You know how to break cast iron pipe in a clean break flush with the ground? Hit it with a hammer. It snaps clean off, flush with the ground. Works with clay pipe too. Concrete may provide additional strength in a compressive mode, but has nearly zero strength in tensile (stretching) mode. Roy is right - don't touch that pipe.
Reminds me of a job I visited years ago - dirt poor folks, with barely enough cash to keep food on the table. Somehow they managed to scrape up enough cash to buy 300 watts of PV and a rack, but then mounted it on 6" PVC water pipe because steel was too expensive. You could watch the modules sway in the breeze, but my skin crawled thinking how long that PVC would last under the New Mexican sun. No matter how I pleaded, they didn't want to put in the work to change it out because it "hadn't had any problems yet." Either change out the pipe and bill him for the expense (don't forget to first get him to sign a change order confirming the details), or cash out and walk away. Phil Undercuffler Director, Battery-based and Off-grid Distribution Sales Group Conergy Our World Is Full of Energy 1730 Camino Carlos Rey Suite 103 Santa Fe, NM 87507 p.undercuff...@conergy.us <mailto:p.undercuff...@conergy.us> Direct | 505.216.3841 Toll Free | 888.396.6611 x4841 Fax | 505.473.3830 www.conergy.us <http://www.conergy.us/> ________________________________ From: re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org [mailto:re-wrenches-boun...@lists.re-wrenches.org] On Behalf Of North Texas Renewable Energy Inc Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 10:02 AM To: r...@solar4maine.com; RE-wrenches Subject: Re: [RE-wrenches] dpw top of pole mount pipe problems Filling the pipe with concrete would strengthen it quite a bit but will also cause condensation on the outside during a lot of the year. Did I mention that pouring concrete from a half full 5 gallon pail while on a ladder is a real pain. Jim Duncan North Texas Renewable Energy Inc 817.917.0527 nt...@earthlink.net www.ntrei.com ________________________________ ----- Original Message ----- From: r...@solar4maine.com To: re-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 10:40 AM Subject: [RE-wrenches] dpw top of pole mount pipe problems Wrenches i have a customer that wanted to install a dpw top of pole mount for 18 sharp 180 watt panels. he installed his own pipe and even after several reminders by me and a signed contract stating shcedule 80 8 inch steel pipe he installed a 8 inch cast iron water main. My dilemma is this he claims to wave my liability in this install but he has been a very high maintnence customer and seems to forget everything we talk about or he signs. so would you go ahead with the install or is the cast iron going to shear off and the rack fall over? financially i have met my obligations with the customer i can wave the labor cost and tell him to find someone else at this point if need be i dont want to be liable for spilling 18 panels on the ground and my insurance wouldnt cover it as we went against dpw's recomendations ________________________________ _______________________________________________ List sponsored by Home Power magazine List Address: RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org Options & settings: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List-Archive: http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org List rules & etiquette: www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm Check out participant bios: www.members.re-wrenches.org
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