Foot valve - best way to support in the lake?

[rcspencer1]

My water system is a pump with 1 1/4" poly pipe with a foot valve at the end, which I place about 75' out from the lake edge. I usually place the foot valve thru a concrete block and tie it with rope, but believe there just has to be a better way. Anyone have any ideas on the best ways to support it? Any other ideas that reduce the need to go into the cold water would also be appreciated :>) Thanks

[RLW]

Any other ideas that reduce the need to go into the cold water would also be appreciated :>) Thanks
Ya, put a pulley on the block and a lenght of line and pull it out making sure you connect the pulley on the top of the block or 2 so it isn't laying in the silt.:)

[ApS]

You mean just at the end?

Poly pipe wants to float, so I attached a red brick every 10 feet or so -- using copper electrical wire and a cable-tie on each brick. (These particular red bricks have large holes manufactured in them). The pipe was then run between the pilings of a permanent dock.

The entire 10-year-old assembly is over-engineered: It has dual foot valves attached to a vertical stainless steel pipe "T" and is anchored in a concrete-filled tub in 15' of water. It stays in all year 'round.

My neighbor (to the west) tied their foot valve to a concrete block using solid-copper electrical wire. They dropped the whole works into the lake and never had to move any of it since. :eek:

For 50 years! :emb:

[islandAl]

I have a "cat" carrier box supported by aluminum angle bent to keep it 12 inches up. The angle is fastented to sheet of aluminum (supported so not to bend) about 3 by 4 foot. Bring pipe and foot valve into box and secure on both sides. add some weight and lower away. Mine is by a large rock that needs marker (my own) so the marker line is my means of raising and lowering.
I also added a ball valve just outside the box so that I can prime the line from shore and allow air to escape.

[fatlazyless]

Maybe try setting the black poly 1 1/4" tube on top of a big old cinder block and tie it to the hole in the block with a nylon rope. Has a half life of 67 years.

[LakeLackey]

Here is the way we were taught to suspend the end of the line with the foot valve in the water off Bear Island so it does not sit on silt on the bottom, and it always works well.

Recipe:

A JPEG file is attached to this post, showing the pail and setup. This is very simple to do, so do not let the step by step scare you, must do in this order so bucket with rocks goes to the bottom):

a. need 5 gallon bucket with a lid and handle (about $4 at hardware store or paint store), duct tape (about $1) , foot valve.
b. 1/2 way up on two opposite sides, make a hole 1/4" wider than your water line (the hole can be round or square, so long as the water line fits without much extra room).
c. fill the bottom of bucket, below the holes, with medium sized rocks (these are for ballast to make the bucket go to the bottom, and to stand up straight).
d. put the hose (without the foot valve on yet) through the bucket by inserting in one hole and out the other hole; leave about 6" extra out to attach the foot valve.
e. wrap duct tape around the hose on both sides of the bucket, thick enough so the hose will be held in place and will not slide backwards through the holes; also wrap duct take around water hose on each side where it goes through the bucket (to avoid friction from the bucket).
f. attach the foot valve to the end of the hose, and use 2 hose clamps tightened on it.
g. place bucket in the water and fill it to the top with water, firmly attach lid with handle, then submerge underwater.
h. then, drag the bucket and water line to where you want it to go, so that the bucket bottom sits on bottom of lake and then the foot valve will automatically be suspended above the bottom.

When this goes to the bottom ,the bucket will stay straight up and your foot valve will be suspended upwards away from the bottom of lake and silt. Good luck!

[rcspencer1]

I just wanted to extend a big "thank you" to all of you for your ideas on how to "permanently" keep the foot valve assembly in the lake for the duration. I took your suggestions last year and put double foot valves into an assembly similar to the one you had drawn, and left the end in the lake in just a foot of water with a brass shutoff valve. I re-connected it this weekend and it worked flawlessly! Thank you SO much for your excellent ideas. You saved me many hours of extra work and several cuss words along the way!

Thanks again for a great ideas. I just hope I can return the favors some day.

Bob Spencer