Need sprinkler plumbing suggestions

June 13, 2020, 02:29 PM

Dallas239

I have to replace an ancient valve with a bad diaphragm. It was mounted on 1" pipe teed off a 2" pipe below. There was barely enough pipe to work with to begin with before the thin-wall PVC cracked all the way to the elbow. Everything is good. So do I have any choice other than digging up the lower pipe and using a couple of unions and replacing the whole tee?

"I've spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don't know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it. But in my mind it was a tall proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, wind-swept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace, a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity, and if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here." -- Ronald Reagan, Farewell Address, Jan. 11, 1989

Si vis pacem para bellum
There are none so blind as those who refuse to see.
Feeding Trolls Since 1995

June 13, 2020, 02:58 PM

rexles

That is what needs done. Dig it up and replace the tee. They make tools that will cut out a broken pipe out of a fitting. I have them for 1 1/2" up to 4", but I don't know how small they make them. If is 2" schedule 40 it would work just to get the broken piece out of the tee

June 13, 2020, 04:35 PM

jimmy123x

I would put a glue on slip fitting to a threaded fitting so in the future, you can just unscrew the threaded fitting and start glueing to that. Thread in a new threaded to female glue in fitting.

June 13, 2020, 04:46 PM

Tailhook 84

Dallas, check your email.

June 14, 2020, 07:52 AM

9mmnut

I just replaced the top part of the valve. left the old body intact.
To repair the busted pipe split a piece of pipe and glue a piece over the split. Install a clamp around the repaired section.

June 14, 2020, 08:00 AM

vinnybass

Home Depot has a tool (online only, about six bucks for 1") called a socket saver. It allows you to bore the glued part out of an existing fitting to re-use it. They are size specific, and you need enough room to do it in-place. It might be an option for you.

June 14, 2020, 08:11 AM

Woodman

Is that lower pressure irrigation pipe? Personally, I'd go with compression unions or a new glued 2" tee and slip coupling. Over dealing with pipe cracked off inside the tee.

June 14, 2020, 11:24 AM

horsedoc

There is a mom and pop pool supply place here that has fittings that slide into the ID of the pipe broken in the fitting, it then expands out to the original pipe OD. If you can find them they are a real time saver. I think I bought them at blue water pool and spa in Midland, don't know if they have a website.

Tommy

June 14, 2020, 12:02 PM

Dallas239

quote:
Originally posted by vinnybass:
Home Depot has a tool (online only, about six bucks for 1") called a socket saver. It allows you to bore the glued part out of an existing fitting to re-use it. They are size specific, and you need enough room to do it in-place. It might be an option for you.

Thanks for the pointer and name. I just ordered this on Amazon and will see if it works. Fingers crossed, would save a bunch of time.

June 14, 2020, 12:02 PM

Dallas239

quote:
Originally posted by Tailhook 84:
Dallas, check your email.

Back at you.

June 14, 2020, 12:05 PM

Dallas239

quote:
Originally posted by Woodman:
Is that lower pressure irrigation pipe? Personally, I'd go with compression unions or a new glued 2" tee and slip coupling. Over dealing with pipe cracked off inside the tee.

I got down deeper, and the tee is actually 1.5" coming out one end and 1" coming out the other So a bunch of glued together bushings and fittings. Definitely would be easier to use compression unions, but I worry about leaks. Will do that if drilling out doesn't work.

June 17, 2020, 10:06 AM

Dallas239

quote:
Originally posted by vinnybass:
Home Depot has a tool (online only, about six bucks for 1") called a socket saver. It allows you to bore the glued part out of an existing fitting to re-use it. They are size specific, and you need enough room to do it in-place. It might be an option for you.

The Socket Saver saved my socket!

This gizmo actually worked great, and I was able to cut out the elbow and replace. I accidentally ordered 2 from Amazon, and they don't want the extra back, so if anyone else needs a 1" socket saver, LMK and it's yours.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/JS...ver-J44100/302575483

June 17, 2020, 10:11 AM

vinnybass

I'm glad it worked out for you. I have the 1" and may get a coupla' other sizes just because.

June 17, 2020, 10:26 AM

OKCGene

quote:
Originally posted by Dallas239:
quote:
Originally posted by vinnybass:
Home Depot has a tool (online only, about six bucks for 1") called a socket saver. It allows you to bore the glued part out of an existing fitting to re-use it. They are size specific, and you need enough room to do it in-place. It might be an option for you.

The Socket Saver saved my socket!

This gizmo actually worked great, and I was able to cut out the elbow and replace. I accidentally ordered 2 from Amazon, and they don't want the extra back, so if anyone else needs a 1" socket saver, LMK and it's yours.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/JS...ver-J44100/302575483

Instant Karma? I could use that. Will email you.

June 17, 2020, 10:48 AM

Woodman

quote:
Definitely would be easier to use compression unions

Oops - I meant to type 'compression couplings'. I've used galvanized Dressler (compression) couplings on water services. As do the water company, although they say we cannot. Go figure. On PVC irrigation pipe plastic compression unions are a fairly common repair item, with landscapers spearing shallow lines all of the time.

Glad the Socket Saver worked. I'll keep an open mind on that tool. My experience is that surfaces to be glued (fused) must be smooth, clean, and without chips or fissures.

June 17, 2020, 11:04 AM

Dallas239

quote:
Originally posted by Woodman:
quote:
Definitely would be easier to use compression unions
Oops - I meant to type 'compression couplings'. I've used galvanized Dressler (compression) couplings on water services. As do the water company, although they say we cannot. Go figure. On PVC irrigation pipe plastic compression unions are a fairly common repair item, with landscapers spearing shallow lines all of the time.

Glad the Socket Saver worked. I'll keep an open mind on that tool. My experience is that surfaces to be glued (fused) must be smooth, clean, and without chips or fissures.

The tool definitely does not make a smooth hole, but it is also just a smidge undersized, so once you get the solvent in there and everything melts a little, it's good. I tried it on some scrap pieces before I did it for real just so I knew what to expect and didn't make anything worse. And because the guide is sized for Schedule 40 pipe, it did wallow a little bit in the thin-wall pipe, but still worked. I also made sure to let the glued joint sit for the full cure time.

June 17, 2020, 11:04 AM

Dallas239

quote:
Originally posted by OKCGene:
quote:
Originally posted by Dallas239:
quote:
Originally posted by vinnybass:
Home Depot has a tool (online only, about six bucks for 1") called a socket saver. It allows you to bore the glued part out of an existing fitting to re-use it. They are size specific, and you need enough room to do it in-place. It might be an option for you.

The Socket Saver saved my socket!

This gizmo actually worked great, and I was able to cut out the elbow and replace. I accidentally ordered 2 from Amazon, and they don't want the extra back, so if anyone else needs a 1" socket saver, LMK and it's yours.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/JS...ver-J44100/302575483

Instant Karma? I could use that. Will email you.

Instant Karma and you win!