Can I Back Fill With Pea Gravel?

[antlerman]

Installed a new submersible pump and then discovered why it died, turns out I had a break in line outside of well casing at the pitless adapter.


Dug down 5ft, by hand, and installed a compression fitting. Now I need to backfill this hole.
Can I use pea gravel? Someday it will need to be dug out again and I think it would be MUCH easier if 2/3 of it was gravel.

Thoughts please.....
Than

 

[antlerman]

It was one heck of a hole! Had to use a stepladder to get in and out.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Is that Dresser type fitting going to hold?

I predict it will eventually push apart.

Impressive digging!

 

[antlerman]

Well, I guess that's the $64,000 question. I was unable to find one big enough that was made of brass. Would brass hold better? Or will it fail by pushing apart too? If so, what's my option?

 

[Jeff Handy]

Don’t know.
All I know is they are meant to be used where the pipes are restrained, unable to move apart.

I had those on some pvc sump pump discharge lines, and they repeatedly pushed off, so I changed to glued on unions.

Can you insert a barbed coupling with double stainless clamps, like elsewhere down there?

 

[antlerman]

The end closest to the well casing had a hole blown through the threaded part, which is a 1 inch steel pipe, so I'm trying to repair it without having to weld something on to it. Or is that going to be the only option that will actually hold in the long run?

 

[Stout Mechanical]

If you can’t get the nipple out of the pitless adaptor then replace the pitless and use a new brass or stainless steel mip x barb fitting either way

 

[Valveman]

I would just use a brass barb fitting right into the pitless adapter. That galv nipple will rust out soon like the old one did. Anytime you screw a steel fitting into brass, like the pitless, electrolysis will eat through the threads on the steel nipple. You can offset this by wrapping it with electric tape, but brass to brass is much better. A brass insert fitting would mean no dis-similar metals and no compression coupling, which I would not bury like that.

I have some compression fittings in a underground line that I am having to replace as they start leaking. Even when put together perfectly the roots grow under the o-ring and into the pipe, making the compression coupling leak.

Oh, and pea gravel might not be as good insulation as dirt and may cause the pipe to freeze?

 

[antlerman]

Below is a pic of the pitless adapter. It is a 50 year old well and I'm concerned it won't come off "clean" - afraid I may break the well casing if I try to remove and replace it?

Also, It looks to me like that nipple is welded to the pitless but it's hard to be sure. Is that how they were made back in 1970?

 

[Stout Mechanical]

I would not bury those fittings. If you can’t remove the pitless for whatever reason then you can cut the casing below the pitless and replace that section of casing and install a new pitless. You can weld a new section of casing or they make a fitting to transition from a steel casing to a pvc casing.

 

[antlerman]

Thanks for Stout, I hear you. It's clear that burying that connection is a bad idea.

Now I'm thinking of installing a new pitless above the old one. The old one does not protrude at all inside the steel casing. I would need to make a new hole by drilling through the casing. It's 4 inch steel casing - can a carbide tipped hole saw make a whole through it?

 

[Stout Mechanical]

Yes, you can drill it with a hole saw. Make sure to offset it from the existing one so that the existing one does not interfere with the pipe hanging. I would also seal tight around the abandoned one to prevent anything leaking into the well

 

[antlerman]

Well (pun intended) thats good news! Can you recommend a good quality saw bit that will get through that steel ok,?

 

[Valveman]

That nipple will screw out easily from the brass pitless. If it breaks off use an easy-out on the inside to get the broken piece out. Adding another pitless above that one will leave the old pitless as a hole in the casing. You will still at least need to plug the hole. So, you are going to need to get that nipple out no matter what. Might as well re-use the same pitless if it has got to stay anyway.

Cutting the casing below the old pitless and replacing everything would be best. But you might outlive that old pitless.

 

[Stout Mechanical]

Well (pun intended) thats good news! Can you recommend a good quality saw bit that will get through that steel ok,?

Any big box store bi-metal or carbide Buy two you can always return one. And be sure to seal the old