DIYbanter - View Single Post - New drainage laterals, bad water main pipe discovered

BobK207

Dan_Musicant wrote:
On Mon, 8 Jan 2007 08:13:49 PST,
(Everett M. Greene) wrote:

:"BobK207" writes:
: Dan_Musicant wrote:
: On Sat, 06 Jan 2007 03:17:41 -0600, wrote:
: :"Eric in North TX" wrote:
: : btw I had to talk my neighbor out of using 1.25" for his main line
: :
: : cheers
: : Bob
: :
: :Why? 3" would be ok if cost was no object. While it will still only
: :flow to the limit of the smallest restriction, the volume of water
: :"stored" in the big pipe would still help.
:
: :OI missed the first part of this thread, but if this is just an
: :average home, 3/4" in the norm, from the meter into the house. One
: :inch is common from the water main (in the street) into the home and
: :up tp the meter.
:
: Average house = ? Maybe min'e pretty average (I'm the OP). The house is
: 1925 square feet, with 2 baths, a laundry room and average sized yard.
: I'm sure 3/4" is fine for me, but whoever moves in after me, who knows?
: Maybe 3/4" from meter to house plumbing is perfectly adequate. In terms
: of flow, I suppose it is. I figure the interior cross section is 2.25
: times that of 1/2" pipe, and on top of that the previous 1/2" pipe is
: undoubtely quite corroded on the interior. Yes, some of that will have
: sloughed off but I'm guessing that the resistance to flow is greater
: than for new galvanized 1/2" pipe.
:
: I figure probably the best argument for 1" would be that the water flow
: would be slower and thus the noise of the water flow would be reduced
: over 3/4". So I'm told. To me, it's theoretical at this point, but I'm
: still in a position to ask for 1" over 3/4". The work isn't to begin
: until at least tomorrow.
:
: Choose 1", you'll be be happy & never have an issue with it.
:
: Type L minimum, (Type K is better but probably un-necessary overkill)
:
: My 1" Type L main line has been in the ground in Orange county CA since
: 1980; great flow, no issues.
:
: Cheers
: Bob
:
:I haven't looked at prices, but the difference in cost
:between 1" and 3/4" is probably minimal. Who knows if
:some day someone will want the higher flow? It's far
:cheaper to install the larger line now that it will be
:to dig it up and increase the size.
:
:BTW: Is PVC a desired/allowed alternative?

The supervisor, when I asked him how much more 1" would cost than 3/4"
today said over $600! Hardly minimal. Maybe after they'd started the job
they figured they had me if I wanted to upgrade materials. At that
point, they could have gone 1" without losing any work:

They did the job today. I tried to get ahold of the supervisor before
they did any installation, but he didn't return my call. I had an
explicit understanding with him that they were to install 3/4" L both
underground and under the house. I talked with the foreman of the crew
and he wasn't aware of that, but I told him I had a clear understanding
with the supervisor. I also asked him about a bonding jumper at the
meter and he seemed to whiff on that one - didn't know what it was or
something. He talked about water heater! The supervisor didn't call me
back and after a while I go under the house and see that they installed
3/4" M under the house, counter to my agreement. I tell the foreman and
he says he's aware that he has to "rip it out." Why this has happened is
beyond me.

I hear him talking to the supervisor on his cell phone and ask to talk
to him. This is the same guy who the office was to have call me earlier.
I try to ask him how much more it will cost to install 1" than 3/4",
both would be L thickness. At this point, they were going to have to rip
out the hard copper under the house and hadn't installed any soft copper
outside, so there was no reason they couldn't do 1" instead. In either
case, they were going to have to wait for a truck to deliver the copper
they'd install. The supervisor said it would be over $600 extra! I asked
him why and he said the materials cost that much more. I said screw
that, basically. I call the office again (I'm not privy to the
supervisor's cell number), and he calls me right back and affirms that
1" costs that much more for materials and I say I don't want that and
they finish the installation this evening in the dark.

I have an idea that they never installed the bonding jumper, which I'm
going to try to check out tomorrow when it's light. I don't know what it
would look like. Would that be a strap between the copper pipe coming
into the meter and the pipe leaving it and going to the house?

Dan

I beg to differ....that supervisor (or his company) is either a thief
or stupid (in either case he is wrong) .... the increase in material
would be less than $100 closer to $50

cheers
Bob