, Google, OD of 1/2" Pex is .625, 3/4" is showing nominal as .67. Given that, 1/2" is too close to 3/4 nominal, gives about 1/20th inch clearance. If it is temporary, 3/8" should do it, with a decent cut in water volume; all considering you have a straight run, without fittings in the way, or other obstructions. If you have a compressor, you could tie nylon twine to a wet sponge and send it through the pipe to use as a pull. Now if you send something .50 (OD of 3/8") through the pipe with compressed air, such as a hard ball or bead, hole through center, on a sting, and it makes it, 3/8" would do it.

 

[samss]

What pcmeiners says.
3/8 should feed easy for a temporary fix. You can use a shop vac to pull nylon cord through the black tubing also.

 

[slip knot]

good luck pulling that PEX thru the 90's. I'm betting they didn't sweep up into the buildings.

 

[ssffnomad]

PC & guys , thanks for positive comments. It looks like 3/8" instead of 3/4" Water pressure for a few months.
90's ? In a former life I did Excavation work for many years . Only a Knucklehead uses fittings under ground when one does not have to.
Time will tell.

 

[matt_i]

If you have an issue related to the tube material, digging a hole now is a stopgap measure. I would make plans to replace the run when its warmer.

For now, I would switch the well off with a 30A x 2 pole switch as to avoid wasting electricity and the life of the pump. Flip on when you need water and flip off when not needed. Could also use a 7 day timer with relay in series with pressure switch to eliminate large chunks of the day to do same.

 

[ssffnomad]

Matt, overall plan is to replace in couple months . Looking at temporary repair in case it gets worse and I have to shut off Water to Carriage house. I need to keep Water on to main building 24/7.
Thanks

 

[TractorJeff]

Right Coast - Upstate?
Gives me the impression you are in NYS?
Lots of Snow, Cold, Frost!
I'm sure digging is not a great idea this time of year!

 

[GMCGarage]

What if the 3/4 pipe is kinked, or has some severe turns, I would be leary of the 3/8" pull.

Do they make any pipe that is insulated, how much water flows per day?

 

[ssffnomad]

Update , with weather bearing down. Yes it was 5 below day I realized there was a leak. Then we had a 1' coming Sunday. Friday evening we tried pushing 75' of 1/2" Pex down in Garage , pulling on rope in cellar of house. Had a plug in Pex with hole drilled through to secure rope. We took Grinder and file to end of pipe and crimp ring. Everything went fine for 65' then we hit what must have been two unions approximately 5' apart. We where done done.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I called guy that was my Pipe Layer / Grade Foreman years ago when I did Excavation work for 19 years. A real sharp guy. He says knot up rope in Pex , heat up pex, take a pair of welding gloves and taper pipe down onto rope. Do not use a crimp ring.
A call my Mechanical Contractor friend who had been helping Night before. Told him idea. He says busy with wife. Calls back a hour later he is on way. He took a 2" piece of brass, turned down to slid up in Pex , drilled it for Rope. Then when he got here , we gently clamped Pex in Vise, heated it up and stretched it it down over Rope.
1/2" H2o in the ground is a lot better that 3/4" on top of ground in Northeast in February. Hardly a notice in pressure. Do notice volume flow is off. But no complaints here. Great friends I have.
Hope this long BS story helps another guy in the future.

 

[ssffnomad]

 

[oilslick]

awesome job, way to not give up!

 

[oilslick]

I did something similar going under the street with electrical, some said it wouldn't work!

 

[ssffnomad]

Oil slick, thanks. My cousin who was there pushing pipe the first night said it would never happen. And he is one hard working som *****. Sat afternoon he stops, and we are having a Cold One and washing up in Slop Sink.