[AT] County/City Water Connection: What size meter to use?
Gene Waugh
gwaugh at wowway.com
Thu Jan 3 04:40:39 PST 2013
Back where I worked, many house supply lines had been installed with 125 - 150 psi rated black flexible poly pipe. I saw (and repaired) probably hundreds of leaks caused by a rock bearing against the pipe, setting up stresses which, through the years, would cause a leak. I usually used 200 psi rated poly pipe; hard to work with, but I never went back for a repair.
I do believe that the root could grow into a joint---have not seen this on a water line, but many, many on sewer lines. Knowing how tenacious the Osage Orange/Bois D'Arc is, I believe it even more!
Gene
Gene Waugh
Elgin, Illinois USA
On Jan 3, 2013, at 6:17 AM, Cecil R Bearden wrote:
> The root had actually grown around the pipe and then as it expanded it
> squeezed the pipe and since it was at a joint it started leaking. I
> would not bet that that tree could not tell that water was in a pipe.
> They are also known as Osage Orange... The tree will grow in a fence
> row and a 30 yr old tree will only be 3 to 4 inches in diameter. The
> wood is very fine grained and when dry it is like a rock. As I remember
> the staircase in the chapel in Santa Fe has Osage Orange as the small
> spindles that hold the staircase together. Here it is known as Bois
> D'Arc a french name for wood of Bows. The Indians used it to make
> Bows. I know of a Bowmaker here who uses it for some very expensive and
> fine looking bows. I have dug up one of the trees and pulled a
> feeder root nearly 200 ft. I guess that is the reason it can grow in
> this dry prairie.
> Cecil in OKla
>
>
> On 1/2/2013 8:55 PM, Dave Rotigel wrote:
>> Doubtful that the root caused the leak. More likely that the leak caused the root!
>> Dave
>>
>> On Jan 2, 2013, at 8:59 PM, Cecil R Bearden wrote:
>>> BTW
>>> the leak was from a BoisD'Arc tree root growing into the pipe at a joint.
>>>
>>> Cecil in OKla
>>>
>>> On 1/2/2013 7:42 PM, Alan Nadeau wrote:
>>>> It has been a while since I ran any water lines. In your case I would go
>>>> with 1" pipe but a 3/4" meter, the 1" will maintain flow better than the
>>>> 3/4" will over any distance. Back when I was involved in such work it was
>>>> pretty common for chintzy builders to run the cheapest pipe they could buy.
>>>> At that time I think it was rated for 80 PSI. I had the pleasure of working
>>>> the trench when my employer replaced many of those. The pipe he used then
>>>> (he was NOT a chintzy builder) was something like 120 or 160 PSI rated. The
>>>> 80# junk would puncture if a stone got anywhere near it. In our stony (VT)
>>>> soil the only way it would last was if it was bedded in sand. Nobody did
>>>> that as it was expensive so the weakest possible pipe got direct buried and
>>>> as the fill settled any stones in there would crimp/kink the pipe and in 6-7
>>>> years it would be leaking. I'm not even sure the 80# is even made now but
>>>> if it is it should be avoided unless you are in really nice sand. Go with
>>>> the heaviest rated pipe you can get. It will require a little heat to get
>>>> fittings into it and it is wise to use marine grade hose clamps. The
>>>> automotive ones have a carbon steel screw on a stainless band. When the
>>>> screw disintegrates the clamping force is lost. The marine ones are
>>>> completely stainless steel and while more costly they add only a fraction to
>>>> the cost of the whole project.
>>>>
>>>> Even with the heavy pipe, if you're working with a dug trench it is wise to
>>>> try to keep clean fill over the pipe for a couple inches and not drop any
>>>> big rocks down near the bottom if you can avoid it.
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> From: "Al Jones" <farmallsupera at earthlink.net>
>>>> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>>> Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2013 6:06 PM
>>>> Subject: [AT] County/City Water Connection: What size meter to use?
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> WARNING: OFF TOPIC!
>>>>>
>>>>> My wife and I are building a house, and it’s time to put the water meter
>>>>> down out at the highway. This is my first experience with “county water,”
>>>>> as I have always lived in a house on its own well. I am hoping that the
>>>>> convenience of not maintaining a pump will be worth it in the long run.
>>>>> Plus, we will be living in the town ETJ, and I expect “one of these days”
>>>>> they will run a municipal sewer line and we’ll have to connect anyway.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have a choice of a meter with a 3/4" hookup, pretty much the standard
>>>>> deal around here, or a 1” hookup. The 1” meter is $170 more than the 3/4"
>>>>> meter, but the highway robbery, uh, I mean “impact fee” is $1600 more for
>>>>> the 1” meter. Our house is between 800 and 900 feet from the road and
>>>>> where the meter will be. Should I bite the bullet and go for the 1”
>>>>> connection or will a 3/4" line give acceptable pressure and flow? My
>>>>> contractor suggests the 1” meter, and I have had others advise either one
>>>>> will work. One even suggested just installing the 3/4" meter but run a 1"
>>>>> pipe to the house.
>>>>>
>>>>> We won't be doing anything fancy, just water needs for a 3 bedroom, 2.5
>>>>> bath house. No lawn irrigation other than filling up a watering can when
>>>>> I plant marigolds or something.
>>>>>
>>>>> When the meter goes in, I intend to run the line to the house myself. If
>>>>> so, I will be using the 424 IH with a middlebuster to dig the trench (if
>>>>> it will go deep enough) and the Super A with IH Fast Hitch blade to
>>>>> backfill.....
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> thanks,
>>>>> Al
>>>>>
>>>>>
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