You are not logged in.

Chicken or Egg?

Dear visitor, welcome to SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers. If this is your first visit here, please read the Help. It explains how this page works. You must be registered before you can use all the page's features. Please use the registration form, to register here or read more information about the registration process. If you are already registered, please login here.

lkool

New Member

Posts: 3

1

Wednesday, May 8th 2013, 9:55pm

Chicken or Egg?

I am a new to the sprinkler system world. I am starting up my system for the first time. I was running one zone at a time and checking to see that things looked good. The first 4 zones were good, when I switched to the 5th zone, I came out of the garage and heard gushing water. Water was shooting out the PVB as well as a gasket in the PVC pipe under the PVB.

My question is, what caused this and what came first? Is it a bad PVB that caused the gasket to fail or is it a failing gasket that is causing the PVB to gush water? Attached is a photo of the PVC failure. It shooting out of the portion of the pipe that has some sort of 'screw on' cap, near the ground before the right angle.

Thanks!
lkool has attached the following file:
  • pvcwater.jpg (11.74 kB - 11 times downloaded - Last download: May 13th 2013, 9:18pm)

This post has been edited 1 times, last edit by "lkool" (May 8th 2013, 10:14pm)

mrfixit

Moderator

Posts: 1,510

Location: USA

2

Wednesday, May 8th 2013, 10:50pm

It looks like a crappy installation job to me. That thing gushing water is a compression coupling. You don't need it. Take it out.
I'm assuming the pipe whoopty doo's there because the foundation's in the way. Maybe the guy was just lazy.
I'd dig down through the gravel a bit. Then cut the pipe. Install a 90 degree fitting over to match up with the pipe going straight down. Then attach the two with another 90.
If you can't do it below ground because something's in the way then do it low to the ground. Maybe inside the gravel somewhere.

lkool

New Member

Posts: 3

3

Wednesday, May 8th 2013, 11:43pm

I think I am following you. I've attached a very simple drawing, is this what you are proposing the final pipe would look like?
lkool has attached the following file:
  • pipes.png (8.24 kB - 3 times downloaded - Last download: May 9th 2013, 9:50am)

mrfixit

Moderator

Posts: 1,510

Location: USA

4

Thursday, May 9th 2013, 5:13am

No, I'd try to get those elbows under the ground if possible so the only exposed pipe is the one going straight down next to the wall.

lkool

New Member

Posts: 3

5

Thursday, May 9th 2013, 12:11pm

Quoted from "mrfixit"

No, I'd try to get those elbows under the ground if possible so the only exposed pipe is the one going straight down next to the wall.
This totally makes sense and it is what I am going to try to do. I am not sure that there is much ground to work with. So i might not be able to get deep enough to do this. If that is the case would you recommend digging even deeper and running pipes down and then up to achieve the desired result? Or possible running the sideways?

Similar threads

Rate this thread