connecting a compesor to alkathane water pipe

[Kent]

Our home is on private supply pipe run is near enough I mile over rough moor and fell. Some place we have a leak or total break. Fault finding is taking an age and with a wife and too daughters constantly asking when its starting to bug me.
What I am looking to do in run a compressor onto one end of alkathane pipe anywhere from 25 mm bore to 2" plus (depending on sections of the run). But how can a make this connection secure?
I will tackle this section by section blocking up one end then pressuring from the other, hopefully blowing air or water out of the break or even bubbles in one of the many wet patches natural to this type of ground and hence locating the break without a lot of digging as its hard enough locating an unmarked pipe as it is.

 

[captain-destructo]

how about
http://www.screwfix.com/p/jg-speedfit-25mm-mdpe-male-adaptor/42029

then you just have to go from 3/4 bsp to your airline

 

[Kent]

so how do I connect that securely to differing sizes of pipe along the run?

 

[captain-destructo]

you could get a stop end the correct size for one end (furthest away from your compressor) and fit the correct size adapter (mdpe 20/25/etc to bsp) to the other end connect your compressor and start walking the path of your water service listening for hissing and bubbling?

you never know you may find the leak at the first boggy patch you come too but sods law it will be in the last 10' of pipe you check


just a thought if you are going to do this in sections do you know where all the joints in the pipe are? or were you just going to dig down and cut the pipe ?

 

[Pete.]

I would do this:

Dig the pipe up in the middle and cut it. Pressure up the half towards the house and see if it loses pressure. You just cut your search in half, now do the same again with each half. You just cut your search into quarters. Do it twice again and you have your spot within 110 yards.

 

[Anguz]

what pressure is the water main normally at?, wouldnt go much above that, as you already have at least one leak and may have a lot more soon

 

[Pete.]

The alkathene on my site is at 8 bar, which is about what the average compressor achieves.

 

[Kent]

we have massive loss at the header tank. we share this header and the first run off the fell with a neighbour, who I am going to cut off today (I think the break might well be a burst pipe in his house but he is away and isn't willing to send keys to me or a family member locally) once I find his run and cut him off if water builds at the header it sort of proves if its in his bit onwards and I know from the cut I made that mine has flow to a point further on. I have already cut the pipe that branches to me only and found flow at one end and not a great deal of flow back at the other from my house (not really confident that shows me much as you might at first think due to contours). This will be the first section I pressurise its about 700-800 yards or so all 32mm ID and at the point I cut it I have two connectors and a splice so not to hard to put a stop in there.
The point I cut into my line basically shows me being lower than his that the break must be higher in altitude from this (the line travels up to his property from this level)

Obviously no power to run a compressor on the fell itself and after looking at the price of petrol driven so its my home only I can run from

Just looked and there are quite a few fittings available I just have to find reducers which I trust the Plumbers merchant have as the pipe changes through its run

 

[Pete.]

Surely you won't have much flow back from your end since the filler is required to be above the fill line (might even be above the overflow line)? You should not be able to have your tank back-feed the supply.

 

[normspanners]

What is the header tank?? is it a kind of bowser supplying the two properties ?

 

[normspanners]

what pressure is the water main normally at?, wouldnt go much above that, as you already have at least one leak and may have a lot more soon

if pipe won't stand soft compressed air, it won't stand main hydraulic hammer.

 

[Anguz]

no but if the mains is only running at maybe 4 bar, i wouldnt want to put 8 on it.... its obviously a bit suspect as he already has a leak?

 

[mike os]

8 bar should be fine, I always test new installs to that... don't go over as many fittings are only rated for 8 bar

Start in the middle, then half the leaking side.... could be more than one leak too, if the pipe has been badly installed then it could be a long job

 

[mike os]

And 1 bar should be plenty with air... prefer hydraulic testers

 

[Kent]

8 bar should be fine, I always test new installs to that... don't go over as many fittings are only rated for 8 bar

Start in the middle, then half the leaking side.... could be more than one leak too, if the pipe has been badly installed then it could be a long job

already over a week long with no water! Installed by a crazy guy who actually dug in loops rather than shorten a pipe, pipe sizes are all over the place (dig the obvious trench and pipe will often loop round you so as regards the fitting I got a hydraulics place fit me up a section of blue 25mm with a crimp on fitting to take me onto the flexi from the compressor. actually after getting my 1 1/2" bore fittings ordered for the stops- talk about pricey and I have to wait for delivery to boot

 

[normspanners]

And 1 bar should be plenty with air... prefer hydraulic testers

what to force up through the ground? doubt 1 bar would show much.

 

[normspanners]

so how do I connect that securely to differing sizes of pipe along the run?

your going to need a fair size compressor to fill a mile long pipe with sections of 2" especially if it has got various leaks.

 

[mike os]

what to force up through the ground? doubt 1 bar would show much.

if the water leak has not shown at the surface (nominal 4-8 bar) I dont think there is a hope in hell of air doing so

you could try a pipe clamp to close off sections but it can be tricky if the pipe is not in good condition and/or cold...... 2 round bars... at this size I would guess 1.5-2" dia, bolted together to crush the pipe..

if the water is still on, or can be turned on I would use a listening stick and walk the pipe from the point of origin stopping every 5-10 paces and listening for the leak(s)

 

[HMB]

what to force up through the ground? doubt 1 bar would show much.

1 bar wouldn't show anything. Atmospheric pressure on the ground is 1 bar

 

[dannyp]

i'm pritty sure this type of fault is best found electricaly. iirc you can hire kit that'll find it pritty much spot on.

if the pipe is old id be tempted to just try mole plough a new one in