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Tapping main line from the basement

beocop

New Member

Posts: 3

Location: USA

1

Wednesday, June 2nd 2004, 10:43am

Tapping main line from the basement

Hi,

I would like to tap the mainline from the basement, right after the basement shut-off valve. The plan is to:
- install a Tee right after the basement shutoff valve,
- connect the Tee to a DC valve, and
- connect PVC from the DC valve thru the basement to the control valves outside.

My main question is how and where to pass the piping through the basement wall (not a walk-out condition). Do I go above ground level? or under the ground level to the control valves? If I go above ground level, will I have problems with freezing pipes (I do have cold winters)? How do I protect it from freezing? If I go below ground, will I have problems with water seeping in at the connection point?

Thanks for your inputs.

Beocop

HooKooDooKu

Supreme Member

Posts: 685

2

Wednesday, June 2nd 2004, 12:31pm

The first comment is PVC usually is not recommended (and might even violate local building codes, but then again EVERYTHING seems to violate a building code somewhere) indoors and/or above ground (at least main lines). Part of the reason is because PVC is much more likely to burst than metal pipe, so you might want to consider staying with copper (I'm assuming the mainline in the basement is copper) at least until you get out of the basement (perhaps all the way to the control valves).

If Double Check Valve Back Flow Preventers are allowed by your local building codes, what about this idea...

Tee into the main line ANYWHERE (before pressure regulator) followed by a shutoff valve for the irrigation system. From the shutoff to a double check back flow (and many people seem to suggest another shutoff after the backflow preventer, but I'm not sure why). After the backflow preventer, go through the wall ABOVE ground level. Once outside, include a Tee that leads to a drain valve that can also be used to blow out the system for the winter. Do all this with copper until you get to the valve maniflod.

beocop

New Member

Posts: 3

Location: USA

3

Thursday, June 3rd 2004, 3:01am

<<<"After the backflow preventer, go through the wall ABOVE ground level. Once outside, include a Tee that leads to a drain valve that can also be used to blow out the system for the winter. Do all this with copper until you get to the valve maniflod.">>

Thanks for the help. How do you protect the outside plumbing (copper) from freezing if it's above ground level? Would I have freezing problem if I shutoff the water to the outside during the winter and winterize the sprinkler system? Or do I have to protect the exposed plumbing with insulation/blanket?

HooKooDooKu

Supreme Member

Posts: 685

4

Thursday, June 3rd 2004, 4:41am

You say that you have cold winters so I'm assuming that each fall you will get the system winterized by getting all the water blown out by a compressor. So I',m thinking at worst you might have to add another Tee and valve just after the backflow preventer (so that when you open the drain valve outside, you can also open this valve inside to allow air in the pipes so the water between the backflow and drain valve is ensured to escape). Then close the inside valve and get someone to blow out the system using the drain valve.

If you're going to have the system blown out anyway, you might even get by with just one valve in the basement. At the end of the year, you manually open one of the zone vavles (just to relieve pressure in the system) then open the valve in the basement and have that be the connection point for someone to blow out the system.

If you don't think your winters are cold enough to need blowing out, then just make sure the outside drain valve is underground.
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