I am planning to run a 1/2" copper supply line from the house exterior wall to the edge of the property for a garden valve. The run will be about 25 feet long and 18" below grade. I am planning to use 1/2" soft copper tubing.

I will start at the exterior wall, where there is an existing 3/4" riser which I will cut and insert a tee, then the 1/2" line will drop down to 18" below grade, run a few feet, turns a few horizontal angles (to negotiate around some trees), along the way it will also have to pass under a 3" gutter drain line. Once it gets to the edge of the property it will turn up and be attached to a 4X4 fence post and a garden valve will be connected to it.

What I like to confirm is, because this will be one single tubing with no joint, and I need to make a few turns along the way, it seems I need to excavate the entire 25' path first, do all the bending of the tubing above ground ahead of time, then drop the whole thing in, is this right? I can't excavate a section and install a portion of the line at a time, then continue another day because I wouldn't be able to bend the tubing "insitu" with my tubing bender which has rather long handles without having a very wide trench. Correct?

you WILL need to excavate the entire trench first

whether you need to 'pre-fab' the entire run outside the trench depends on three factors

+ available help for 'feeding' the tubing

+ 'sharpness' of the required bends (dig the trench with WIDE sweeps even if it is longer - even 1/2 can be 'formed' by hand) - the first and last bend can be done in place since the handles will be vertical)

+ 'positioning' of the obstructing pipe (maybe you can 'pull the length' under the obstruction and work both ways from that point


YOU CAN DO IT



ps. silver-brazed joints are much stronger than the tube itself and are NOT particularly difficult on 1/2 Cu and are juuust fine for underground

an ordinary 'bernz-o-matic' turbotorch provides adequate heat

1 stick of 7% silver alloy brazing rod (BAg-7 type and flux, NOT BCuP-2 fluxless)

[BrazingSilver-7%, BrazingCopperPhosporus-2%]

1 small 'tin' of BRAZING (not soldering) flux

two wasted couplings (for 'peace of mind' practice)

==============================================

"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638



Edited 2 times.

Is there any reason why your not simply rolling out some Pex (will last 200 years) and be done with it !!

yes.

(1) I have a few rolls of soft copper from previous projects I can use.

(2) I don't think PEX is suitable for outdoor piping. The PEX tubing I have the manufacturers instructions says DO NOT STORE PRODUCT OUTDOORS, it is subject to degradation from UV lights, so if I use PEX I will have to either paint or shield the two exposed risers or do the risers with another materials. Manufacturers even say if PEX is indoors like in a garage do not expose directly to LED lights.

(3) The two risers if in PEX will be risk for rupture from rodents chewing on it or landscapers doing lawn service coming close to it with a weed wacker.

I think I will do the excavation first, as I don't know what kind of roots I may run across. I may have to change the path if I run into a larger tree root (like one that is greater than say 3" to 4" in diameter) and have to decide if I run the pipe under it, or just cut the root to let the pipe drop through the gap. I am hoping to just excavate a very narrow trench like a few inches for this.

sum,

burying annealed copper (soft shell) needs TWO people

one person 'pulls' the end

the OTHER person holds and 'feeds' the roll

there may, or may not, be a need for addition help at any 'major' change in direction to 'guide' and 'shape' the tube

have a beer and pizza party (served AFTER the work is done)

OR

[www.youtube.com]

==============================================

"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

You never mentioned any of that is your Plea for help Sum. I'm fully aware of what happens to Pex in sun light, I have been installing Pex for well over 30 years. There's nothing stopping you from transition from copper to Pex on either side quickly and easily. You should stop barking at People trying to help you. P.S , I don't know about Florida but I have never seen Anything eat/chew Pex....have asked countless Plumbers in my area....none.



Edited 2 times.

NoHub,

In Florida it is common to run piping EXPOSED coming from the underground with a 'service valve' BEFORE entering the crawl space horizontally.

Ripleys has NOTHING on the consumer grade junk plumbing found in warm climes.

I am STILL suffering from 'shellshock' after my move to coastal SC.


Sum simply wants NO FITTINGS buried.



==============================================

"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

I hear yaa....roll of soft K tubing and all's good in the world.



Edited 1 times.

NoHub,

I appreciate your help and I don't know why you get the impression I am barking at people, if I did please accept my sincere apologies.

you asked why I am not considering PEX and I simply listed my reasons. I really don't want any buried joints and I have some soft copper laying around from my last project that can be used.

as for rats chewing through PEX it has happened. I have not seen it myself since I am not around plumbing like a pro, but in my encounters with pest control companies for my rental, they have mentioned to me they had ruptured pipes from rats chewing through PEX. I am not saying rats find their way into the house and just decided to chew the pipes, the more likely scenerio is home owners noticed rodent activities in their house, they called pest control, the tech comes out, what they always do are two things (1) find where the rats are entering and nine times out of ten it's some worn soffit screens or attic vents and (2) they set some baits to poison the rats. The result being the home owners would then block off the screens to stop the rats from entering and leaving, now the rats are trapped inside the walls and attic. The bait the pest companies use, I am not sure of the actual chemical, but what it does is it dehydrates the rats, they go nuts and look for water anyway they can get to it. This is what caused the rats to chew through plastic pipes. That's the company I hired to do rodent and pest control, they changed their procedure to not close the broken screens, they leave it open so the rats can exit the house to look for water somewhere else and hopefully die outside the house instead of being trapped inside.

Again, I apologize if you were offended by my posts, I was seeking advice not looking to step on anyone's toes.

I hear you Sum. From what I gather the teeth of rats/mice constantly grow and they must chew and Gnaw to keep them short. I guess it's just not a Problem in my neck of the woods.