Ran the water line...how to bleed air

[BamaSpek]

I ran my water line (1.5" line about 850' length) from the road to our mobile home. I have T's in-line but no spigots in the yard yet. What would be the best way to bleed the air (must be alot with that distance)?

Should I turn on the faucets in the house and just crack the main at the street and eventually that air will be removed? Could the air cause problems inside in appliances that are hooked to water(fridge,A/C)?

Thanks

[Sawmill Jim]

I would of flushed it out before i made the last hook up .Also i would at least take the aerators off all the faucets you can and have them open ease the water on too.

[oneokie]

I would open the hot water faucets (all) and open the main. When the air stops coming out of the hot water faucets, I would then open the cold and let them run for some time to make sure all the air is purged.

[BamaSpek]

Originally Posted by Sawmill Jim

I would of flushed it out before i made the last hook up .Also i would at least take the aerators off all the faucets you can and have them open ease the water on too.

I have one ball valve in the yard "past" the line to the house, but I did put a shut off valve right before it enter the house. What if I close off the house valve and open the yard ball valve the open the main line. Would that work?

[retire2$]

Opening the valve in the yard will not get rid of the air going to the faucets in the house. I would recommend a shut off before it goes into the house. You will need to bleed each faucet, washer hook-up, toilet, outside spigot, etc. This includes hot and cold lines.

[johnghagen]

You need a valve and drop inside before your water goes anywhere.Bleed it there,this requires two gate ball valves.One in line one on the drop.

[Sawmill Jim]

Yes that should flush the main line pretty good then do the house .As you said lots of air

[Micahn]

You did not say so I am figuring you used PVC pipe ?
You will ave extra glue, other trash in the line that needs flushed out.
Like others said it would be best to flush it out before connecting it to the home. At the very least take off all aerators and flush it out that way.
When I used to do a new water line I would flush it before hooking it up to the home as well as after threw things as even the home if it is new will have trash in the lines.

The person who said do the hot water first is wrong as you want to flush the trash out instead of having it go into your water heater.
But do make sure you fill the water heater before turning it on.

This is from a retired plumber :-)

Remember this, A good home water system will always have some air in the lines. Have you ever heard a home that when you shut off the water fast the pips bang ? that is called water hammer. To stop that the system needs some air in the lines. Most times plumbers use what is called air chambers. It is a pipe that goes straight up above other water lines with a cap on the top. It traps air in that pipe acting like a shock absorber on a car. Water can not compress so when it is stopped suddenly it has a lot of force behind it still pushing. Air will compress so a air chamber will give that force some place to go.
If you home has a air hammer some times you can drain the whole system down and leave every thing open for a while letting all water drain out and letting air in. After time the water will absorb the air in the air chambers by letting new air in it will fix the problems. Or you can add some air chambers like above the water heater or even short ones under sinks and such.
They also make a thing called a shock arrestor that can be added to the system again under sinks or some place that will do the same thing but they cost a lot more then a air chamber that you can make yourself.

[rambler]

Originally Posted by BamaSpek

I have one ball valve in the yard "past" the line to the house, but I did put a shut off valve right before it enter the house. What if I close off the house valve and open the yard ball valve the open the main line. Would that work?

Every line will need to be bled out. It's not that big of a deal.

The one issue is to get the air out of the water heater - you don't want that to try heating up with a lot of air in it - bad things could happen.

I would do as you said above - flush out the main line through the yard valve. Let it run a good 1/2 hour. Let it run full, not restricted. Get the stuff flushed out, get the plastic smells flushed out.

Then work on the house, flush out the cold lines, I guess I'd open the farthest away one & let it flush, then work on the shorter lines along the way.

The hot water side could take a while, to fill the water heater. Once the hot water lines are flushed, I'd open the bottom valve of the heater & let it flush all the junk out of there too.

I'd want to be sure no air space is in the water heater before turning it on to heat.

Otherwise, expect a little burp now and then as tiny pockets of air release over the next week or 2. Toilets will let a lot of air out, as they are big users of water.

Not as big a deal as it seems, just have to do it.

--->Paul