All,

Not really the right group, but I wondered if any of you might know where I
might look to solve this...

I have a water pipeline that supplies the house; mostly very old 1 1/2"
pipe. Some sections are newer than others, but a considerable amount of the
final kilometre in question is late 1960's vintage.
Yes, they had polypipe that long ago!

Having installed the solar pump from hell at the other end of the
pipeline(28kms), we are now faced with over-pressure problems at the house
end. We have a number of tanks & troughs along the line that draw from it,
and a high tank midway that is to relieve pressure(no float-valve on it) if
all tanks & troughs are full.

What I am looking for is some simple way of working out the max pressure
this old section of line can handle. I envisage something along the lines of
a pressure gauge, but one that retains the last highest reading until you
reset it. I have seen the same concept in tachometers in race cars, but I am
looking for something in a pressure gauge. This would allow me to pressure
test sections of line until I get a blowout and then adjust a
pressure-relief setup at the house that cuts in below the max pressure.

Basically, has anyone seen such a pressure gauge? One that remembers the
last max pressure till reset? The rest of the setup I can do myself (pump,
pressure-relief setup, etc). I would prefer something non-electronic, but
anything that gets the job done would be considered.

Eventually, we will replace this section of buried line with some new high
pressure line, and be done with it. However, the testing equipment has
other uses here if I can set it up easily.

Any ideas or thoughts gladly welcomed.

Cheers,

Rod.......Out Back