PVC pipe repair

[john in la]

Trudging across my field through knee high grass and weeds headed for my well pump house to investigate low water pressure at the house when I came across a very wet spot.
Yes you guessed it my 1.25 inch pvc water pipe is leaking and water is bubbling out of the ground.

It is leaking right where 2 pipes join together in the pre formed slip joint on the end of one pipe.
I can not see it from all the water in the hole I dug but I can pull the pipe up and down and feal it click as the joint moves.
First time I have ever had a glue joint fail on pvc pipe.

So how do I fix this??????

I am reluctant to use one of those screw together joints with the oring because this will be buried.
I guess I could dig back 10 to 15 feet on either side of the break so I can move the pipes around better to get a new union on both ends but that seems like a lot of work.
I have seen on youtube people grind the stop out the inside of a union so you can slide the union all the way on one pipe and then slide it back to center to join the pipes. This seems like a recipe for a bad glue joint from sliding the union around so much.

I'm all ears for your ideas.
Thanks.

 

[craigco]

I would use a compression coupling or a sliding repair coupling that adjusts in length to make up for missing pipe. I would not worry about a buried rubber oring as nearly all of the water service lines that we install are put together with compression fittings, from copper to poly. I have removed stops in couplings and even cut bells of sch40 pipes to make couplers to slide on, but only on non pressure sewer lines. You have to be quick to get glue on everything slid all the way on and back before it starts to set.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Cut out a section glue on a couple hose barbs or threaded ends then use hose barbs with black plastic water line and a couple hose clamps just make sure the screw is stainless like the strap part of it is and will last for decades. That is how my waterline from the pump to the hose is now and has been since I moved in here in 1997 . I had to replace the line going to the house and that is how the well people do it here with no ill affects. We have to go below frost line for this here so down there it should work fine with the shallow depth you can do.

 

[M-MAN]

The sliding repair fitting will hold up fine underground. I installed one for my brother 20 years ago. It's buried 4 ft deep between his walkway and the house.

 

[Tony in SD]

Sliding couplings can work well. But like anything it has to be done correctly. First thing is make sure all bonding surfaces are dry & clean. I know this is sometimes hard to do when you are in a muddy hole but if you want it to hold, it has to be clean. There are multiple types of pvc cleaner & glue, so make sure you use the correct cleaner and glue per manufacturer instructions for the type of pvc you are glueing. BTDT

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I have seen people use wet/dry glue.

Remove the pressure, clean the union and try gluing the end of the union. What do you have to lose?

Christy's Wet Or Dry Conditions PVC Cement - Medium Body, Extremely Fast Set, Low-VOC, Aqua Blue, 1/2 Pint (8 fl oz)
About $10 on Amazon.

 

[Stephen Newell]

I think probably 5' each side of the break would be enough you could pull the pipe up and put a length of pipe between with two couplers. If you glue everything to one side of the break you would only need 3/4 slack to put the last joint together. Just make sure all the parts you are gluing together is completely dry and use a primer with the glue.

 

[DoubleO7]

(reply to post at 04:59:06 09/03/23)

Once you cut out the bell end and old pipe with any old glue on it, you will have quite a gap. Too much for the repair couplings you can buy. The longer the gap in feet will make it easier to repair.

Make sure it is just a joint failure and not a longitudinal crack in the pipe(s).

You might use a length of new pipe with bell end and then a glue on union. Or slip coupling.

I always try to slip the joints together and then twist if possible as the glue does its thing. Not just shoved straight in.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

John,
I have a set of adjustable reams.

I would be tempted to use the ream and make a pvc union that would slide over the pipe at both ends.
Clean everything. Then Glue it and slide it over the pipe, glue again. Center the union..

 

[Check Break]

(quoted from post at 00:59:06 09/03/23) First time I have ever had a glue joint fail on pvc pipe.
So how do I fix this??????.

Glue sold by some hardware stores will fail. Most homeowners are gluing 1/2 or 3/4" pipe. I don't know if the fault is with the manufacturer or the buyer, but someone cuts corners. I only use Christy's Red Hot Blue after a failure on a 2" line under a slab. You won't know for a while, but the entire line may be compromised.

Cut out a section of line, unions on both sides, and drop it in. From the concerns you've posted, it's the cheapest way out that's unlikely to fail again.

 

[wore out]

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Spears-...utral&utm_campaign=Shopping_Neutral_HPLTV

https://youtu.be/-fXzaYGn1sM

There's all sorts of options, GOOGLE ''1-1/4'' PVC repair coupling''.

 

[Caryc]

I used one of these to repair a buried pipe running from my well to my house over ten years ago and it's still fine. I cut out about a foot of the bad pipe and replaced it with a new piece of pipe with one of these at each end. They work great since you can slide them all the way on a pipe and then slide them back over the old pipe and the new pipe.

This post was edited by Caryc on 09/03/2023 at 09:47 am.

 

[Duner Wi]

John in la wrote I have seen on youtube people grind the stop out the inside of a union so you can slide the union all the way on one pipe and then slide it back to center to join the pipes
You can buy unions without the stop. Clean pipes , sufficient glue, work fast, should work, no warranty.

 

[1948CaseVAI]

Go upstream and downstream far enough to be out of the mud and cut out the whole section where the leak is. Use one of the methods listed in the other posts to put in a bypass pipe and simply abondon the leaker in the ground.

 

[Destroked 450]

Cut out a section of pipe on each side of the bad. coupling
Glue half of a pvc coupling to each end, then make up a new section a pipe the proper length with the other half of each union
Install the new section by tightening the nuts on the unions
Make sure the rubber oring stays in place

We use these at every filter base, regular and water meter in our poultry barns to make changing out a defective component easier

 

[kencombs]

I have never been able to use the fittings with no stop and slide on one pipe them slide over the second successfully . I can never get it to slide all the way before the glue sets. But it's always been hot weather when I tried. On the other had the compression repair couplings always work. Never had one fail. Underground is the best place for them as sunlight degrades PVC over time.

I had to lay 350 feet of 2 to a house I built in '73. Rural water main ended that far from my location. So, I had to build it out and deed it to the district. Anyway, the local supplier was out of oring pipe that was required by the district, no glued joints allowed so I had to use the couplings. Still in place, still not leaking.

Moral is that the water district engineers spec compression or oring pipes because soil movement caused fractures with glued pipe.

 

[Ozlander]

(quoted from post at 11:45:04 09/03/23) I used one of these to repair a buried pipe running from my well to my house over ten years ago and it's still fine. I cut out about a foot of the bad pipe and replaced it with a new piece of pipe with one of these at each end. They work great since you can slide them all the way on a pipe and then slide them back over the old pipe and the new pipe.

This post was edited by Caryc on 09/03/2023 at 09:47 am.

That is what I used this summer. It's the only way to do it.

 

[rockgrower]

I would have no worries about using the compression fittings underground. Have several in use and never had a problem underground. Have also used a union where pipe was not lined up quite straight and that has worked for several years also, but I feel more comfortable with the compression fittings.

 

[Hemmjo]

First question you need to find an answer to is, WHY did it break there?

Then do the repair with the couple shown in post #12, You may need to glue an extension into the pipe after you cut away the broken parts.

 

[Mule Meat]

SharkBite makes a coupling for such a repair that allows you to cut up to 2" out of the old line. I know they have them for CPVC but can't say for PVC. I have not saw PVC used on any water line for years.

SharkBites are so easy to use that it makes you wonder if they will leak or hold up. No they do not leak if installed correctly and yes they last.