Plumbing question

[bluedog225]

I’ve got city water at the street and my little shop is about 1200’ away. Shop is downhill (mostly) from the meter.

Pressure is good through a 5/8 rubber hose. I’ve even taken the hose up on the 30’ roof and still had good pressure.

I want to trench and put in pex.

I dug out the meter a little and see I have a 3/4” feed. I’d rather not have to deal with a meter upgrade for a variety of reasons.

I was thinking of running a 1” line the 1200’.

Is this the right answer? I don’t understand enough about how the run length and pipe size affect this situation given the 3/4” meter outlet.

My needs in the shop are modest.

Thanks.

 

[mcbane]

It depends what you want to use the water for, since pressure drop will vary according to flow rate. If your only need is 2 gpm for a sink or flushing a toilet, 1" pex will have minimal pressure drop. But if you want to run a 6 gpm sprinkler, you will lose 12 psi. Take a look at the table linked below for pressure drop vs gpm for various tubing sizes and flow rates. The info is in psi drop per 100' so multiply the table value by 12 to get your actual pressure drop: https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pe-pipe-pressure-loss-d_619.html

Dont put in tubing bigger than you need because water will stay in the pipe longer and water quality suffers the longer water stays in the pipe.

 

[kbs2244]

"Dont put in tubing bigger than you need because water will stay in the pipe longer and water quality suffers the longer water stays in the pipe."

but the friction loss will be less with a larger pipe

 

[Zeke]

I'd save the money and run 3/4 in your situation.

 

[Bert_]

I would not run 3/4. I also would run poly instead of pex. 1" poly is extremely common. If you ever think you would have more water use I might run 1 1/4"

 

[mm08822]

I’ve got city water at the street and my little shop is about 1200’ away. Shop is downhill (mostly) from the meter.

Pressure is good through a 5/8 rubber hose. I’ve even taken the hose up on the 30’ roof and still had good pressure.

I want to trench and put in pex.

I dug out the meter a little and see I have a 3/4” feed. I’d rather not have to deal with a meter upgrade for a variety of reasons.

I was thinking of running a 1” line the 1200’.

Is this the right answer? I don’t understand enough about how the run length and pipe size affect this situation given the 3/4” meter outlet.

My needs in the shop are modest.

Thanks.

It depends what you want to use the water for, since pressure drop will vary according to flow rate. If your only need is 2 gpm for a sink or flushing a toilet, 1" pex will have minimal pressure drop. But if you want to run a 6 gpm sprinkler, you will lose 12 psi. Take a look at the table linked below for pressure drop vs gpm for various tubing sizes and flow rates. The info is in psi drop per 100' so multiply the table value by 12 to get your actual pressure drop: https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/pe-pipe-pressure-loss-d_619.html

Dont put in tubing bigger than you need because water will stay in the pipe longer and water quality suffers the longer water stays in the pipe.

With the shop lower than the meter, this height difference will work in the OP's favor. The engineering tables don't consider any height difference but still have good info but scewed for this situation.

Water sitting idle in any pipe for prolonged periods of time can raise micro issues. However, since it is city water, it is chlorinated and demineralized. I wouldn't worry about it.

To get more info, I suggest the Op does the following:

1. Estimate the net height difference between shop floor and curb meter.
2. Get a gauge and measure the static water pressue at the shop
3. Do a flow test. Time how long it takes to fill a few 5 gal buckets or drum. Record amount and time.
4. Is this flow rate good enough for current and future needs?

+1 on the black poly.

 

[bluedog225]

Thanks. Will do.

Pex I could do with sharkbite.

How do you work with the black poly? Brass barbs, “T”s, and worm drive clamps? I’m going to stub up a hose bib ever so often.

Do I need to get one those heat fusing things? Would be a pain as I’ve got no electricity out there.

 

[Wheelingit]

Use 1" poly and you will have plenty of water. I have encountered similar situations.

 

[nadogail]

1” should be fine.

 

[rlitman]

...Pex I could do with sharkbite...

No, you can't. Sharkbite fittings aren't rated for direct burial usage. They are allowed to be used underground if encased in silicone self-fusing tape, but by the time you do that, you've lost all time-savings of Sharkbites anyway.

Your local plumbing supply should have fittings for poly. Just make sure it's the proper high pressure stuff and not irrigation parts.

 

[Bert_]

Thanks. Will do.

Pex I could do with sharkbite.

How do you work with the black poly? Brass barbs, “T”s, and worm drive clamps? I’m going to stub up a hose bib ever so often.

Do I need to get one those heat fusing things? Would be a pain as I’ve got no electricity out there.

Use brass insert (barb) fittings and ss hose clamps with the poly.

I always use the iron pipe size poly which is bigger than the same size of pex.

 

[rayra]

Trench and poly. Did your part of TX have any trouble with the Big Freeze last few years? Trench.

 

[bluedog225]

Sounds like poly is the way to go. And 1”.

Even with the big freeze, the ground remained warm as far as I could tell. Lots of heat in the earth. The predictions of road issues don’t seem to have come to pass.

There is no frost line or frost heave in these parts. So a couple of inches down would be sufficient. But I’ll go 18” to avoid other issues.

Thanks all.