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I have 2" PVC coming from my well, connecting to a PVC shutoff valve and then to an existing spigot. I want to removed existing spigot and extend water line 140ft to my RV location and install a hydrant style spigot.

Can I use 3/4 or 1" PEX piping underground?

Dean
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  • Please ask one question per post. Your question about backflow prevention is unrelated to the first question about burying pex. – isherwood Jun 24 '21 at 16:08

2 Answers2

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Yes.

Opt for PEX-B per https://homeefficiencyguide.com/can-pex-tubing-be-buried/

Make sure to protect brass fittings and metal crimp rings from the soil with a silicone wrap or just lather them in silicone from a caulk gun and let it cure before burying.

PEX's primary enemy is UV light so make sure to protect it if it exits the earth to supply the spigot.

MonkeyZeus
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  • Direct burial exposes the PEX to damage from burrowing animals: gophers, moles, rats, mice, etc. I have been told that these animals will not chew into PVC. If the expense of conduit is too much for your budget maybe just use glued PVC to carry the water – Jim Stewart Jun 24 '21 at 22:19
  • @monkeyzeus - What is the silicone wrap you mentioned? – Dean Jun 25 '21 at 14:21
  • @Dean See my edit. – MonkeyZeus Jun 28 '21 at 17:17
  • Why would animals "not chew into PVC" exactly? Just wait until you hear about polyethylene gas pipe! – MonkeyZeus Jun 28 '21 at 19:16
  • Does color matter? I guess since its cold water I can use blue or white – Dean Jun 29 '21 at 23:57
  • @monkeyzeus - Why do you suggest Pex -B? Pex-A be is suppose to better and cheaper from what I read. Except A has to use an expansion tool and B can use crimp fittings. I read the crimp fittings can leak, it will be in ground, but still would not like it to leak. Thoughts? – Dean Jun 30 '21 at 00:27
  • @Dean Yes, both can be buried. Did you read the article I posted? Have you looked at the cost of an expansion tool versus crimp/cinch tool? I'd say PEX-B's "higher bursting pressure and reduced issues with leached chemicals" is quite attractive but if that doesn't matter to you then use PEX-A. As for crimp/cinch longevity see https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/1787/42053 and make sure you crimp/cinch properly; I've heard it's easier to mess up an expansion fitting. Like I said you need to protect metal from the dirt or else corrosion will quickly set in. – MonkeyZeus Jun 30 '21 at 12:27
  • @Dean No, it's not illegal to send cold water through a red tube. Is it a good idea to use blue for cold and red for hot? Yes. – MonkeyZeus Jun 30 '21 at 12:31
  • @MonkeyZeus - I assume using white for cold water is also acceptable? White shark bite brand pex-b is available to me now and I plan to use brass barb fitting and stainless steel crimps. And will incase the brass fitting in silicone as suggested. I could not find plastic Pex fittings that i needed, so using brass. – Dean Jul 04 '21 at 16:11
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Best practice would be lay PVC as conduit and put the PEX inside it. Any bends would be Schedule 80 sweep 90s. You could use Sch 40 for the straight sections or use Sch 80 entirely. You would have to find out which size to use.

One plumber of my acquaintance advocated using polybutylene (PB) which comes on rolls. He also said chewing animals will not chew into PVC.

Jim Stewart
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