I recently had to replace my sewage pump. The PO put in a PVC ball valve
to shut off the sewage when pump repairs are needed.
The PVC valve would not move and I broke the turn handle while trying.
.....Why anybody puts PVC valve underground and expects it to work after
a week or 2 is a subject for another thread...
Luckily I did manage to replace the pump without shutting off the valve
as there was a check valve before the pump which held stuff back.
I would like to replace the PVC ball valve with a brass gate valve.
It's about 75 to 100' of 2" PVC pipe to the street with about 12-18"
rise. The valve located near the pump. I am not sure if its just the
gravity fed contents of the pipe or if I will continuously get stuff
under pressure from the main sewer line as well?
How can I block the line while cutting out the bad valve and gluing a
fitting for the new valve? I was thinking of some kind of balloon or air
bladder if such a thing exists for that purpose?
Thanks
Kevin

Your sewer lateral is only 2" and rises to the street sewer main? Sounds
like a real bad installation. In this area the sewer lateral is required to
be 5" in diameter minimum and to drain DOWN to the sewer main, which is
about 15 feet below the street.


"Kevin Ricks" wrote in message
. net...
I recently had to replace my sewage pump. The PO put in a PVC ball valve to
shut off the sewage when pump repairs are needed.
The PVC valve would not move and I broke the turn handle while trying.
....Why anybody puts PVC valve underground and expects it to work after a
week or 2 is a subject for another thread...
Luckily I did manage to replace the pump without shutting off the valve as
there was a check valve before the pump which held stuff back.
I would like to replace the PVC ball valve with a brass gate valve.
It's about 75 to 100' of 2" PVC pipe to the street with about 12-18" rise.
The valve located near the pump. I am not sure if its just the gravity
fed contents of the pipe or if I will continuously get stuff under
pressure from the main sewer line as well?
How can I block the line while cutting out the bad valve and gluing a
fitting for the new valve? I was thinking of some kind of balloon or air
bladder if such a thing exists for that purpose?
Thanks
Kevin

Kevin Ricks wrote:
I recently had to replace my sewage pump. The PO put in a PVC ball valve
to shut off the sewage when pump repairs are needed.
The PVC valve would not move and I broke the turn handle while trying.
....Why anybody puts PVC valve underground and expects it to work after
a week or 2 is a subject for another thread...
Luckily I did manage to replace the pump without shutting off the valve
as there was a check valve before the pump which held stuff back.
I would like to replace the PVC ball valve with a brass gate valve.
It's about 75 to 100' of 2" PVC pipe to the street with about 12-18"
rise. The valve located near the pump. I am not sure if its just the
gravity fed contents of the pipe or if I will continuously get stuff
under pressure from the main sewer line as well?
How can I block the line while cutting out the bad valve and gluing a
fitting for the new valve? I was thinking of some kind of balloon or air
bladder if such a thing exists for that purpose?
Thanks
Kevin



Try one of these:
http://www.cherneind.com/products-display.asp?pind=pp_1

The rubber bladder makes a very tight seal when pressurized.

Go to their product menu for other devices.


A bit tricky to do what you want. I guess you would need
to pressurize the bladder, pinch the inlet hose shut,
disconnect hose, slide the old valve (which has been cut)
over the inlet hose and then slide the new fittings in.

You don't need water to pressurize; compressed air will work fine.

Jim

EXT wrote:

Your sewer lateral is only 2" and rises to the street sewer main? Sounds
like a real bad installation. In this area the sewer lateral is required to
be 5" in diameter minimum and to drain DOWN to the sewer main, which is
about 15 feet below the street.

That's fine for a relatively flat city, but in hilly parts of the
country where there are central sewers it is quite common for folks on
the downhill side of the street to have tanks and pumps to pump the
sewage up to the sewer main. Since the pumps are grinder types, 2" lines
are just fine.




"Kevin Ricks" wrote in message
. net...
I recently had to replace my sewage pump. The PO put in a PVC ball valve to
shut off the sewage when pump repairs are needed.
The PVC valve would not move and I broke the turn handle while trying.
....Why anybody puts PVC valve underground and expects it to work after a
week or 2 is a subject for another thread...
Luckily I did manage to replace the pump without shutting off the valve as
there was a check valve before the pump which held stuff back.
I would like to replace the PVC ball valve with a brass gate valve.
It's about 75 to 100' of 2" PVC pipe to the street with about 12-18" rise.
The valve located near the pump. I am not sure if its just the gravity
fed contents of the pipe or if I will continuously get stuff under
pressure from the main sewer line as well?
How can I block the line while cutting out the bad valve and gluing a
fitting for the new valve? I was thinking of some kind of balloon or air
bladder if such a thing exists for that purpose?
Thanks
Kevin

Pete C. wrote:
EXT wrote:
Your sewer lateral is only 2" and rises to the street sewer main? Sounds
like a real bad installation. In this area the sewer lateral is required to
be 5" in diameter minimum and to drain DOWN to the sewer main, which is
about 15 feet below the street.

That's fine for a relatively flat city, but in hilly parts of the
country where there are central sewers it is quite common for folks on
the downhill side of the street to have tanks and pumps to pump the
sewage up to the sewer main. Since the pumps are grinder types, 2" lines
are just fine.


I am on the end of a 'flag lot' (where 3 homes share 1 driveway). There
is an abrupt grade for 10' or so from the street then a gradual slope
the rest of the driveway. The first 2 homes did not need a pump but the
PO who was also the GC said the sewer lines from my home are about a
foot too low.
When looking for sewage pumps I found most all are 2" discharge. One or
two had a 3" option.

Kevin






"Kevin Ricks" wrote in message
. net...
I recently had to replace my sewage pump. The PO put in a PVC ball valve to
shut off the sewage when pump repairs are needed.
The PVC valve would not move and I broke the turn handle while trying.
....Why anybody puts PVC valve underground and expects it to work after a
week or 2 is a subject for another thread...
Luckily I did manage to replace the pump without shutting off the valve as
there was a check valve before the pump which held stuff back.
I would like to replace the PVC ball valve with a brass gate valve.
It's about 75 to 100' of 2" PVC pipe to the street with about 12-18" rise.
The valve located near the pump. I am not sure if its just the gravity
fed contents of the pipe or if I will continuously get stuff under
pressure from the main sewer line as well?
How can I block the line while cutting out the bad valve and gluing a
fitting for the new valve? I was thinking of some kind of balloon or air
bladder if such a thing exists for that purpose?
Thanks
Kevin

Speedy Jim wrote:
Kevin Ricks wrote:
I recently had to replace my sewage pump. The PO put in a PVC ball
valve to shut off the sewage when pump repairs are needed.
The PVC valve would not move and I broke the turn handle while trying.
....Why anybody puts PVC valve underground and expects it to work
after a week or 2 is a subject for another thread...
Luckily I did manage to replace the pump without shutting off the
valve as there was a check valve before the pump which held stuff back.
I would like to replace the PVC ball valve with a brass gate valve.
It's about 75 to 100' of 2" PVC pipe to the street with about 12-18"
rise. The valve located near the pump. I am not sure if its just the
gravity fed contents of the pipe or if I will continuously get stuff
under pressure from the main sewer line as well?
How can I block the line while cutting out the bad valve and gluing a
fitting for the new valve? I was thinking of some kind of balloon or
air bladder if such a thing exists for that purpose?
Thanks
Kevin



Try one of these:
http://www.cherneind.com/products-display.asp?pind=pp_1

The rubber bladder makes a very tight seal when pressurized.

Go to their product menu for other devices.


A bit tricky to do what you want. I guess you would need
to pressurize the bladder, pinch the inlet hose shut,
disconnect hose, slide the old valve (which has been cut)
over the inlet hose and then slide the new fittings in.

You don't need water to pressurize; compressed air will work fine.

Jim

Thanks I will look into those if not too expensive.

I may try and use a bicycle inner tube. Or maybe something biodegradable
like a couple rolls of TP?
I may wait till spring when I can pump a bunch of irrigation water
through the pipe to clean it out a bit before starting.

Kevin