# Large water mains.



## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

Ok waht is the largest you have had to repair, not install but repair?

6" Shch 80 PVC, it took for ever to cut through it with a sawsall.


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

12" C900. 6ft in the ground....


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## drtyhands (Aug 16, 2008)

For the larger plastic I have used not only a quick saw but a skillsaw works great as well.You also use it to chamfer after the cut if that's the type of pipe you're installing."Drag" the saw's side blade towards you.I would not suggest this for someone who is not tool savy,they could easily lose a limb.


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## 22rifle (Jun 14, 2008)

Ron The Plumber said:


> Ok waht is the largest you have had to repair, not install but repair?
> 
> 6" Shch 80 PVC, it took for ever to cut through it with a sawsall.


Shoulda had yourself one of them chainsaws buddy!

Yeehaw!


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

A demo saw with a carbide blade works well also. If it binds up it will bog down, and there is no kick back.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

14" ductile iron pipe in spain. The hardest job I've physically done was I put a 6" gate valve on a live line. It was after Katrina and the army came in with a d8 dozer and pulled out the fire hydrant and the shutoff valve as well. Because there was so much debris, we couldn't find a upstream shutoff valve.


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## 22rifle (Jun 14, 2008)

gear junkie said:


> The hardest job I've physically done was I put a 6" gate valve on a live line. It was after Katrina and the army came in with a d8 dozer and pulled out the fire hydrant and the shutoff valve as well. Because there was so much debris, we couldn't find a upstream shutoff valve.


Wow. That's wild. Got any more details on how you went about it?


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

I just on Friday had to repair a 4" Schd 80 main that a backhoe hit, they shut one meter down but there had to be another hooked some where, so we had to make the repair with water flowing, the trick was to keep the pipe level while tightening down the bolts, good thing if was hot outside, got drenched but felt good. This was a a steel manufracturing plant, they were shot down for 3 hours max.


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

There was already a hole there from when the valve and hydrant got ripped out so the mini excavator just opened it up. We put a mega lug on the pipe and chained the opened valve to the excavator arm and brought the arm down in the hole to take off most of the weight. I had to handle the valve as I was the biggest guy there. Someone sat in the bucket and put his feet in my back because the water kept pushing me back. I swung the valve over the pipe and held it there while someone else attached the mega lug. Holding the open valve on the pipe was easy, getting there wasn't. As soon as the valve came in front of the pipe, it would push me back. The actual time in the hole was over 4 hours. When I got out, there was so much sand in my pants, I had to cut the bottom of my pants to let the sand out.


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## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

I havent ever done a 6" water main live. But I have installed a full circle clamp on a live 12" steam line in the middle of summer. Fully clothed in Carhart jackets and bibs. Welding gloves and a towl wrapped around my face..... it was hot!


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## 422 plumber (Jul 31, 2008)

I used to help my dad repair ductile mains when I was a kid. He took care of the water and sewer in our town. I guess I was destined for a life working in ****. He had me take the descaler and do the "shoeshine" on the underside of the pipe and we would put the repair clamp on and torque it down and bam, water's back on to the rest of the block. Fun in the summer, sucks in the winter.


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