running water line

[skitz43]

I will have a lot of questions in the near future but lets start off with first. I have a large detached garage that came with the house i just bought. I would like to install water to it & later a toilet ,shower etc. This is a septic system home. I want to do this in steps being i am retired & money is tight.I got a price from the utility company & they want $1750.00 alone for permit & meter . Then i have to pay for dig from street to garage 150'. No way.
First thought,can i tee off my water heater that is in the garage that is attached to house ,run line along ceiling then down side to floor, drill thru ,then dig correct depth to other garage ,drill thru slab & up . I will stop there for now.

 

[mayday0017]

Depends on how much volume you need.... The line coming from your meter could be 1" and the line going to your water heater is most likely 1/2". That said it would get you water our there but might have pressure issues... Why find out where it comes into the house/garage from the street, tap into the main line there and run to the shop?

 

[NUTTSGT]

One thing that will help in answering is putting a general location on your profile. Where you live will give you some different answers, depth for water line or whether or not a permit is required.

I ran a 3/4" line from the house to the garage. The neighbor had the trencher rented and came over to do mine while he had it. All I had was materials in it. I teed off from the pressure tank (well), went through the basement wall and around to the garage.

Is you garage heated ?

 

[kenfain]

I will have a lot of questions in the near future but lets start off with first. I have a large detached garage that came with the house i just bought. I would like to install water to it & later a toilet ,shower etc. This is a septic system home. I want to do this in steps being i am retired & money is tight.I got a price from the utility company & they want $1750.00 alone for permit & meter . Then i have to pay for dig from street to garage 150'. No way.
First thought,can i tee off my water heater that is in the garage that is attached to house ,run line along ceiling then down side to floor, drill thru ,then dig correct depth to other garage ,drill thru slab & up . I will stop there for now.

Seems to me, it would be much more effective, long term, although slightly more trouble, to tie in, underground, to the whole house supply. True, you might have to go a greater distance, but you'll get all the supply you'll need. You'll want lots of water if you have what sounds like at least a half bath. Suppose you then need a outside faucet. Also on septic, I would strongly advise a French drain for all the non toilet, grey water. Keeping it out of the septic, lessened my septic maintenance problems. Just my $.02 cents

 

[rluckie]

Depends on how much volume you need.... The line coming from your meter could be 1" and the line going to your water heater is most likely 1/2". That said it would get you water our there but might have pressure issues... Why find out where it comes into the house/garage from the street, tap into the main line there and run to the shop?

Water heater line should be 3/4". I do agree tapping on after meter would be the best option.

 

[Chevy72pu]

I have an inch and a 1/2 line from the meter to the house. I ran a one inch line from the house, uphill to the shop. Two outside faucets and an indoor sink with instant on electric water heater. Works great. Plenty of pressure.

 

[bczygan]

Pulling a permit?
Doing the work yourself or hiring it out?
Can you tie your waste from the detached garage into the existing septic tank easily?
If you get a permit, the additional loads on your existing septic may require you to add to your field.

 

[dbabicky]

Detached garage? Just run your cold water out there and install an "on-demand" water heater, or standard water heater in the garage. If you don't, you'll be waiting with the water running for 10 minutes just to get warm water.

 

[skitz43]

I live in N.C. Yes i will heat the garage as i would like to do a studio apartment up in the loft area. I will get a permit for electric from the utility co. which will run me under a $1000.00 but i will not pay water $1750.00 just for permit & meter plus to did 150 plus feet to garage. That"s why i would like to do a tee off water heater. Once i get power i will add a wall unit for heat & air. It is only apox 500 sq ft.

Thanks

 

[skitz43]

will pull permit for electric but not water. Way too costly. They want $1750.00 alone for permit & meter & then seperate charge to trench 200 or so feet to garage. I can not tap in to the main line because i have to dig under a driveway to get to other building. i can not go out rear of house because septic is in rear. i would have to dig all the way around the leach field. Personally if i could a plumber to work with i would be fine.

Thanks

 

[skitz43]

Thank you for everyone"s ideas . I will start & look at water heater size lines & hope for 3/4 ". Then have a beer.

Thanks

 

[gungatim]

If you decide to do some work yourself, you can rent what's called a Toro Dingo (i think?), from your local rental company or hardware store. It is a hydraulic two track walk behind sort of a machine that has different attachments for homeowners to do work. One of the attachments is a 4 or 5 ft long chainsaw looking attachment that is used to dig trenches. I rented one, and after never using one before, dug a 4' deep trench from my polebarn to my house about 150' to put in my utilities. It took just over 30 minutes so I only paid for half a day. Was well worth it.

 

[Highbeam]

I just replaced all of my outside water lines and added service to my shop. I used every bit of 350' of 1" PE water line but we only have to bury 18-24" here in the non-cold NW. I used a walk behind trencher which is just a big dirt chainsaw that cuts a 4" wide trench. The skinny trench is easy to backfill and the grass grows back quickly, no big machinery messing up your yard.

You never say how far it is from the garage to the house. 3/4" line flows a lot of water, your water meter is probably only 5/8" anyway. Your garage water needs are small. Consider that a shower head is limited to 2 or less gpm, a sink is less, and a toilet is way less. Say you use 5 gpm. Pressure drop is very small at 5 gpm through 3/4" pipe. At 10 gpm it is only 25 psi per 100' according to a pex chart I was reading. In other countries, 3/4" is a large service for a large house.

If I were you, I would tee into the water line between the house and the meter and match pipe size which will likely be 1". Install a valve at the tee. If you can't do that then I would have no problem running the 3/4" line less than 100' to serve a garage bathroom.

Yes, I'm a licensed civil engineer.

 

[CNGsaves]

will pull permit for electric but not water. Way too costly. They want $1750.00 alone for permit & meter & then seperate charge to trench 200 or so feet to garage. I can not tap in to the main line because i have to dig under a driveway to get to other building. i can not go out rear of house because septic is in rear. i would have to dig all the way around the leach field. Personally if i could a plumber to work with i would be fine.

What is the SHORTEST path ?? If it's under driveway then there are solutions for that. A landscape company with Ditch Witch can bore under driveway and run a water line WHERE-EVER you want it ; they do it everyday for sprinkler systems. All they will need is open ground on both sides of driveway.

If main line to house (after water meter) is shortest path to garage, then I'd T off it (deep underground, below freeze line) and plan shortest path to garage from there. Good luck.