septic gate valve replacement
- Thread starter allanc
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I’m assuming it had a box over it but he removed it to dig the valve up to work on it.
cliffyk
Well-Known Member
A real world example of what happens when engineers "assume":
In September of 1999 NASA burned up their Mars Climate Orbiter in Mar's atmosphere because a ground (Earth) based guidance system "assumed" realtime thruster data they received had been converted to Imperial units.
I was working at pad 41 on Lockheed-Martin's EELV (Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle) project at the time. Heads were rolling in the aisles, and we all had mandatory "Concise Communication Training" for weeks--the brunt of which was to never "assume" (I.e. "making ASSs of U and ME") a damned thing.
The other lesson that stuck was to never use the word BUT as it negates all you said before it (unless that was your intent)...
In September of 1999 NASA burned up their Mars Climate Orbiter in Mar's atmosphere because a ground (Earth) based guidance system "assumed" realtime thruster data they received had been converted to Imperial units.
I was working at pad 41 on Lockheed-Martin's EELV (Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle) project at the time. Heads were rolling in the aisles, and we all had mandatory "Concise Communication Training" for weeks--the brunt of which was to never "assume" (I.e. "making ASSs of U and ME") a damned thing.
The other lesson that stuck was to never use the word BUT as it negates all you said before it (unless that was your intent)...
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FishScreener
Well-Known Member
The boxes are frequently installed wrong. They should Be positioned with the notch just above the pipe, and then the bottom filled with pea gravel. So there is drainage.
I would use a pvc ball valve and install unions on either side. You dont have to expose as much pipe. And installed in a box, is easy to replace when you have to.
cliffyk
Well-Known Member
^^^ All good advice!!
Water boxes can be cut to fit. It doesn’t matter if a stainless valve is in dirt. It doesn’t matter if the valve gets wet.
If you installed a pvc valve you’d need unions because you’d be replacing it after a few years.
Notice his gate valve failed at the internal gate. The outside is fine….
So there’s your proof.
Have a great day
That's a bit of overkill IMHO.
allenc said, "I'm trying to limp along with minimal changes as my field is very old and will need to be replaced eventually."
Installing a $28 stainless steel full port ball valve with a couple of $9 Fernco shielded couplings and a couple of $4 threaded PVC nipples would be $54, no gluing and an easy install.
Installing a $13 PVC valve with a couple of $14 unions, $9 for a 2' section of 2" pipe, and $9 for a glue kit is $59, plus the hassle of gluing this assembly together. Of course, allenc may have the glue and some 2" PVC laying around making this cheaper.
But as for me, I would want the stainless valve option even if he doesn't have a box. I'm sure he has something and just doesn't dig up the valve every week when he operates the valve.
He could use his existing pvc mip adapters. Just unscrew them and screw them into the new valve. Then use a fernco or buck in a 2” coupling or make a 2” slip out of a regular coupling.
It certainly made an ass out of you, not so much me. Don’t be stupid……
Sorry, you asked for it.
cliffyk
Well-Known Member
When did gluing PVC become a hassle? I guess I missed that part...
It isn’t.
cliffyk
Well-Known Member
I apologize for upsetting you so...It certainly made an ass out of you, not so much me. Don’t be stupid……
Sorry, you asked for it.
I’m not upset, I just get tired of dealing with idiots.
cliffyk
Well-Known Member
I see what you mean...
It isn't. But when a DIYer comes on this forum and wants to replace the gate on a corroded 20-year-old valve, it seems likely to me that he doesn't have a PVC glue kit laying around.
And Twowaxhack pointed out, reusing the existing mip adapters and a single Fernco, the stainless-steel valve option is more like $37, and results in better and easier installation. Of course, you could do the same thing with a $14 screwed PVC valve and save $14, but then we are back to the PVC versus Stainless discussion.
