Proper method to get water from house to detached garage?

[BellyUpFish]

Looking at running a line off the house to the shop.

I've never dealt with anything like this, but I can only see 2 real ways to get water from the house to the shop.

I can come off one of the waterlines in the kitchen, bore through the cinder block and run it to the shop. This will leave the run semi-exposed after it comes out from under the house and in the winter, it'll freeze.

The other option I can think of is to dig down next to the footer, bore through the footer and then trench to the shop and keep it 18" or so, and be below the frost line.

Last option I guess would be to stub off where the water comes into the house (I have no idea how the plumber will get it under the house) and just follow the perimeter of the house, as the water will enter the house on the east side and the shop is far west..

How would you guys tackle this?

 

[csp]

Assuming that the shop and house are not attached....

Dig the trench and get it below ground. Not really enough info to tell much more than that. Nobody else knows the relationship of the shop to the house and where the existing water line is.

 

[BellyUpFish]

Assuming that the shop and house are not attached....



Dig the trench and get it below ground. Not really enough info to tell much more than that. Nobody else knows the relationship of the shop to the house and where the existing water line is.

Yeh, sorry. Typing with twin 5 year olds "helping."

 

[Jeff May]

I ran mine a minimum of 36" deep to my shop. It's approx. 130' I used the black pipe used for well supplies. It goes through the wall into my basement and to a yard hydrant right beside the shop.
I'd keep it at least 30 to 36" deep, maybe deeper depending on your areas frost line.

 

[BellyUpFish]

I'd keep it at least 30 to 36" deep, maybe deeper depending on your areas frost line.

Frost line here is around 10-12", they'll be running the line from the meter at 18".

 

[csp]

Are you on a well or city water? Edit: I see mention of a meter since I started this reply. Is the meter in the house or at the stop box entrance to the property?

If you're on a well are there obstructions that would get in the way of trenching if you were to tap into the line before it goes into the house?

 

[BellyUpFish]

Are you on a well or city water?



If you're on a well are there obstructions that would get in the way of trenching if you were to tap into the line before it goes into the house?

City water. I could trench around the perimeter of the house without much effort. No obstructions. None of the lines are run yet, it's a new construction. But the waterline location is planned.

 

[csp]

That's how I would do it, with its own stop box at the point where you tap into the line headed to the house. You want to be able to shut it off if there's ever a problem in the line without shutting off the house.

 

[Cyberbear]

As most people do, run a PVC line and use appropriate fittings as needed, metal above ground, PVC below.

 

[nickelmore]

If it is new construction I would bury another buffalo box (Junction box) close to the house so you can isolate the garage of house if needed. Also remember to run a tracer wire taped to the plastic pipe for future locating.

 

[stimpy]

what we do out here is dig down along the foundation to the base of the footer on both sides then pressure washer drill a line under the footer with 2" pvc ( 3" overlap both sides ) , then run our 3/4-1" flexible copper thru it (code) and then seal the pvc with foam and back fill the hole outside , you could use PCV instead of the copper if code allows and keep it at the 18" underground ( always go a little deeper incase of the 100 year freeze ) and trench straight to the shop

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

I dug down along the foundation. Drilled through the wall and teed it off where the line enters the house. I'm on a well but that shouldn't make any difference.
BTW: I trenched over 4' deep.

 

[Stuart in MN]

Don't forget you also need to put in a drain line...that can be more complex than running the supply line, as it need to have the proper slope back to the drain system in the house.

 

[matt_i]

Do you have a crawl space? Slab-on-grade? If a crawl, I would make the connection there. Then dig both sides by hand with a small drain spade until you reach the footer and go under it. PVC underneath and you can then do one of two things, keep joining PVC 10 footers (maybe you can source 20'ers?) in the trench or get a roll of the black flex tube (the material escapes me) but its sold at HD and Lowes with stainless barbed fittings. I'd jump up to the 316ss hose clamps and try to avoid any joints underground. The backfill is going to need some initial sand fill if the soil is at all rocky to avoid piercing the tube or pipe. If doing flex I would just do the first connection in the crawlspace. PVC sleeve under the footer sounds like a good idea.

 

[LB-1911]

Do you have a crawl space? Slab-on-grade? If a crawl, I would make the connection there. Then dig both sides by hand with a small drain spade until you reach the footer and go under it. PVC underneath and you can then do one of two things, keep joining PVC 10 footers (maybe you can source 20'ers?) in the trench or get a roll of the black flex tube (the material escapes me) but its sold at HD and Lowes with stainless barbed fittings. I'd jump up to the 316ss hose clamps and try to avoid any joints underground. The backfill is going to need some initial sand fill if the soil is at all rocky to avoid piercing the tube or pipe. If doing flex I would just do the first connection in the crawlspace. PVC sleeve under the footer sounds like a good idea.

Hasn't broken ground yet.

City water. I could trench around the perimeter of the house without much effort.

No obstructions.

None of the lines are run yet, it's a new construction.

But the waterline location is planned.

04-23-2016

Got a meter!

Now if I can bribe the NG guys into going 18" for the water line and then throwing their NG line on top of the water at 12"..

 

[58Yeoman]

When I bought my house, the PO had already piped water to the shop ~100' away. He 'drilled' a hole through the concrete foundation and ran the black plastic water line, about 1" underground to an outside hydrant near the shop. He tapped off that connection to a faucet inside. I ran a heat tape inside, through the floor to just outside the foundation (wood) at the shop. He used to blow the line clear in winter, but I want water available year round.

At my previous house, I had someone trench to the garage I built, maybe 25' from the house. I put the hydrant inside the garage; had the concrete guys finish around it. Wish he had done that here.

 

[M-technik-3]

Was wondering the same as to what you plan to do with the waste water? You would need some sort of pump to get it back to the house. Are you on a septic or town sewerage? My barn has water but no drain and since the previous owner did not think about it and ran it out the back into the woods. He was fined by the EPA when the neighbor caught wind of it.

 

[Randy in Maine]

I ran my water lines in 3/4" pex inside a Schedule 40 PVC pipe 48" below grade with . I ran both hot and cold out there since my water heater is in the house. I had some scrap 2" insulation that I put on 3 sides of the PVC. Works great and never freezes.

 

[BellyUpFish]

Hasn't broken ground yet.





04-23-2016

Well, we've actually broken ground on the house, it's been built with generators and 55g drums of water.. LOL

It's on a crawl space, a very nice and tall crawl space.



And since its garage journal..

 

[M-technik-3]

Nice structures.

 

[^&right]

While you have the trench dug, lay co-ax cable in and whatever else you like. I ran a 3 pair phone cable (just because), co-ax for internet and a CAT 6. T that off your house and set up Wi-Fi in the shop.

I ran water and everything in the same trench but at different depths per code.

 

[LB-1911]

Septic in yet?

Is that a floor I see in the garage?

Did you stub your plumbing?

Sink.. Stubbing out for a toilet. Doubtful I'll put in a shower or toilet. That could change though.

She claims if I have a bathroom in the shop, she'll never see me.

If it is new construction I would bury another buffalo box (Junction box) close to the house so you can isolate the garage of house if needed. Also remember to run a tracer wire taped to the plastic pipe for future locating.

 

[BellyUpFish]

Septic in yet?



Is that a floor I see in the garage?



Did you stub your plumbing?

Septic location is planned, but not in yet.

Yes, I stubbed for plumbing. Or at least I say I did. Concrete guy laid some sleeving for me under a bit of protest I was told, I wasn't able to be there. "I'm not a plumber!"

It's there though.

 

[sst30399]

The method I went with was a bit of a compromise but works for me. I tied into the main line of the irrigation system. I have water the entire time it is active and then blow it out with the system for the winter. No freezing issues and that time frame works for me.

 

[RickP]

I agree with matt_i, who suggested using flexible black poly pipe that's available in large rolls. I think the material is PE. My local HD doesn't stock rolls that are long enough to avoid underground joints, but you might special order or try a plumbing supply house.

I'd recommend using a double-walled roll of black pipe if you can find it. My old house used it for the supply pipe from the well. It has an inner pipe 1" diameter and a tight fitting outer pipe with 1.25" diameter to provide protection against nicks and scratches underground. It also provides a little extra wall strength to avoid crushing. It can be pulled with a vibratory plow if you want to avoid trenching.

And make sure to use stainless barb fittings rather than plastic or galvanized. Don't ask how I know...

 

[csp]

Since the waterline for the house hasn't been run I would think it's safe to assume that his contractor doing the water line for the house would do the same for the shop and use the same materials/methods.

 

[BellyUpFish]

Since the waterline for the house hasn't been run I would think it's safe to assume that his contractor doing the water line for the house would do the same for the shop and use the same materials/methods.

No, I'll be running the waterline to the house and shop.

$1.30/ft to trench is highway robbery. I'll rent a trencher for the weekend for $300 and call it good.

 

[csp]

So the same contractor is running both.

Just be sure that you get your supplies from a supply house that the contractors buy from. You'll get the correct parts and materials used in your area that way.

 

[Prototyper]

No, I'll be running the waterline to the house and shop.

$1.30/ft to trench is highway robbery. I'll rent a trencher for the weekend for $300 and call it good.

So...your run from house to shop is more than 230'? I ask, as that would be the break even point, beyond which, you'd start saving money by renting equipment and doing it yourself.

Does the $1.30 figure include backfilling? I did a bunch of trenching recently with a rented machine. The backfilling was WAY more work than the trenching!

 

[BellyUpFish]

So the same contractor is running both.

Yeh, I guess so.. It's actually looking like the gas depart may trench it for me and let me kick my pipe off in the line, we'll see..

So...your run from house to shop is more than 230'? I ask, as that would be the break even point, beyond which, you'd start saving money by renting equipment and doing it yourself.



Does the $1.30 figure include backfilling? I did a bunch of trenching recently with a rented machine. The backfilling was WAY more work than the trenching!

Nah, run from the house to the shop is about 230', depending on how I run it. If I have to trace the perimeter of the house it's ~230'.

The run from the meter to the house is 985'.

Yes, $1.30/foot includes backfilling, but I've got an 85hp Massey that will make short work of backfilling.