# Service line



## Bill (Jun 17, 2008)

I am so used to seeing the 160 or 180 black polly pipe used from the meter to the house. Today I was under the addition we built connecting the drain line to the main when I noticed that the service line is 1" pex! I followed it to the foundation and dug a little and it did go out under the footing. Not saying you cant use pex underground, just the first time I ever saw it done. Makes my job easier because the addition is over 80 feet away so by code I can not run 3/4 over 80 feet. We need to use 1" then drop down to 3/4. So, instead of going from 3/4 to 1" and back to 3/4 its 1" all the way. Well, ok, 7/8" to be exact.


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Around here I would say 98% of water services are pvc or copper. One time years ago I saw black poly for an underground water service and I remember wondering what the heck is that doing there...


----------



## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Bill said:


> I am so used to seeing the 160 or 180 black polly pipe used from the meter to the house. Today I was under the addition we built connecting the drain line to the main when I noticed that the service line is 1" pex! I followed it to the foundation and dug a little and it did go out under the footing. Not saying you cant use pex underground, just the first time I ever saw it done. Makes my job easier because the addition is over 80 feet away so by code I can not run 3/4 over 80 feet. We need to use 1" then drop down to 3/4. So, instead of going from 3/4 to 1" and back to 3/4 its 1" all the way. Well, ok, 7/8" to be exact.


We've been using Uponor's ProPex for waterlines for 7 or 8 years now -- It's a great product.

We also insulate the piping with 3/4" wall pipe insulation to protect it from abrasions from back-fill (we've always done that for waterlines, no matter what medium is used, excepting Schedule 80 PVC, of course).


----------



## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Tommy plumber said:


> Around here I would say 98% of water services are pvc or copper. One time years ago I saw black poly for an underground water service and I remember wondering what the heck is that doing there...


 I haven't used black Poly since the mid 80's.

Didn't like it back then, it's just that it was so cheap to buy and install.


----------



## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

I am seeing that quite a few guys are saying that they run PVC for the water service. This is a practice that I rarely have seen done, and would like to be enlightened as to what the code is in your area.

When you say you run pvc, are you running Sch 40 that is glued? 

The only time I see pvc run is when a homeowner gets involved in the process, or there might be one or two well companies that run it sometimes, but I would say 95% of the time its Poly(new), and copper(old). 




Side story: A couple years ago I went to work for some family, who owned a HVAC company. It was the time of year to do the local Fair Industrial tent. The owner(2nd cousin) pulls out a section of pvc with a couple of tee's, it was a little dirty(obviously used). 

I asked him "Whats that for?" He tells me they dug it up, and removed it. Some local plumber had done some repair work at a mobile home park on a water supply line, and used pvc with glue joints for a repair(it was a pvc line anyway). He goes on to tell me how dumb this guy was, using pvc for a water supply. I gave him this look :blink:, and asked him what he was going to do with the piece. It was intended to show people what bad plumbing looks like. 

I told him if he displayed that, he would only be showing his ignorance, and he needed to check his code book, because pvc is code approved. After his initial rage, and the heated argument with him and his partner, they decided I was wrong. I laughed at them and say "Sure let's go with what you say, as opposed to the guy who just passed his Plumbing Contractor test." :laughing:

These were the same guys who told me that you don't need a license to work on a water heater, or any fixture for that matter if it has a shut off before it. :thumbup:

One guy went through the apprenticeship, and never got his license. The other grandfathered in to being able to test for it, and passed, no apprenticeship.


----------



## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

Regional thing around here. Most areas around here are type k for a water service, but some rural areas are using poly.

I also use to see a fair bit of pex/al/pex kitec before I left that division. Haven't done a resi water service for about 5 years now.


----------



## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Indie said:


> I am seeing that quite a few guys are saying that they run PVC for the water service. This is a practice that I rarely have seen done, and would like to be enlightened as to what the code is in your area.
> 
> When you say you run pvc, are you running Sch 40 that is glued?
> 
> ...


 



The water services here for new bldgs are all sch. 40 pvc with solvent-welded joints. Our water meters are pretty much at grade near the property line, or near the sidewalk. From the water meter to the house, the water line by code is only 12" deep. Now the older homes you'll find have copper from the meter to the bldg.

With a pvc service, of course when it gets to the house it converts to a different material; ie: copper, cpvc, etc.


----------



## plumbpro (Mar 10, 2010)

Widdershins said:


> We've been using Uponor's ProPex for waterlines for 7 or 8 years now -- It's a great product.
> 
> We also insulate the piping with 3/4" wall pipe insulation to protect it from abrasions from back-fill (we've always done that for waterlines, no matter what medium is used, excepting Schedule 80 PVC, of course).


Do you all sleeve it?
I never done it, but it is allowed with our code. I have thought if I ever did, I would sleeve it with some pvc, our soil is pretty rocky.


----------



## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

plumbpro said:


> Do you all sleeve it?
> I never done it, but it is allowed with our code. I have thought if I ever did, I would sleeve it with some pvc, our soil is pretty rocky.


 The only time I ever sleeve a PEX waterline is in instances where it is going to be run underneath a finished driveway, sidewalk, rockery or a high dollar landscaped situation -- This is mostly done as a means to fish a new line through should it ever become necessary.

Other than that, the 3/4" wall pipe insulation should be adequate protection.


----------



## FEDguy (May 19, 2010)

We just about always use 1" pvc sch 40 as the water service line.


----------



## smoldrn (Oct 4, 2010)

Been using sch 40 pvc for water mains for over 30 yrs...no problems.


----------



## Plumberman (Jul 7, 2008)

Sch 40 here as well. We had a problem for a while of Irrigation guys coming in and tapping the mains with tees and running SDR 22 for their irrigation feed. There is still tons of it in the ground and it's still legal for them to run but the state enforcers have cracked down on them jacking with the mains. So now we set the backflows and they run from there.


----------

