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Which order to install new valve manifold?

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Weave

New Member

Posts: 3

Location: South Hadley, MA

1

Saturday, April 20th 2013, 2:02pm

Which order to install new valve manifold?

Hey guys...thanks in advance for the help!
I've recently had to replace my faulty Toro valves from mid 90's and I decided to go with the hunter pgv with flow control. I have 8 valves in 2 boxes before I cut out the old manifold.now I'm ready to install the new one but I'm not sure what order I should go in?
I'm struggling getting the pipe onto the barbed valves. I am halfway thinking I might start over and attach the valves first and build it back to the main.....help!
I already have half hooked up to the main line and I'm ok with cutting it out again....just not sure what is easiest/smartest way.
PVC manifold and 1" black poly pipe. Should I just get the torch and heat the poly?
Thanks guys!

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

2

Saturday, April 20th 2013, 2:46pm

a pro has no fear of using a torch to heat poly - an amateur should allow for the likelihood of their melting some of the poly into uselessness

this is one reason why there are special manifold fittings made with built-in unions

Weave

New Member

Posts: 3

Location: South Hadley, MA

3

Saturday, April 20th 2013, 2:55pm

Thanks so your saying that a pro would heat the poly?
I have a torch and am fairly handy and can sweat copper etc....for some reason my torch won't run unless almost uprightim going to borrow a buddies torch and try that.
I guess that's what I'm taking away from your reply?

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

4

Saturday, April 20th 2013, 4:50pm

Unless you apply heat properly, you either don't get the job done at all, or you melt the pipe and ruin it. Polyethylene is not copper.

Allow for these possibilities in your planning.

Weave

New Member

Posts: 3

Location: South Hadley, MA

5

Sunday, April 21st 2013, 7:37am

Ok thanks...I have some scrap I may practice with.
Which order would you typically do this install as a pro?

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

6

Sunday, April 21st 2013, 11:39am

Sight unseen, there's no way to know how best to proceed. Obviously, the union manifold fittings take the difficulty away, since they let you connect valves to poly pipes one at a time.

Scott76

Active Member

Posts: 46

Location: Kansas City

7

Thursday, May 2nd 2013, 1:43pm

I've done many valve replacements over the years as a sprinkler tech. I "usually" hook the PVC main pipe up first as it is basically inflexable. Dig down you poly lines about 1 and a half feet to allow for some flex in the pipe. VERY carefully apply heat to the poly pipe and then slide it over the barbed port on the valve. I would recommend using two oetiker clamps per valve fitting in an offset fasion. If you don't have the special oetiker crimp tool hose clamps work, but I'm not a huge fan of them.

camner

Senior Member

Posts: 22

8

Thursday, May 23rd 2013, 9:08pm

Quoted from "Wet_Boots"

this is one reason why there are special manifold fittings made with built-in unions


Others seem to prefer glue and fitting manifolds vs. "special manifold fittings with built in unions." Why do you prefer the fittings + unions approach?

Wet_Boots

Supreme Member

Posts: 4,102

Location: Metro NYC

9

Thursday, May 23rd 2013, 11:02pm

Quoted from "camner"



Others seem to prefer glue and fitting manifolds vs. "special manifold fittings with built in unions." Why do you prefer the fittings + unions approach?
I prefer doing work that never has to be rebuilt. The people asking questions here possess a different skill set. Note the OP claims of having struggles.

The general idea is to get their systems operational. Connecting a four-valve manifold of barbed-outlet valves to four separate poly pipes can be a thing more easy to describe than it is to actually accomplish, since the pipes don't always line up neatly, and digging up all the pipes to get more wiggle room might be easier said than done.

electrifiedmale

Active Member

Posts: 31

Location: Longview, Texas

10

Saturday, May 25th 2013, 7:46am

Quoted from "Wet_Boots"

Connecting a four-valve manifold of barbed-outlet valves to four separate poly pipes can be a thing more easy to describe than it is to actually accomplish, since the pipes don't always line up neatly, and digging up all the pipes to get more wiggle room might be easier said than done.
haha. You got that right! Ive only built one sprinkler system - mine - and used poly. Built my manifold first, and getting those pipes on those barbs was a real B***h !! Only one of about a million lessons learned! If I ever do another, I would definitely consider a different approach.
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