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mike[_22_]

On 5/29/2013 5:02 PM, wrote:
On May 29, 6:10 pm, Ed wrote:
On Wed, 29 May 2013 11:51:17 -0700, wrote:
I'm replacing 44' of buried 3/4 galvanized water pipe to the water meter
at the sidewalk.
Looks like PEX is the way to go.
But the inside diameter of 3/4" galvanized is about the
same as 1" PEX.
1" is quite a bit more expensive, but it's a small
part of the total cost.

People at hardware stores say, "just use 3/4", it'll be fine."
Comment on that???

Then there's the problem of having a tiny variety of PEX
"sharkbite" type fittings. They don't even carry a 1" female to
PEX fitting at the Big Box stores.

What size are you connecting to? If it is 1", I'd go with 1", but if
it is already 3/4" there is not gain on using the 1" downstream.

I agree there probably isn't much gain, but even if he has
a 3/4 reduction at the street, there will still be less pressure
drop with a long line of 1" than with 3/4". Probably not
enough that it offers any benefit. I'd be very surprised if
a 1" connection isn't available at the street.

Be surprised, cuz the meter tail is 3/4" fittings.

Quick measurement says that the ID of 3/4" galvanized pipe
is 3/4". The ID of 1" PEX is about 3/4".

Don't have a 3/4" PEX to measure, but it's gonna be smaller than
3/4"

The area goes as the square of the radius. So, 70% of the
radius gives you HALF of the area. And I expect flow goes down
faster than that because of surface friction.

If it were me, I'd forget about PEX, the tools, etc. Get
1" poly and use barb fittings. That is what has been used
here to connect to municipal water systems for decades
now. Don't know of any problems with it. And it's the
least expensive.

Also, when considering 1" vs 3/4", some things that could
make a big differene:

lawn sprinkler system runnning off it?
water use outside the house off a wide open spigot?

things like that you will see a big difference.

I live alone and don't irrigate. I'm gonna live here
till I die.

I plumbed a 100' 5/8" water hoze from the meter to an outside
spigot to get the water back on. Water flow is about as good
as it was before.
I expect that 3/4" PEX is plenty, but the extra cost of 1"
is noise level compared to the cost of trenching or pulling it.
The downside is that it's harder to find fittings and tools
are more costly. It chaps me to pay over $100 for a tool
to crimp two connections. The expander tools are way more
than that. And if it's like most other things in the world,
by the time I need it again, the whole pipe system will be
different...again...

The world seems well polarized on the sharkbite stuff.
Some think it works good lasts a long time.
Others, particularly those wishing to sell me their labor
don't like it.