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

BobK207

George E. Cawthon wrote:
Dan_Musicant wrote:
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

You might go down to Lowes and check the
difference in price between 3/4" and 1" price.
don't think it would take much of a length to
exceed a difference of $50.

OTOH. Was using the black plastic pipe a no go
for the supply? Don't remember the schedule
number but the 105 PSI or 120 PSI plastic pipe is
what should be used. That's relatively cheap and
and it is a standard replacement around here in
areas where the soil eats hole in copper.

I use a piece as a supply pipe from the pressure
irrigation supply (about 60 psi) that goes in an L
about 50 one way and 25 feet another way and just
lies on top of the ground. It is under pressure
about 6 months of the year and has shown no
adverse effects over the past 15 years. Should
last forever underground.

DoIt Center in Mammoth Lakes, CA (not exactly the cheapest place)

Type L 3/4" $36 / 10ft
Type L 1" $46 / 10 ft

I assume Dan had about a 50ft run last night when I SWAG'd the cost
delta

I didn't look back in the thread to determine the run length

Looks like the delta from 3/4" to 1" should be in th $1/ft range not
$10/ft

cheers
Bob