Down here in Florida, and also I presume this would be true for various other areas in the south, where it never gets chilly sufficient, enough time to ice up water pipes, an extremely uncommon practice happens. A minimum of it’s uncommon to me since I matured in Michigan, where all pipes that have any type of water in them should be buried under the frost line, and that is 4’6″ where I’m from, much deeper if you go further north.
The uncommon method that I mention is, having the feed for sprinkler system systems revealed in the air. Let me clarify, the feed for this is normally a 1″ PVC pipeline that rises about 2′ in the air with a 90-degree elbow joint, then a brief item of PVC with a threaded coupling, this threaded coupling enters into a 1″ brass round shutoff, next, there are back to back 1″ cast iron heartburn preventer’s with strainers, then back into a 1″ brass ball valve one more brief item of PVC a 90 level joint and also finally back into the ground where it will usually most likely to the garage to a water administration timer and from there it feeds the automatic sprinkler.
Now think of this for a moment. We have these two 1″ PVC pipes sticking up from the ground standing up concerning 30 extra pounds of actors iron and brass components. I don’t understand who the wizard is that thought of this, yet it seems to be the criterion for these systems here. The initial home I stayed in when I moved down below, this setup was right in the middle of the backyard. Pretty easy to find when cutting the yard, but it looked quite ugly too. The next residence I moved to, it was concealed in the back corner of the backyard, off the beaten track behind the shed.
In the springtime down below we obtain a lot of rainfall and plants grow really quick, my weed wacker was damaged as well as it had been a week approximately because I had cut the lawn. So I’m out there cutting the grass on my riding mower, which I had just gotten a couple of months back, since it is too damn warm as well as humid to be attempting to press mow anything down right here, and I was making my very first circulate the yard. as I passed behind the shed I knew that the sprinkler pipeline was in this location but couldn’t see it due to the fact that the greenery had grown up as well as concealed it from my view. I assumed that I had offered a lot of room and also went right by. I don’t believe I relocated 10 feet when I could feel water landing on my back. I recognized quickly what I had actually done. I pulled the tractor up an additional twenty feet, so it wouldn’t get saturated and also shut it off.
When I turned around I nearly could not think my eyes, water was soaring into the air 15-20 feet. The first thing I thought about was to shut one of the round shutoffs, which was a great idea except for the truth that the pipe was damaged prior to the shutoffs, and also they were lying on the ground. Initially, the water really felt kinda cold yet after a pair of minutes I was getting pretty utilized to it. I was truly amazed at the water stress appearing on that pipe. Being a pipeline fitter I searched in my things to see if I had anything to cover this hot spring off with, yet I service steel pipe and also couldn’t discover anything. so I added to the equipment shop and also purchased a 1′ PVC cap as well as some PVC primer and also glue.
So the first thing that I wished to do was to square off the end of the pipe that had been broken. I got out my 1/2″ x 1-1/2″ pipeline cutter as well as suffice off regarding a foot in the air. I then submitted the completion of the pipe so the cap would slip onto it great and simple. Now bear in mind that during that I’m doing this I am getting a steady stream of water in my head since it’s shooting straight up airborne as well as coming right down on me. Not just that, there is now about 4 inches of water developed on the ground.
Alright, my pipeline is cut a cleansed, so I place the guide on the pipe and then in the cap and after that the glue on both. I then require the cap down onto the pipeline as well as hold it with my hand in my crotch as well as apply all my weight on it. The water quits spraying out and also I hold this setting for about a minute, till my hand just couldn’t take it anymore. I gradually start to take my weight off of the cap and then relocate away, assuming whew, grateful that’s over. I took perhaps two steps backward and also poof, the cap pops off as well as flies about 30 feet right into the air and water is spurting everywhere once more. Just about this time my better half appears and claims “perhaps we should call a plumbing technician“. HAHA very funny.
After I discovered the cap, I saw that it had only gone onto the pipeline by a quarter inch. Possibly the water was tinkering the adhesive. so I cleaned up whatever back up and had her hold the other pipe, the one that had actually broken with the 90 on it, so it would fire the water far from me as well as the pipeline so the adhesive wouldn’t splash. At least I’m not the only one splashing now. I reprimanded as well as glued the pipeline as well as the cap. Once again I tried to require that cap back onto the pipeline, however, the stress was simply too solid as well as I simply couldn’t get it to stay. I again listened to that little voice “maybe you must call an emergency plumbing repair service”. I am not paying a person $90 an hr to fix this when I recognize I can do it myself. Just after that, it strikes me, and I think to myself you idiot, you sure would not repair this, such as this at the office.
So I head back up to the hardware store to make my acquisition and rush residence. By now there is probably 6 inches of water on the ground and also my spouse states do you require my aid? Nope, I got it. I cleanse the pipeline off one last time and also use the guide and also glue to the pipe and the PVC ball valve I had actually just purchased from the equipment shop. with the shutoff in the open placement, I slide it onto the pipeline as well as make a quarter turn, and also hold it in position for about a min. When I make sure the glue has been established I just closed the shutoff and my problem is more than that. I purchased a ten-foot piece of PVC pipe, 3 90s, one straight slip coupling, and a pair of threaded combinings. It only took around half an hour to entirely restore the whole thing, and needless to say, I don’t let the weeds grow up that high back there anymore.
I really hope that this story has actually aided you. I know that I could have simply told you from the starting what to do, yet I think you’ll remember it much better this way.