# Replacing underground water line



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Underground pipe failed between house and heifer Barn. The pipe goes under the six foot wide poured concrete porch and into the well tank in the house . I went to dig to the porch with a backhoe and pull the existing 3/4 inch black pipe with the backhoe bucket slide it out from underneath the porch. I would have attached three-quarter inch black flex pipe the plastic the black plastic stuff 160 PSI test. What is the best way to attach the plastic to the steel pipe and the end of the steel pipe is not threaded it was cut off flush with the basement wall with just enough room to stick a dresser fitting on


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

I do not like to have no option, you probably can run a electrical fish tape through the current pipe and hook it to a cable you can use to pull the new plumbing back in case the connected to the pipe does not hold. You could pull the old pipe out with the cable in it and would fell confident the would be enough room for the cable to remain beside the new line it not needed.

Now if you have to you can probably take metal pipe and bend in the end of it with hammer to where it sprays water and wash it through under the concrete if you really get in bind.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I'm assuming you're going to dig a pit on the other side of the 6' concrete and you want to pull the pipe followed by a 3/4" flex pipe, is that correct? If so, you could use a small wire rope to do the trick.....

I'd have to draw a diagram on exactly how to do it probably but the jest is to take one wire rope approx. 5' in length and wrap it around the back metal pipe approx 1 foot from the end, wrap one turn and tie a half hitch, then take the ends of the rope and begin circling the the pipe at a 45* angle (much like wrapping tape on a baseball bat) alternating one of the top of the other until it has covered the length of black pipe remaining and about 1ft of the poly pipe (or more) when you get to the ends of the wire rope (3/16") tie another half hitch but not before taking electrical tape and run around the end where the wire rope ends.....you don't want that sob to move. What you have effectively made is a set of very strong Chinese handcuffs that will hold till the cows come home. You need to make sure the last wrap is secure and the others will take care of themselves, just apply overlapping strands all the way til the end, the wire rope will be approx 1" apart as it wraps around the two pieces of material.....clear as mud right? Told you I might have to draw this out......
I would probably wrap the first place on the pipe where I attached to real good with electrical tape to keep the ground from wanting to peel the rope back down the pipe. You can test the effectiveness of your handcuff by pulling hard on the poly pipe before pulling....hth


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

Use pex that would slide inside what you got.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

bluefarmer said:


> Use pex that would slide inside what you got.


 I've done that more than once before, but would you believe this old iron pipe is corroded full the area the water was going through anymore was just a diameter of a pencil. We were having trouble getting enough water to the barn this new line will be a blessing when we get her in


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

somedevildawg said:


> I'm assuming you're going to dig a pit on the other side of the 6' concrete and you want to pull the pipe followed by a 3/4" flex pipe, is that correct? If so, you could use a small wire rope to do the trick.....
> I'd have to draw a diagram on exactly how to do it probably but the jest is to take one wire rope approx. 5' in length and wrap it around the back metal pipe approx 1 foot from the end, wrap one turn and tie a half hitch, then take the ends of the rope and begin circling the the pipe at a 45* angle (much like wrapping tape on a baseball bat) alternating one of the top of the other until it has covered the length of black pipe remaining and about 1ft of the poly pipe (or more) when you get to the ends of the wire rope (3/16") tie another half hitch but not before taking electrical tape and run around the end where the wire rope ends.....you don't want that sob to move. What you have effectively made is a set of very strong Chinese handcuffs that will hold till the cows come home. You need to make sure the last wrap is secure and the others will take care of themselves, just apply overlapping strands all the way til the end, the wire rope will be approx 1" apart as it wraps around the two pieces of material.....clear as mud right? Told you I might have to draw this out......
> I would probably wrap the first place on the pipe where I attached to real good with electrical tape to keep the ground from wanting to peel the rope back down the pipe. You can test the effectiveness of your handcuff by pulling hard on the poly pipe before pulling....hth


 I'm not sure I yet understand this procedure and I will tell you Dad called the local retired plumber and this is exactly how he said he would do it


Palmettokat said:


> I do not like to have no option, you probably can run a electrical fish tape through the current pipe and hook it to a cable you can use to pull the new plumbing back in case the connected to the pipe does not hold. You could pull the old pipe out with the cable in it and would fell confident the would be enough room for the cable to remain beside the new line it not needed.
> 
> Now if you have to you can probably take metal pipe and bend in the end of it with hammer to where it sprays water and wash it through under the concrete if you really get in bind.hi


 way too much build-up in the three quarter inch pipe. We tried to get the fish through and could not. I am hoping I understood how you wash the pipe through because I think that may be our best option


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

This will take a lathe, turn a piece of shaft down to just fit inside the cut off pipe where the dresser fitting was, slide it in and drill it for a split pin or even a bolt, anything to hold it. Turn the other end to fit in your new plastic water line, turn several reliefs in just like a hose barb would have. If you have access to the proper crimp tool use the copper rings like for pex. If not just use fence wire and wrap and twist. I wouldn't put a house clamp on it or anything, anything that adds resistance could be the straw that breaks the old pipes back when your pulling.

If you have to, use an already dull drill bit to clean the scale out of the 3/4 pipe.

We replaced a water line before doing this that also ran under a lot of slab, more than 6' if I recall. The new plastic line will most likely pull easier if you use water as a lubricant, just like the underground borers do.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

If you want to be really cute you can drill a hole part way in your "splice" from the plastic end, drill a few 1/8" cross holes then hook the end of your new poly line to a garden hose and have water supplied at the joint that way.

What pipe are you using btw? Some of the actual dedicated poly line we used years ago was a true 3/4" ID so therefore most likely the OD will be larger than the steel pipe, so having it water lubed would be a really good ideal. Pex pipe on the other hand is nominally sized and 3/4 pex pipe is the same OD as 3/4" copper but with a smaller ID of course.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

endrow, think you will find several videos on youtube of "washing" a well down. Same principal but you may need to dig a hole to work in. Prepare to get wet. Depending on the dirt you are working with you might find washing new line through to be as easy as pulling rusted metal pipe out or easier. If you wash a hole through I would want to install larger diameter pvc than water line you will run just in case you need to replace it,

If the pipe is so corroded a electrical fish tape can not get through you will be happy with new water flow. "IF" you want to try running something through the pipe get you say 1/2 inch diameter pipe and try taping it through the current pipe from the outlet end with water on and you may dislodge the corrosion to get through. Not sure I would use the pipe as I suggested, believe I rather have solid rod of smaller diameter maybe 3/8 inch in diameter.

Might be getting ahead of myself here but if the water flow is going to be such a major improvement I would flush the lines in the barn without animals in there so the noise of the new flow does not startle them. Scared a dog doing this time beyond belief! He must have thought it was a snake. That was bleeding air out of line but was in a water tub for him to cool off in. He would never go near it after that. LOL

What somedevildawg said on rope wrapped, it is amazing how well it holds. You can do the same thing pulling a post out the ground using a chain or pulling a log with a tractor.


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