I did this about 10 years ago for a sprinkler system. I used 1/2" pvc with a pipe cap with a 3/6" hole drilled in it. It flexed enough I didn't need a long trench to keep it horizontal. It went under the 3 foot sidewalk in less than a minute. Because of the smaller jet, water didn't even pool up in the hole. I was lucky not to encounter any rocks.
Worked like a charm for my project. I was stunned that it actually worked! I was able to run my pvc conduit under my walkway to accommodate line-voltage wiring at a depth of 12". I added a brass shut-off ball valve between the end of the galvanized pipe and the 3/4" (MIPT) x 3/4" (FHT) swivel brass fitting for my convenience...and used my wet vac to suction up the accumulated water in the trench. Thank-you iSacper1 for demonstrating and teaching this DIYer an effective way to trench under a sidewalk without having to pay-out big bucks to a professional- especially when one lives on a fixed budget. I live in the north-east corridor of the U.S. and have the rockiest soil one could imagine. Lucky for me, I was able to negotiate the spray wand under the slab without a hitch- and in less then 3 minutes. ~ With kindest regards and gratitude.
We as plumbers do this all the time . Only I use a 1" schedule 40 pvc pipe and I cap one end then drill a 1/4 inch hole and put a 3/4 pvc mip then a 3/4 fip x 3/4 fip hose adapter . The reason I use pvc is because you can steer the pipe and make do what you want . Also you don't have to dig as long of a trench . But your way works really well too . I'm a master plumber and have been licensed in texas for 20 years but I learn new stuff every day . I'm always stay open minded and I don't think I know everything . Great job buddy !
Chad Jones Thanks, I've used PVC pipe also but quit when I got the pipe stuck under the sidewalk and broke it off underneath the sidewalk trying to get the PVC pipe out. That's when I went to and stayed with galvanized pipe.
Chad Jones i am a gardener and I sintall new sprinklers all the time I use pvc with a jet nozzle at the end that what he did only takes me 30 mns the most no matter what soil it is unless it’s root I just move a couple feet away and start again. No need to be a plumber just common sense. Work smarter not harder
Thanks for the video. You should consider using spray foam to re-seal up underneath the sidewalk. Get the 36" nozzle extension and a few big cans, it will take a while to empty out the cans but its worth the time.
I needed to run some conduit under my sidewalk to get a power source to my garden so I started doing some research. I came across your video and I have to say that you are a life savior! Once I dug the trench and turned the hose on, I was through in 3 minutes! Thank you!!
He did do a nice job... however, there is no need to dig up your yard like that.... a shorter pipe attached to a water-hose would do the same job with out digging up the yard.....
Thank you for the demonstration and helpful tips. I was able to easily tunnel under my 36" walkway, even with grapefruit-sized rocks, using a steel pry bar to loosen the rocks after water had cleared most of the path. Coming at it from both sides made it pretty quick too.
Nice job, Keri. I did this last year with 120V wire and conduit, and so of course I had to be at least 18" deep. That's a lot harder. For a path that supports a vehicle, it needs to be at least 24" deep to meet local building code.
Thank you for this. I made one with a $3 high pressure nozzle and a 36" galv. pipe -- worked beyond expectations. Had corrugated pipe under my walkway, clogged with clay/debris over time. This blasted my way around the old pipe, ripped it out and ran 4" pvc.
for the paver walkway, rather than trenching deeper to go under, consider pulling up two rows of pavers to expose sand and base, then trenching down 12"; then replacing paver base and sand after installing pipe. I have done this sucessfully. it is less digging and fuss. Consider installing a sch 40 pvc larger than irrigation pipe to create a permanent channel under the walk. that will allow you to compress the base and sand as much as you need w/o risk of damaging water pipe.
Hi John. It took me a couple of hours to get under the sidewalk, install the conduit, and put everything back. The hand pump I bought at my Rain Bird distributor a number of years ago. The widest driveway I've used this method to go under was 20', but the soil conditions were ideal. I had sandy soil with no rocks.
i dont mean to be offtopic but does someone know of a trick to get back into an Instagram account? I was dumb lost my password. I would love any tips you can give me
@Kian Gus Thanks so much for your reply. I found the site through google and im waiting for the hacking stuff atm. Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.
Consider using the pipe you want under the sidewalk as the lance. Then once you have it through, you don't have to worry about getting the second pipe through, just take off the fitting on each end. When you hit an obstruction, widen the spray to make a larger hole so you can get around the obstruction. The two previous comments, tarp and use PVC also agree with my experience. For the grass, the nicer job you do cutting it out, the nicer it will look when done. A friend of mine worked at a cemetary and got so good at removing/replaing sod that you couldn't see any cuts afterwards. He cut straight lines, slightly beveled, with a knife. He taught this to his son and his son made a busiess of installing realtor signs. He was the preferred sign installer in his area because when the sign was replaced, he replaced the original grass, which he cared for, and you couldn't see whre the sign had been.
Great video! I believe if I was going to be using the water drill a lot I'd attach one of those brass valves on the hose end so it would make shutting the water off much faster and cleaner. :)
The problem with pavers is that they're not a single rigid surface like concrete. If you absolutely need to get underneath the pavers I would try going deeper, maybe 2' under the pavers. It will be more work but the goal would be to disturb the soil as little as possible directly under the pavers. Then I would try a narrow straight trenching shovel to get as far under as possible from both sides. If you can't connect trenches from both sides with the shovel I would then use the water or a bar.
No need to run galvanized first and then PVC unless it's rocky soil. Just use a jet type hose-end sprayer or a jet kit you can buy at LOWES in the irrigation isle and install it on the PVC pipe you want to run. When you get through the other side just cut the jet off and the hose side connection so you can use it again. That way you only go through the hole once. With a sidewalk, you don't really have to worry about it cracking because it's so narrow. This method is the quickest, easiest, and cheapest.
I tried to do this yesterday. My mistake was making the trench for the pipe ten inches deep. I also started my nozzle ten inches deep. I inserted the whole 10 foot pipe and couldn"t see the other end. Ready to give it another try today. Thanks.
The slab is on the back of my house. There's a space with dirt next to the house to grow plants. Previous owners put a roof over the slab so nothing will grow there anyway. The slab is pitched for drainage so the pipe came out way deeper than it went in. Was able to successfully run the pipe yesterday after starting it much higher. Tapping off the hose bib and running waterlines out to the yard. After that I'm going to put cement over the dirt after removing a few inches. Thanks again.
Nice Video, well done and I so wish I would have seen it years ago! What if at the other end You have the wall in brick of the house. That got me thinking but I have learned to do it in stages with the gal. pipes. I will try this and know that underground is the best! Well so I wait till my Spring comes and am 80y. Am hooked to keep activ! Richard in Australia
iScaper1 why not use pvc with an attached nozzle . When you have get under the side walk you just cut of the nozzel and your done , you will have a pipe under the side walk
anthony abarca I like to use galvanized for strength. To me it's too risky to attach the brass nozzle to a PVC male adapter because it could break off under the sidewalk.
Not so. If you do the installation under an expansion joint which is the weakest part of the sidewalk, guaranteed the sidewalk will settle and you'll be back replacing that section. That's why I did this installation between the 2 expansion joints, the area is stronger and not as apt to fail. I had to learn this the hard way. The installation in this video has been done for more than a year and currently there are no cracks or settling and everything still looks good.
Excellent video, thank you for sharing. Only think I would do differently is to throw in a couple of spare conduits in there after all that trouble for any future needs.
Wow! what an elaborate story just so you can re-live your childhood dreams and play in mud puddles. That's ok friend. You secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone. : ) I am installing drip irrigation and need to run a 1/2" line poly line under a sidewalk. I plan on using a 1" pvc tube and run the poly inside it. Should work as here in the Low Country of South Carolina everything is sand (you have to pay extra for rocks). Once through, I will just cut the pvc and leave it in place, then slide the poly tubing for the drip irrigation through. Thanks for giving me an excuse to play in the mud too!
the only thing he did not mention or do was to do it directly under an expansion joint. That sidewalk or driveway will crack, that's why you always do it under an expansion joint. I trenched for many years so always dig under the expansion joint that is what its there for. I have seen many cracked sidewalks and driveways after pipe or cable installations under a driveway.
I sucked the water out with a Rain Bird hand pump. I bought it around 5 years ago from my Rain Bird supplier. Most sprinkler suppliers would sell a hand pump like this.
This might help in some situations, but the way I've always done it is much much cleaner. No water. If I'm running a half inch pvc conduit or pipe? I get where you were with the sharp shooter, then I use a piece of 1" EMT type thin wall conduit. I jam it in, beat it in with a hammer, etc - and basically drill through it like you're drilling a well. The pipe gets clogged, you pull it out and beat it til the dirt falls out. No mud, might not work as well in certain soils. Takes out less material though because no water washing the dirt out.
I used to make 1/2" galvanized, etc. boring sprayers with tee/cap or plug at the hammer end along with the hose fitting. Of course it lasted only so long but that's the cost of business. Often, if it's not all hard clay, just take a long enough sch 40 scrap or piece, handy metal pipe, find the most likely spot for a gap or sand under the pad/etc. and hammer away, using good monkey wrench or channel locks to twist and retrieve. Cut an angle off the leading edge to give it a point of some kind. Often you can just push, twist and pull a pipe under a driveway, etc. It just depends!
You could do saw cuts on the asphalt, dig a trench across, and install a PVC pipe in conduit for the water supply. You would still have a seam in the asphalt when you were done.
Try cutting your turf out with a square shovel in rectangular sections next time. You should be able to get that 6 foot section out in 3-4 big pieces. It's easy to be the critic.
Thanks for the fantastic video. I will be doing it this summer. Can you show how we can draw a pipe from the garage? If I bring it under the garage door, I risk the entry of pests.
Yeah, I have a pathway of pavers (3 ft. wide) and a driveway (19 ft. wide) that I want to run irrigation lines underneath. Unfortunately, I don't have money to pay to have it done, so I'm doing it myself. Obviously I'm not going to try the driveway on my own, I guess I'll just run a hose across it for now. I'll have to give that trenching shovel a try on the pathway though. Thanks for the feedback!
Thanks for the information. I'm not sure what local code is here, but I would guess it's pretty close to what yours is. I see a lot of wires to sprinkler pumps here that aren't in conduit and are buried from 6" to 12" deep.
Check you local codes. Here in Texas you have to have a sleeve two times the size of your pipe. And its faster and less messy to just hydraulic bore it.
WOW, can't imagine how much precious water was wasted doing this. Here in the often rainless southwest, we use a pointed PVC pipe and a sledgehammer. Might have to pull it out a few times to clean the end, but it works.
My previous suggestion would work under the 3' pathway but definitely not under the 19' driveway. Can you feed that side with water from the other side of the driveway (house) someway?
I bet you could connect the pipe to your hose with opposite connectors and pulled it right through the first time just an idea I'm no professional plumber but GREAT JOB ✊
Why not make the water wand out of the same PVC you plan on using for the sprinkler? Once it's in just trim the fittings off each side and install remaining pipe as usual.
I go across with the PVC. Most times depending I'll use sched 40. Then I just cut the fittings off with enough pipe to use again somewhere. Keep running pipe.
The box stores sell a kit that you glue on either 3/4, 1 inch. When threw you cut off and your pope is in place. I get about 4 - 5 side walks out of kit.
Running a 3/4 pipe that will stay under the concrete.. I insert another smaller pipe that will have the jet on it. Similar to a well drill. The water punches the hole and the space between the two pipes carries the muck out. Once thru, you only remove the inner pipe. In a pinch. You can also put a cap on smaller pipe and drill a hole in it.. making your own jet. Problem being with switching the main pipe.. when you pull it out.. the mud will often fall and clog the hole.
Great Video, you made it look so easy. I'm going to try it myself, but first want to get the right parts setup like you have. How did you make the fitting for the brass nozzle tip to work with the metal pipe. Thanks
Thanks I made the fitting, dug the hole, used the tool and buried the drain pipe under the sidewalk. No more stepping over it on the sidewalk. Thanks again.
Not so easy to do in a driveway because of the width. I've done it on a 20' wide driveway but had ideal conditions. There were no rocks and the soil was somewhat sandy. I've also failed on 10' wide driveway that had some rock in a clay type soil.
I think its easier to hit a sch40 pvc pipe with caps on both sides with a sledgehammer. The pipe will slowly make its way to the other side and to keep it leveled, just step on the pipe as youre hitting it then just remove both caps from the pipe under the sidewalk and there you have it! Good video though
A better way is to hammer a piece of pipe bigger than the one that is going under the concrete. Put a slight bend upwards so it hugs the bottom of concrete. You will need sledge hammer. No mess and fast.
Thanks so much your videos that help me a lot; I want to install the electronic wire for a sprinkler; but I do not know how to do that because I m just a amateur and I have never done it. So could you help me by doing a new video for this?
Something easier ive been using at my irrigation installs.....ready for it?? A pressure washer with the red tip on it. You'll have a clean path in about 2 minutes. Much more effective. This method works well too..just a bit slower.
Informative video, thanks for posting- most helpful for a future project I will be under taking.. Question, at frame 4:13, what is the brand name and model number of the trench shovel you are using?
+MyKkata No if the sidewalk is in your yard. If the sidewalk is between your property edge and parkstrip then probably yes. A lot of contractors will beg forgiveness rather than ask permission and just do it.
I did this about 10 years ago for a sprinkler system. I used 1/2" pvc with a pipe cap with a 3/6" hole drilled in it. It flexed enough I didn't need a long trench to keep it horizontal. It went under the 3 foot sidewalk in less than a minute. Because of the smaller jet, water didn't even pool up in the hole. I was lucky not to encounter any rocks.
Worked like a charm for my project. I was stunned that it actually worked! I was able to run my pvc conduit under my walkway to accommodate line-voltage wiring at a depth of 12". I added a brass shut-off ball valve between the end of the galvanized pipe and the 3/4" (MIPT) x 3/4" (FHT) swivel brass fitting for my convenience...and used my wet vac to suction up the accumulated water in the trench. Thank-you iSacper1 for demonstrating and teaching this DIYer an effective way to trench under a sidewalk without having to pay-out big bucks to a professional- especially when one lives on a fixed budget. I live in the north-east corridor of the U.S. and have the rockiest soil one could imagine. Lucky for me, I was able to negotiate the spray wand under the slab without a hitch- and in less then 3 minutes. ~ With kindest regards and gratitude.
Thanks, I appreciate the feedback.
We as plumbers do this all the time . Only I use a 1" schedule 40 pvc pipe and I cap one end then drill a 1/4 inch hole and put a 3/4 pvc mip then a 3/4 fip x 3/4 fip hose adapter . The reason I use pvc is because you can steer the pipe and make do what you want . Also you don't have to dig as long of a trench . But your way works really well too . I'm a master plumber and have been licensed in texas for 20 years but I learn new stuff every day . I'm always stay open minded and I don't think I know everything . Great job buddy !
Chad Jones
Thanks, I've used PVC pipe also but quit when I got the pipe stuck under the sidewalk and broke it off underneath the sidewalk trying to get the PVC pipe out. That's when I went to and stayed with galvanized pipe.
iScaper1 ten for !
Chad Jones i am a gardener and I sintall new sprinklers all the time I use pvc with a jet nozzle at the end that what he did only takes me 30 mns the most no matter what soil it is unless it’s root I just move a couple feet away and start again. No need to be a plumber just common sense. Work smarter not harder
Very smart information. Now I have a more detailed plan on how to run low voltage wire under my sidewalk, and or sprinkler tubing.
Thanks for the video. You should consider using spray foam to re-seal up underneath the sidewalk. Get the 36" nozzle extension and a few big cans, it will take a while to empty out the cans but its worth the time.
I needed to run some conduit under my sidewalk to get a power source to my garden so I started doing some research. I came across your video and I have to say that you are a life savior! Once I dug the trench and turned the hose on, I was through in 3 minutes! Thank you!!
Thanks Paul for the feedback.
how could you not like this video. Guy did a good job and accomplished the task he set out to do. professionals do this the same way. Good job!👍
plenty of jealous tradies out there sniping DIY vids.
He did do a nice job... however, there is no need to dig up your yard like that.... a shorter pipe attached to a water-hose would do the same job with out digging up the yard.....
Luis Barrueta no, because it could end pointing down or to the side.
@@brocolirbrocolirxs1116 No we don't. Hydraulic bore or straight up dig it out with a shovel.
@@luisbarrueta8207 hvvkh585
Great video especially for those who don't want to overpay an electrician or gardener to do a basic (but tricky) job. Thanks.
Great job! All I can say is separate your sod and your dirt when trenching it’s a lot easier cleaning up.
Thank you for the demonstration and helpful tips. I was able to easily tunnel under my 36" walkway, even with grapefruit-sized rocks, using a steel pry bar to loosen the rocks after water had cleared most of the path. Coming at it from both sides made it pretty quick too.
Nice job, Keri. I did this last year with 120V wire and conduit, and so of course I had to be at least 18" deep. That's a lot harder. For a path that supports a vehicle, it needs to be at least 24" deep to meet local building code.
Thank you for this. I made one with a $3 high pressure nozzle and a 36" galv. pipe -- worked beyond expectations.
Had corrugated pipe under my walkway, clogged with clay/debris over time. This blasted my way around the old pipe, ripped it out and ran 4" pvc.
Great video, this gave me confidence. I dug two tunnels underneath my sidewalk to run my sprinkler line. I used the orbit tunnel kit. thank you.
for the paver walkway, rather than trenching deeper to go under, consider pulling up two rows of pavers to expose sand and base, then trenching down 12"; then replacing paver base and sand after installing pipe. I have done this sucessfully. it is less digging and fuss. Consider installing a sch 40 pvc larger than irrigation pipe to create a permanent channel under the walk. that will allow you to compress the base and sand as much as you need w/o risk of damaging water pipe.
Hi John. It took me a couple of hours to get under the sidewalk, install the conduit, and put everything back. The hand pump I bought at my Rain Bird distributor a number of years ago.
The widest driveway I've used this method to go under was 20', but the soil conditions were ideal. I had sandy soil with no rocks.
i dont mean to be offtopic but does someone know of a trick to get back into an Instagram account?
I was dumb lost my password. I would love any tips you can give me
@Gordon Shiloh instablaster =)
@@gordonshiloh4997 Try this link: help.instagram.com/374546259294234
@Kian Gus Thanks so much for your reply. I found the site through google and im waiting for the hacking stuff atm.
Looks like it's gonna take quite some time so I will get back to you later with my results.
@Kian Gus it worked and I actually got access to my account again. Im so happy!
Thanks so much you saved my account :D
Consider using the pipe you want under the sidewalk as the lance. Then once you have it through, you don't have to worry about getting the second pipe through, just take off the fitting on each end. When you hit an obstruction, widen the spray to make a larger hole so you can get around the obstruction. The two previous comments, tarp and use PVC also agree with my experience. For the grass, the nicer job you do cutting it out, the nicer it will look when done. A friend of mine worked at a cemetary and got so good at removing/replaing sod that you couldn't see any cuts afterwards. He cut straight lines, slightly beveled, with a knife. He taught this to his son and his son made a busiess of installing realtor signs. He was the preferred sign installer in his area because when the sign was replaced, he replaced the original grass, which he cared for, and you couldn't see whre the sign had been.
Good information, thanks for posting.
Cut your turf in rectangles and place it on a tarp in the order you cut them, nice and neat put back.
Great video! I believe if I was going to be using the water drill a lot I'd attach one of those brass valves on the hose end so it would make shutting the water off much faster and cleaner. :)
You sound like your bursting with enthusiasm!!!
The problem with pavers is that they're not a single rigid surface like concrete. If you absolutely need to get underneath the pavers I would try going deeper, maybe 2' under the pavers. It will be more work but the goal would be to disturb the soil as little as possible directly under the pavers. Then I would try a narrow straight trenching shovel to get as far under as possible from both sides. If you can't connect trenches from both sides with the shovel I would then use the water or a bar.
No need to run galvanized first and then PVC unless it's rocky soil. Just use a jet type hose-end sprayer or a jet kit you can buy at LOWES in the irrigation isle and install it on the PVC pipe you want to run. When you get through the other side just cut the jet off and the hose side connection so you can use it again. That way you only go through the hole once. With a sidewalk, you don't really have to worry about it cracking because it's so narrow. This method is the quickest, easiest, and cheapest.
Can a pressure washer be use? With has a metal type hose-end sprayer?
This video is great. Thank you for this life lesson and now to put these skills to the test on my yard.
Good luck.
Thank you Iscaper1 for the video! I need to get a conduit under a retaining wall footing about 12" wide and your video was very helpful.
Thanks Vincent for leaving feedback.
I tried to do this yesterday. My mistake was making the trench for the pipe ten inches deep. I also started my nozzle ten inches deep. I inserted the whole 10 foot pipe and couldn"t see the other end. Ready to give it another try today. Thanks.
+flatchyu
4"-6" deep with the nozzle is probably better.
The slab is on the back of my house. There's a space with dirt next to the house to grow plants. Previous owners put a roof over the slab so nothing will grow there anyway. The slab is pitched for drainage so the pipe came out way deeper than it went in. Was able to successfully run the pipe yesterday after starting it much higher. Tapping off the hose bib and running waterlines out to the yard. After that I'm going to put cement over the dirt after removing a few inches. Thanks again.
+flatchyu
That's great, congratulations.
+flatchyu
That's great, congratulations.
Awesome job brother! Looking forward to watching your past and future videos.
Nice Video, well done and I so wish I would have seen it years ago! What if at the other end You have the wall in brick of the house. That got me thinking but I have learned to do it in stages with the gal. pipes. I will try this and know that underground is the best! Well so I wait till my Spring comes and am 80y. Am hooked to keep activ! Richard in Australia
Great vid. THANK YOU for using a tripod with your camera! I'm planning to run a water line to a raised bed for next year.
Thanks Jessie.
iScaper1 why not use pvc with an attached nozzle . When you have get under the side walk you just cut of the nozzel and your done , you will have a pipe under the side walk
anthony abarca
I like to use galvanized for strength. To me it's too risky to attach the brass nozzle to a PVC male adapter because it could break off under the sidewalk.
They do have pvc nozzels that are made for just that
anthony abarca
PVC would be okay in optimum soil conditions, but I would still prefer galvanized in rocky soil.
Hint for the very first step: put down a tarp and put your dig dirt on it. Easier and neater to put back later.
Eric Hardee
Good tip, thanks for posting.
This is very true people
Actually a piece of ply wood is way better then any tarp.
@@patriciocampuzano4522 I fail to understand how ply wood would be better or worse than a tarp?
@@MD-gn3gw you can shovel off of plywood. That can't be done as easily with a tarp
Not so. If you do the installation under an expansion joint which is the weakest part of the sidewalk, guaranteed the sidewalk will settle and you'll be back replacing that section. That's why I did this installation between the 2 expansion joints, the area is stronger and not as apt to fail. I had to learn this the hard way. The installation in this video has been done for more than a year and currently there are no cracks or settling and everything still looks good.
Very inventive, but I would be concerned with leaving a tunnel under the sidewalk weakening it.
Excellent video, thank you for sharing. Only think I would do differently is to throw in a couple of spare conduits in there after all that trouble for any future needs.
Good tip, thanks for posting.
You can certainly tell he's married. Got a bunch of talent while dead inside.
Rofl
Haha funny as shit!
Wow! what an elaborate story just so you can re-live your childhood dreams and play in mud puddles. That's ok friend. You secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone. : )
I am installing drip irrigation and need to run a 1/2" line poly line under a sidewalk. I plan on using a 1" pvc tube and run the poly inside it. Should work as here in the Low Country of South Carolina everything is sand (you have to pay extra for rocks). Once through, I will just cut the pvc and leave it in place, then slide the poly tubing for the drip irrigation through. Thanks for giving me an excuse to play in the mud too!
Now you've let the secret out.
Genius , that is a fantastic way to get a hole under a path or a driveway. thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching.
This was so helpful thank you
Glad it was helpful!
the only thing he did not mention or do was to do it directly under an expansion joint. That sidewalk or driveway will crack, that's why you always do it under an expansion joint. I trenched for many years so always dig under the expansion joint that is what its there for. I have seen many cracked sidewalks and driveways after pipe or cable installations under a driveway.
One of my favorite tools is the water soaker. I use it to suck out debri in the spa.
I sucked the water out with a Rain Bird hand pump. I bought it around 5 years ago from my Rain Bird supplier. Most sprinkler suppliers would sell a hand pump like this.
This might help in some situations, but the way I've always done it is much much cleaner. No water. If I'm running a half inch pvc conduit or pipe? I get where you were with the sharp shooter, then I use a piece of 1" EMT type thin wall conduit. I jam it in, beat it in with a hammer, etc - and basically drill through it like you're drilling a well. The pipe gets clogged, you pull it out and beat it til the dirt falls out. No mud, might not work as well in certain soils. Takes out less material though because no water washing the dirt out.
Good alternative, thanks for posting.
I used to make 1/2" galvanized, etc. boring sprayers with tee/cap or plug at the hammer end along with the hose fitting.
Of course it lasted only so long but that's the cost of business. Often, if it's not all hard clay, just take a long enough sch 40 scrap or piece, handy metal pipe, find the most likely spot for a gap or sand under the pad/etc. and hammer away, using good monkey wrench or channel locks to twist and retrieve. Cut an angle off the leading edge to give it a point of some kind. Often you can just push, twist and pull a pipe under a driveway, etc. It just depends!
Good tip, thanks for commenting.
You could do saw cuts on the asphalt, dig a trench across, and install a PVC pipe in conduit for the water supply. You would still have a seam in the asphalt when you were done.
I really enjoyed watching this video, Cary, and it was interesting how you used water pressure to tunnel underneath your sidewalk.
Great job!!! Thanks for your clear step-by-step commentary,,,,//Chuck
Thank you for sharing ...great job very practical solution
Great job. It gave me ideas. I would use pvc originally to leave it under there as soon as Iget thru. Thank you.
That's what I was tinking
Drill through with pvc pipe cut on sharp angle, it works like an auger. Rotate and empty the soil every foot. Works well and is cheap
Try cutting your turf out with a square shovel in rectangular sections next time. You should be able to get that 6 foot section out in 3-4 big pieces. It's easy to be the critic.
Nice Video - I want to run 4 inch pvc. Can I just keep washing it out bit by bit to get a 4 inch pipe under the 3 foot sidewalk.
Thanks for the fantastic video. I will be doing it this summer.
Can you show how we can draw a pipe from the garage? If I bring it under the garage door, I risk the entry of pests.
Yeah, I have a pathway of pavers (3 ft. wide) and a driveway (19 ft. wide) that I want to run irrigation lines underneath. Unfortunately, I don't have money to pay to have it done, so I'm doing it myself. Obviously I'm not going to try the driveway on my own, I guess I'll just run a hose across it for now. I'll have to give that trenching shovel a try on the pathway though. Thanks for the feedback!
I would have used conduit pipe for the wires so that the landscapers don't get them confused with the water pipes
Thanks for the information. I'm not sure what local code is here, but I would guess it's pretty close to what yours is. I see a lot of wires to sprinkler pumps here that aren't in conduit and are buried from 6" to 12" deep.
Very useful video! Thanks a lot 👏👏👏
Glad it was helpful!
Check you local codes. Here in Texas you have to have a sleeve two times the size of your pipe. And its faster and less messy to just hydraulic bore it.
WOW, can't imagine how much precious water was wasted doing this. Here in the often rainless southwest, we use a pointed PVC pipe and a sledgehammer. Might have to pull it out a few times to clean the end, but it works.
My previous suggestion would work under the 3' pathway but definitely not under the 19' driveway. Can you feed that side with water from the other side of the driveway (house) someway?
Excellent video. Thank you.
Thanks Rustynails for the feedback.
I bet you could connect the pipe to your hose with opposite connectors and pulled it right through the first time just an idea I'm no professional plumber but GREAT JOB ✊
Why not make the water wand out of the same PVC you plan on using for the sprinkler? Once it's in just trim the fittings off each side and install remaining pipe as usual.
Great method, thanks.
I go across with the PVC. Most times depending I'll use sched 40. Then I just cut the fittings off with enough pipe to use again somewhere. Keep running pipe.
Awesome idea, thanks for the video!
Yes. The soil in this video had a lot of clay but with rocks also.
That was great. My ground has no rocks, but lots of "prairie soil" which is basically high clay content. Can you do this with damp clay type soil?
The box stores sell a kit that you glue on either 3/4, 1 inch. When threw you cut off and your pope is in place. I get about 4 - 5 side walks out of kit.
Thanks for the info.
Running a 3/4 pipe that will stay under the concrete.. I insert another smaller pipe that will have the jet on it. Similar to a well drill. The water punches the hole and the space between the two pipes carries the muck out. Once thru, you only remove the inner pipe.
In a pinch. You can also put a cap on smaller pipe and drill a hole in it.. making your own jet.
Problem being with switching the main pipe.. when you pull it out.. the mud will often fall and clog the hole.
Why is there no small auger for stuff like this?
We use a 3/4th " steel ram bar and sledgehammer. 30 minutes provided we don't hit steel and no wet mess.
Great solution, thanks for commenting.
you buy the kit at home depot its two pieces brass it fit on 3/4 pvc its made for boreing under concrete
Can you make a more detailed video of making the pipe?
Excellent video.
Great video, thank you!
Great Video, you made it look so easy. I'm going to try it myself, but first want to get the right parts setup like you have. How did you make the fitting for the brass nozzle tip to work with the metal pipe. Thanks
You need a 3/4" MIPT (Male Iron Pipe Thread) X 3/4" MHT (Male Hose Thread) brass fitting.
Thanks I made the fitting, dug the hole, used the tool and buried the drain pipe under the sidewalk. No more stepping over it on the sidewalk. Thanks again.
Matt George
Thanks Matt for the update.
Put the dirt and sod on a tarp, drag the tarp up onto the sidewalk. Easy peasy lemon squeezy
What is that water removal suction thingie you used to bail out the hole/trench?...thats a neat gadget
+TheAmazing E-man
Hand pump that I bought from a Rain Bird dealer.
Can also use a piece of PVC pipe , boring rod , and a sledge hammer
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
I literally fell asleep at 5:30 my dogs breath checking on me awoke me 🤣 Thank you interesting clip but your voice is too soothing haha
lol@dog's breath checking on you...
thank you for this video!!!!!
Nice video!
Not so easy to do in a driveway because of the width. I've done it on a 20' wide driveway but had ideal conditions. There were no rocks and the soil was somewhat sandy. I've also failed on 10' wide driveway that had some rock in a clay type soil.
I think its easier to hit a sch40 pvc pipe with caps on both sides with a sledgehammer. The pipe will slowly make its way to the other side and to keep it leveled, just step on the pipe as youre hitting it then just remove both caps from the pipe under the sidewalk and there you have it! Good video though
shop vac works good too to vacuum water up - why hand pump?
what did you use to suck out the water?
can you show us what it is and how to make it?
Connect sprayer to pvc and move back and forward for wider areas
nice job! thanks
A better way is to hammer a piece of pipe bigger than the one that is going under the concrete. Put a slight bend upwards so it hugs the bottom of concrete. You will need sledge hammer. No mess and fast.
Good alternative, thanks for posting.
Thanks so much your videos that help me a lot; I want to install the electronic wire for a sprinkler; but I do not know how to do that because I m just a amateur and I have never done it. So could you help me by doing a new video for this?
+Nguyen The Hoang
Do the same steps as in this video and instead of pushing a low voltage wire through the conduit, push a timer wire through it.
Thanks for your reply! Have a nice day.
ditch with boning under side walk
Something easier ive been using at my irrigation installs.....ready for it?? A pressure washer with the red tip on it. You'll have a clean path in about 2 minutes. Much more effective. This method works well too..just a bit slower.
Is there any need to worry if you will hit an underground powerline or a water pipe will you are digging under?
Do you ever use Colorful language when you get up to the last inch only to find a huge rock?
Very helpful videos you have. Thankyou
Informative video, thanks for posting- most helpful for a future project I will be under taking.. Question, at frame 4:13, what is the brand name and model number of the trench shovel you are using?
Similar to the one in this link: www.homedepot.com/p/Razor-Back-43-in-Fiberglass-Handle-Trenching-Shovel-47034/205350373
Thank-you kindly for replying!
Thank you for sharing this idea, may the Lord Jesus Christ bless you with more wisdom. Be safe.
Is it a lot more difficult if I want to go deeper than just directly under the sidewalk? Concerned about the frost line...
Sorry, to clarify: not to run electrical but water. Thanks in advance
@@IFKY Not really more difficult, just more time and effort.
@@Iscaper Thank you!
do we need permission from the city for digging under the sidewalk?
Thanks.
+MyKkata
No if the sidewalk is in your yard. If the sidewalk is between your property edge and parkstrip then probably yes. A lot of contractors will beg forgiveness rather than ask permission and just do it.
Every municipality is different. Check first. Some you do need permits. Some you don't.
Thanks for the video
Hi kerry how long did that take u and can u use the same thing 4 a driveway and ware did u get that rb sucker 4 the water
I sometimes just take a section of PVC and fill it with sand, cap both ends and use a sledgehammer to hit it through. Less mess.