How to get water pipe under walkway… ?

Mirac

Mirac

Epic Replies --->
Charter Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2017
Messages
6,270
Location
Randolph Co
Rating - 100%
23   0   0
Anybody know a tool to buy / make to get under this -6’ of walkway?
Maybe a utube vid?

I have a pressure washer . Is there a pipe I could make and use the high pressure and tunnel under?
Need to get some water across it.

090A54B7-ACCA-493E-A0F2-CD7C6B34A373.jpeg

Would it be better to go under this curb into the driveway?
Then down and back in?

image.jpg
 
Deep hole on each side
10’ pvc pipe
Fitting to attach garden hose to pipe
Fitting to attach small diameter sweeper nozzle to pipe

Attach hose, turn it on full blast and slowly push it through. You can leave the pipe there when you’re done.

ETA: Of course, the closer your tunnel is to the surface, the greater the chance of disrupting the brick (while you’re tunneling or even years later).
 
Last edited:
Jeppo said:
Deep hole on each side
10’ pvc pipe
Fitting to attach garden hose to pipe
Fitting to attach small diameter sweeper nozzle to pipe

Attach hose, turn it on full blast and slowly push it through. You can leave the pipe there when you’re done.

ETA: Of course, the closer your tunnel is to the surface, the greater the chance of disrupting the brick (while you’re tunneling or even years later).
Click to expand...
I did exactly this to install sprinklers at the house in Florida.
 
I minimize connections as much as possible when burring water lines. I’d go under the walkway. If you don’t want to use water you can cut teeth in the end of a pvc pipe and bore the hole out by rotating the pipe as it tunnels under. Oil up the pvc pipe for lubrication, it’ll get right the further you go in.

Hopefully you have easy working soil. Clay here made it hell last time I had to do it (I didn’t want the mess of using water).
 
Jeppo said:
ETA: Of course, the closer your tunnel is to the surface, the greater the chance of disrupting the brick (while you’re tunneling or even years later).
Click to expand...

Yeah, thought about that. Unsure if they poured concrete then mortared the brick on. I’ll have to investigate that before going under.
 
hp468 said:
.
Hopefully you have easy working soil. Clay here made it hell last time I had to do it (I didn’t want the mess of using water).
Click to expand...

All clay , decomposed brick and rock .
Had it use the hammer drill with a spade bit to dig the holes for planting.
 
I did one kinda similar. Dig a hole on both sides. Use the pressure washer and a sewer jetter.

Run the jetter through a chase pipe then use the jetter to liquefy the dirt as you push the pipe through. Then as you pull the jetter back through the chase pipe it cleans it out to run the water line through.
 
Unrelated... man I had that black plastic stuff the people that lived here before me laid everywhere under the dirt.
 
Mirac said:
All clay , decomposed brick and rock .
Had it use the hammer drill with a spade bit to dig the holes for planting.
Click to expand...
Mirac said:
Nope.
That is out of the question. off the table and out of the wheelbarrow.
Click to expand...
Well, what type of trellis does your wife like?
Up and over it is.
 
Running irrigation we bored under many walkways but that was with a dingo and plenty of room to work and no beds to mess up. They are handy.

Id go under the curb into the driveway and bury the hose in pipe under the driveway and then back into the bed. Will allow you to never ever worry about the brick walkway changing.
 
Can you go under the house and come through the foundation with another spigot where you need it? Tee into existing water line and just pop through the block with pex and add another outdoor spigot?
 
Scsmith42 said:
Many rental yards rent directional boring tools for contractors / homeowners. They use air or water to power them and are well suited for going under a walkway or driveway.
Click to expand...
This. Rent a mole. Dig hole same depth on each side, you start it level and it thumps its way under, and the hole is the same size all the way across.
 
@Jeppo method works great and I have used it several times. I'll use it again this fall under a sidewalk to replace irrigation wiring that was cut, patched and has failed again.

I don't think you would have an issue with the existing walkway as long as you go down a couple feet on either side with your holes. My first try with it, I went under a paver sidewalk. I've seen no issue with the sidewalk since then.
 
SimpleMan said:
Can you go under the house and come through the foundation with another spigot where you need it? Tee into existing water line and just pop through the block with pex and add another outdoor spigot?
Click to expand...

Good idea … cep I’d have to be 9” thin to get to that spot.
 
Then there’s this


bulletmole.com

Bullet Mole Horizontal Drilling, Boring, Trenching, and Piercing Tools

Install irrigation and copper pipes, electrical and data conduits, and polyethylene gas lines under sidewalks, driveways, pavements, roads with the Bullet Mole®. Rent and Purchase tools, accessories, and all other irrigation installation and drilling equipment accessories.
bulletmole.com bulletmole.com
 
Scsmith42 said:
Many rental yards rent directional boring tools for contractors / homeowners. They use air or water to power them and are well suited for going under a walkway or driveway.
Click to expand...

Burt Gummer said:
This. Rent a mole. Dig hole same depth on each side, you start it level and it thumps its way under, and the hole is the same size all the way across.
Click to expand...

I’ll be calling around tomorrow and see what who’s got.
Thanks
 
A while back they were installing fiber optic cable underground in our area, they used some type of underground boring machine. IIRC it wasn't much bigger than a ditch wich. Maybe you could rent one somewhere?? They went under driveways and everything else with it.
 
Back before pressure washers were a thing and I had a summer job where we had to do this occasionally ( 1970-71 ), we'd dig a hole on either side, take the appropriate length of galvanized pipe with a coupling and a plug threaded onto each end and drive it though with a sledge hammer.

From what I remember it wasn't too bad but I was younger then.

.
 
Gator said:
Back before pressure washers were a thing and I had a summer job where we had to do this occasionally ( 1970-71 ), we'd dig a hole on either side, take the appropriate length of galvanized pipe with a coupling and a plug threaded onto each end and drive it though with a sledge hammer.

From what I remember it wasn't too bad but I was younger then.

.
Click to expand...

I might would try this with a little larger size pipe to fish the water line threw if you have to go under that walk and can’t go around drive. If you wash a pipe under its likely to settle over time and you will end up needing to redo the brick. If you know someone with a rotary hammer it will drive the pipe as well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom