32mm MDPE - Bury fitting with testing?

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christianbeccy

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Title was meant to say "bury without testing?"

I've got a long 32mm mains water run, 160m, so a join was pretty much inevitable. The pipe is laid in twinwall ducting and this will be the only joint until it reaches its final destination.

I've used a Philmac joiner, which I've used before and really like.

The mains isn't being connected until just before Christmas. Would you bury this fitting without having tested it?


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I definitely would not. Philmac fittings are just the job but you can cap one end then fill with water & test. Rothenberger do a pressure pump with a guage just for this job, sure you must be able to hire one? You fill the tray with water & hand pump it through the pipe until your pressure guage reaches required pressure, in your case I'd recommend 3bar. You can do the same using an air compressor, either way it would be advisable to test before burying. Another option would be to bury but leave any joints accessible e.g: not buried so you can visually check the joint on filling.
 
Togo said:
I definitely would not. Philmac fittings are just the job but you can cap one end then fill with water & test. Rothenberger do a pressure pump with a guage just for this job, sure you must be able to hire one? You fill the tray with water & hand pump it through the pipe until your pressure guage reaches required pressure, in your case I'd recommend 3bar. You can do the same using an air compressor, either way it would be advisable to test before burying. Another option would be to bury but leave any joints accessible e.g: not buried so you can visually check the joint on filling.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this. I do have a compressor actually so that could be an option. So are you saying that if it survives pressurising to 3 bar without leaks you'd then bury it?

I just need to work out how to connect the compressor to the end of the pipe.
 
Yes, your supplier is only obliged to supply your property with 1bar of water pressure,it's normally better than this but until you have connected your mains you cannot check on what you have coming in. Taking pressure up to 3 bar on a test would be adequate in a domestic setting. Are you sure that your mains is not 25mm? As for connecting to compressor you can cobble together a fitting using standard conex or compression fittings. You must fit an insert into your mains pipe but I'm sure you must have already done this when fitting the Philmac? Any plumb center or whatever will be able to help you out with a fitting from your compressor to the mains pipe, take a pic,
 
Togo said:
Yes, your supplier is only obliged to supply your property with 1bar of water pressure,it's normally better than this but until you have connected your mains you cannot check on what you have coming in. Taking pressure up to 3 bar on a test would be adequate in a domestic setting. Are you sure that your mains is not 25mm? As for connecting to compressor you can cobble together a fitting using standard conex or compression fittings. You must fit an insert into your mains pipe but I'm sure you must have already done this when fitting the Philmac? Any plumb center or whatever will be able to help you out with a fitting from your compressor to the mains pipe, take a pic,
Click to expand...

Yes, I've used the correct inserts. The fitting went together nicely, those Philmac fittings are a doddle really.

I'll pop out and see if I can get a cap to connect the compressor and see how we go.

The mains connection was specced by Anglian Water at 32mm.

As an aside, is Electrofusion welding worth pursuing or massive overkill? I've noticed a mains on Amazon for reasonable money.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BAOSHISHAN...cphy=1006964&hvtargid=pla-1390077874936&psc=1
 
Be really careful with compressed air, it can store a lot of energy. Compressed water is preferable really (or fill pipe full first then pressurise).

Shame you can't leave an access hatch for future inspection, make sure you have a reliable way of locating it again in the future if not.
 
Fill the pipe with water then pressurise the last bit with air or using a water pump. Find out what your neighbour's static pressure is and test to 1.5 times that pressure.
 
what can't you leave the joint exposed? (temporarily?)

It doesn't look that deep - could you cut the bottom off a bucket/barrel and use it to line the hole, then fill with gravel or similar?
Obviously leaving enough room for a repair.
 
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