Buried Supply Line ?

Bob10

Hi curious which unions are approved for connecting buried lengths of soft copper pipe from a water meter. Also to they have to be wrapped in something? I have only used single lengths but this house is about 150' from the meter. Any help will be appreciated.

Ron The Plumber

Unions have to be accessible, meaning no digging them out, they can not be buried.

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Bob10

I think I used the wrong word coupler is what I meant I am really hoping they can be buried. What do water depts use?

Ron The Plumber

Yes as long as it's a soldered coupler, it can be buried. No wrap needed.

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Bob10

Thanks that is what I was hoping it is a long run and if I remember correctly a 2" line I am not sure what lengths that comes in, in soft rolls I am betting it costs plenty. The last 3/4"L roll I bought I got for $120 a few months ago I think it was old stock with old pricing. No chance of getting lucky twice

Alan

We just bought a 20 foot stick of 2" M and it was almost 10 dollars a foot. You got a great deal i'm thinking.

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Alan

P.S. . . . . .


Is this for your home

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Bob10

It is for a friend her placed burned down and the rebuild contractor is MIA from what I understand. I am going out tomorrow to start the trench for the water and try to find the original gas line. I will check the suppliers for prices on pipe on Tuesday. I am really surprised on the size of the line. I have 6 units running on 1 1/2" and this job is a single family house.
I will find out more tomorrow. Thanks again for the responses.

majakdragon

When I was a Water construction tech in Ohio, the code was type K soft copper underground and the only approved joints were Mechanical Couplings which are flared. No solder or threaded joints were allowed. This is another of those "check local code" questions.

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Alan

Yeah, no kidding!
I would be tempted to dig that up, scrap it, and use the money to pay for a brand new 1" poly line.

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majakdragon

Add another "check local code" requirement. In Ohio, 150' was the change over from 1-1/2 to 2" on service lines, even single family dwellings. It cured the problem of customers complaining of low water pressure. That size meter and piping is not cheap. Customers were responsible for buying the meter from the Water Department for anything over 5/8".

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sevver

You will either need to use a compression coupling or a flare coupling. Compression are easier to work with, although you still need to have the copper round, which on 2" without a "copper sizer" good luck. You can use two hammers, one as a backing, and tap it round with the other one. Call the city and see what is required by them. I have done this in alot of towns, and from my experience, every town thinks that they know it all, and prefers one or the other. You cannot solder soft copper, it would have to be silver solder, which is like brazing.

majakdragon

Since most areas do not allow compression fittings in areas where they cannot readily be seen, I wouldn't think they would be allowed to be buried.

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sevver

The compression fittings that I am talking about have a metal keeper ring inside of them. The towns that do allow them justify it by saying that if anyone ever digs through them, they will pull the copper out of the corp, and not the corp out of the main. Then again, there are other towns that don't like them because they don't trust them. Personally after having assembled probably 1000's of these things, getting 2" flare copper tight underground, in a ditch, with no room to work, tight enough not to leak, is not an easy task. Flaring 2" is not an easy task. Compression is much easier, but you need to see if the town will be ok with it. I don't care about what "most areas" allow, I am telling you to find out what YOUR AREA allows and giving you my input on what is more user friendly. MOST towns think that they have it all figured out, and that they know everything about everything, so it doesn't matter what we think, it is what they think.

I go from one town using no shear mission couplings because they are great, and another town doesn't like them. Another town likes to cut out a section of sewer and cut in a tee, another will allow an insert a tee to be cored in. Chimney seals on manholes in one town, not necessary in another. Some towns will go right along with doing a pressure tap through a water main valve, others want a tee cut in. Some will require a corp be directly tapped into the water main, others want a saddle. EVERY one of the inspectors in these towns will look at you like a donkey for even suggesting that there is another way, even if the circumstances would warrant the other one.

I just love the towns that don't allow couplings at all. They think that you can get 2" copper in continuous rolls, good luck finding it in anything longer than 60' lengths. Even if they did make it, which last I checked they don't, it is bad enough rolling out as it is.

majakdragon

I am used to changing codes with the area. In 35 years I have done work in 3 States and they are as different as night and day. The thing is, they have their rules and you cannot get over it. I always state to check with "local" codes as I did in my second post in this question.

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