Need help with my water line

[Candace]

What should I do next? I've run plenty of PVC water line. I have lots of experience with broken irrigation pipes, running new lines off of existing etc. But this, I've never done before. Here's the line I need to run my new g.h. water line off of. It's a "live" line meaning I have to turn it off before messing with it. It's a grey material, that's different than any I've worked with. I guess it's for water lines that are under higher pressure? So 1. Do I have to T off of it with the same kind of pipe and not PVC? 2. What is this pipe called? I guess I will take my picture of this to Home Depot, but if someone could give me a few starters so I don't look like a complete dumb-dumb. I'd appreciate it. I've had enough dumb moments this week. Now I'm stuck and I don't know how to proceed.

Thanks much!

 

[gonewild]

Grey pvc is intended for electric conduit.
You can glue white to it without any problem. Use the same glue for both.
Just ignore the color and T off!

 

[gonewild]

Sometimes grey pvc is used for sprinkler risers because it blends into the landscape better.

 

[Candace]

I'm just not sure if it's pvc. I've got grey electrical conduit in my g.h. and it's a much lighter color. I almost think this is metal pipe? I don't know for sure. Maybe I'll try scraping it with something or lightly tapping it to see if its PVC or metal. Or really try cleaning it off to see if I can find some stamps on it.

 

[cnycharles]

it looks like grey pvc that we have in some of our greenhouses at work. if you are going to be in a sunlit environment usually you have to have the darker pvc because it resists weathering by UV; the white stuff doesn't and will crack. it glues the same as the white, like lance mentioned. sometimes there are higher pressure water lines that are grey as well, not just to be sunlight resistant; you would just have to read the print on the side to see if it was standard drain/drinking water pipe, high pressure or what...

 

[SlipperFan]

That's when I'd call a plumber.

 

[Candace]

I'm a handy gal and I've found that doing jobs myself, even if it takes a bit of research, is finished to my perfectionistic standards and frees up a lot of extra cash. Also, I don't grow old waiting for no-shows and I learn as I attempt new projects. It's all good.

 

[goldenrose]

I'm just not sure if it's pvc. I've got grey electrical conduit in my g.h. and it's a much lighter color. I almost think this is metal pipe? I don't know for sure. Maybe I'll try scraping it with something or lightly tapping it to see if its PVC or metal. Or really try cleaning it off to see if I can find some stamps on it.

If it's metal I'd say my hubby, the blacksmith, calls this black steel, which you should be able to T off as well.

 

[cnycharles]

looking again more closely, the bottom dark gray is plastic pvc, but the top thing that looks like it has a slice of potato (?) or something on top is metal and looks like aluminum though it could be galvanized... if you look between the top thinger and the plastic underneath you can see some white which is teflon tape, usually used for threads of plastic/plastic or plastic/metal. metal/metal usually doesn't have teflon tape between the threads; they fit tighter and usually only have 'pipe dope' sealing them. there must be threads where the plastic goes to metal, so a threaded T could go onto it with more teflon tape, or a metal T could be put on top, with the same teflon tape. if you were to go into any hardware store and say I need teflon tape for plumbing... they'd know exactly what you were talking about.
...really don't know what that piece on top is, that bolt or screw sticking out the side is sort of confusing... plus the funny white thing on top!

 

[Candace]

The white thing on top is actually yellow and is a flip top. You flip it open and can insert a faucet. Remove the faucet and the top is closed preventing debris from entering the pipe opening. It's pretty cool and I've never seen anyone with one or any of the home improvement stores selling anything like it. My landscaper suggested it as it was located in the middle of an area that I was concerned my (then young) kids might trip over. The reasoning behind this is when you don't need water, you can easily remove the faucet ;> then it's flush with the grade of the soil.

Yeah, I've already got the tape and pipe dope, so I wouldn't need to get any. It was pretty hot here today so I didn't even bother with it!

 

[SlipperKing]

Well Candace if you can thread a faucet into the top of it then you can also thread PVC into as well. No need in turning the source water off to get where you need to be. I would suggest a shut off valve go in first to control the water going to the GH. Then I would put a coupling into the line as close as possible to the valve in the outside chance that you would need to break the line in the future to replace a faulty valve. From there run your PVC line wherever you need it to go. I would use the UV resistent stuff or run std PVC in the shade!

 

[Candace]

Actually the faucet isn't threaded that goes into the flip top. It pushes and turns in-it's a gadget that's hard for me to explain. I want the flip top there for water usage in the yard occasionally, so I want to T off of the grey pipe underground. I'll figure it out eventually. I like a good puzzle. Heck, I put together a g.h. kit with no directions:>

 

[Rick]

Looks to me like its just schedule 80 pvc for high pressure water applications. PVC electrical conduit is usually a lighter gray and thinner walled.

Regular white pvc is schedule 40 (thin wall white for drain lines is shedule 20).


If you clean off real good around some of the fittings, you might see some raised print to confirm.

It's thicker walled and stiffer, but I think it can use the same fittings and glue as schedule 40 (at least I've mixed and matched in the past without a problem). Otherwise if there is a threaded fitting in your stub, then you should be able to get an adapter to switch out to schedule 40.

 

[Candace]

Thanks, Rick. That makes sense to me. I have never worked off of a higher pressure line, so I'll look for 80 at the store.

 

[gonewild]

Don't use sch 80 unless you need that high of psi rating. (you don't)

Sch 80 has thicker walls so the inside diameter is smaller and that results in a lot less volume of water flow at normal pressure.