Question for teddy52food - re leaking pipe

[Britcheflee]

I am going to have a go with the gunny sack filled with oats to try and plug up the pipe enough to stem the flow so I can then get some concrete etc in there.
How much will the oats expand? I got a 50lb bag of whole oats and new sacks - you said to put one inside the other. Should I fill them tight or leave them loose? Once inserted how long would you expect it to take for the oats to expand and hopefully plug the pipe? Pipe is 12 inch diameter.

thanks,


lee

 

[teddy52food]

As a test, put some dry oats in a plastic food jar and add water. If you start with it half full you can see how much it will expand. My guess is almost double. Use 2 sacks to have enough strength so it don't break.

 

[Britcheflee]

OK, I am going to give it a go tomorrow - all the mechanical methods of plugging the pipe have failed, rubber balls popped or came off air line, inner tube air line blew off due to high pressure so now going to use this method - if I can stop the flow even temporarily I can then start to pack the pipe with concrete, clay and rock.

Lee

 

[Dunk]

(quoted from post at 11:27:39 09/06/08)


OK, I am going to give it a go tomorrow - all the mechanical methods of plugging the pipe have failed, rubber balls popped or came off air line, inner tube air line blew off due to high pressure so now going to use this method - if I can stop the flow even temporarily I can then start to pack the pipe with concrete, clay and rock.

Lee

Did you try one of these hevy balls?

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&am...;hvadid=1108074941&ref=pd_sl_2n6c0v9ai5_b

 

[teddy52food]

I don't know how much pressure may be involved, but you could put one behind the other to be sure.

 

[Britcheflee]

I got a 50lb bag of whole oats and split that between two new sacks - I left a little space above for it to expand into - I am thinking of just going with one sack as with two it makes it hard to keep it in shape - I have put a flat block at the end of a stout wooden pole to shove it up there - then Ill follow that with the other one. Once the flow slows a bit I can start filling bags with cement/clay mix and keep on going until it it plugged solid.

Pond has spillway so no risk of overflowing dam - mind you, it is so low now it is going to take months of rain to re-fill it.

This has probably been one of the most frustrating, depressing and horrible problems I have had to deal with in years - just working down in the water and mud is hard as you are up to your waist in water and up to your knees in super thick sticky mud.

I raised my eyes to the heavens last week and said 'so, you want all your creatures in there to die? - Maybe give me a little break here eh?"

Maybe it is a test of my inner strength and willpower!!!!!!!



Lee

 

[Britcheflee]

Here are some pics:


I thought this was bad: Water level normally up to base of trees on left:

Now the level is here - took opportunity to dig out edge of pond to make more depth:

Normally this is full of water and tree is 90% under water:

Offending gate valve on other side of dam - normally valve is under water - still cannot get to valve under the water and mud on this side:

Lee