PVC piping work

[LCHIEN]

I have an underground sprinkler I want to add a short run to an area that does not get covered well.

I can dig up the existing pipe and I want to tee into that line and run a line about 10 feet to the side.

I think its a 3/4" pipe at that point.

What's the easiest way to tee into a buried pipe without doing a whole lot of digging to either side of the TEE.

I can cut it, but it seems to me to be very difficult to install the tee, since I will have to glue both sides simultaneously. There'll be very little give back and forth to the pipes or even sideways unless i do a lot of digging.
without the give, I can't push the ends into the TEE and give them the twist it needs to seal with the cement.

Or do I need to bite the bullet and dig up about 4 feet to either side.

Ideas?

[chopnhack]

Depending on the schedule used, you may be able to use a compression fitting on it. That would give you the needed slack to install the tee. Unfortunately they are a bit pricey.

[master53yoda]

there are PVC glue on saddle tees as well as compression tees if you can find them. The compression tees are like a compression union all you need is about a 10" space to get it in.

I have also done it two other ways. One is to take 2 ea 3/4 tees cut them in half length wise and use the full size half from each tee glued it up and clamped it with two stainless clamps. you will need about 6 " wide hole. You do need 2 because of the loss to the blade kerf. You could cut them on a band-saw or table-saw against a fence to get an accurate cut.

The other option which is what i normally would do, would be to drill out the bore on a Tee to where it will slide completely over the pipe, like a repair coupling works. you would then only need about a 1 ft hole so that you could flex one end of the pipe enough to get the Tee over it. Slide it completely on one side, put glue on both ends and then pull the tee over both ends with a turning motion and it will glue up OK as soon as you get it pulled into place run a bead of glue around both ends of the tee for a clean seal.

good luck.

[Uncle Cracker]

The slickest way is to use a "Slip-Fix" coupler. It has a PVC female on one end, and a PVC male on the other (just add a standard PVC tee to the male end). you just cut out about 6" of your pipe (varies by pipe size) plus the amount you need for a standard tee, and glue one end to the pipe, then stretch the fitting to glue the other end into the new tee... Presto! No compression joints, no clamps, no digging up or bending of pipe. HD and Lowes usually carry them in various sizes.

[capncarl]

Some of the irrigation supply stores sell the "t" saddle that is installed without cutting the main pipe. Just cut the hole in the main pipe, glue on the saddle and put a couple of hose clamps around the saddle and away you go.

before I discovered the clamp on saddle I have bored out the main run of the tee to remove the stops so that the tee would slide completely on the pipe. Then you just cut out about 3/4 inch of the main line and bend the pipe enough to slide on the modified tee. Apply pvc cement and slide the tee where you want it quickly. Special note on quickly. You could use this bore out method to make your own tee saddle.

capncarl

[atgcpaul]

Loring, if it's not too much trouble, can you take a picture of the finished
connection and post it here?

Thanks,
Paul

[Mr__Bill]

I have used the bore it out and slid it on really quick method successfully several times. Works with 4" sewer and drainage pipe too. I hadn't heard of the saddle Tees before, they sound like a much easier job. Thing to note is that sprinkler pipe may be an odd diameter. The stuff we used only the same manufacture parts would fit together without modification.

When you dig up the pipe it's easy to pull the pipe that is still underground up a little and then it's almost impossible to get it back down without digging more up. If you have help have them stand on the ground to hold everything down tight where the pipe enters the ground from the hole. Make sure you pack the ground firm under the splice so that later weight on the surface does not flex he pipe and crack it.

good luck
Bill
over here in the fog and rain

[chopnhack]

Art, have you used the saddle t's before? I never much cared for the idea of relying solely on the small surfaces fusing well to hold under pressure.

[master53yoda]

Art, have you used the saddle t's before? I never much cared for the idea of relying solely on the small surfaces fusing well to hold under pressure.

as ( capncarl ) stated the clamps are structurally holding the tee on. the glue is mostly for sealing but on PVC it would probably handle the structure @ residential pressures.

[Santa Clarita Len]

Saddle T

I have used the saddle T on many occasions and have never had a problem. The T snaps on over the pipe and does not require any clamps whatsoever as it snaps on more than half of the diameter of the pipe and the PVC cement is foolproof. Once it is on you have to use a spade bit to drill the hole through the pipe, nothing could be simpler.

[LCHIEN]

Loring, if it's not too much trouble, can you take a picture of the finished
connection and post it here?

Thanks,
Paul

Here, Paul.

I knew there was a repair nearby recently when they did the foundation repair. I found it and observed a F-F coupling just about where the "T" is in the picture, and the Compression Coupling to the right.

I cut the pipe just to the left of the F-F coupling they used to fix it, and released the short piece of pipe and coupling from the left side of the compression device.

I glued a T fitting and short piece of pipe - which I slipped into the left side of the compression fitting w/o tightening the compression fitting. Then I glued the left side of the "T" to the cut end of the pipe; the loose end in the compression fitting allowed me to push and twist the glued fitting, then I tightened the compression fitting. It was all a lot harder than it needed to be because the foundation was only an inch from the pipe and it was scraping some concrete projections from the foundation, the shrubs behind me and the depth of the hole all made for a backbreaking experience. I slipped a short piece of pipe into the side port of the "T" so that it was easier to get it pointed in the right plane when gluing the "T" in place. Then I removed the short piece and glued a 10-foot section to the new sprinkler head... and a three inch piece after that bcause the sprinkler head was 10'3" from the "T".

[JimD]

I watched the guy who installed our sprinklers repair a break the builder was paying for. He just dug up 3 feet or so, cut out the cracked area, which was small, lifted the pipe enough to put the coupling on (after glueing) and then pushed it back down into place. I have used this method several times since but I admit it makes me nervous. If you don't cut out quite enough or move quickly enough, you will have to replace more and dig more. But so far it has worked.

Jim

[cabinetman]

I've done it a few ways...with the saddle tee, and digging up both sides. Granted, the digging is a PITA. As a suggestion, evaluate the layout for the 3/4" as adding a 10' run may reduce the flow to the existing heads.
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