On 8 Jan 2007 23:38:37 -0800, "BobK207" wrote:

:
an_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
r stupid (in either case he is wrong) .... the increase in material
:would be less than $100 closer to $50
:
:cheers
:Bob

Yeah, I told him on the phone the exact same thing except I didn't
mention the $50. I gotta think they were just trying to see if they
could squeeze a bunch out of me with that line. I don't think I'll use
them again. Not unless I can see something to justify that $600 charge
(which I declined, of course). I honestly think he might be stupid. Just
don't know. How could he be THAT stupid?

Dan