water line burial depth???

[andis65]

So I recently found out during research that the code for underground water line depth in upstate new york is an outrageous like 48"!!! i know two people who have out buildings around me who buried their water feeds at 24" and 36" with no issues ever... the 24" deep has been installed since 87 with no freezing issues. Question is, anyone ever heard of the frost going that deep?? ever?? and if i decide to sell in ten years and the inspector notices my water line exiting my foundation at the 3' level, will that have negative effects for me??

 

[csp]

Do you really think a home inspector is going to dig around your foundation to see where the water line is?

Code applies to new construction and remodels. If the code wasn't 48" when your installation took place you have nothing to worry about.

 

[andis65]

no, i don"t think he will dig it up, he might however see where the water line exits my basement from the inside and notice it isn't at the proper depth

 

[andis65]

the shop im building is brand new... but the house is from the 1960's, does that grandfather me for old code or am i required as my shop is a new construction??

 

[dieselgarage]

I dug my trench 7' deep for my water line.

 

[mtwaterguy]

Since we're starting to have lots of weird weather, why not just conform to code? Is it really that much of an inconvenience to dig an extra 12"? If the home inspector did note that the supply lines weren't at code level would it be problem if you were buying the property?

 

[FryZ]

I live in Syracuse and I know quite a few people w/ water running to detached shops at less than the 4ft. It doesn't get that cold here, but code is code. If you're going 3', just go the extra 12". But to answer the question, the HI (if he noticed) would make a note of it and present it to the potential buyers and then who knows? Most wouldn't care, but some potential buyers make pretty ridiculous requests when they submit an offer...saw this first hand last summer when my next door neighbor sold his house.

 

[Stuart in MN]

It gets awfully cold in upstate New York, right? Depending on the year, I'm sure the frost can easily go 48" deep.

 

[andis65]

good advice, might as well follow code.. only reason i asked was those rental ditch witches only go 3' deep, looks like ill have to rent a mini excavator is all

 

[Randy in Maine]

Insulating 3 sides of the water line (bottom open) will help keep them from freezing. Use 2" rigid foam.

I have seen water supply poipes freeze at 8' deep though in Evanston, Wyoming.

 

[Gary S]

Here, water lines need to be at least 72" underground to protect them from freezing, so 48" isn't bad. Do it if code requires.

 

[Train]

Traffic also plays a role, although probably not a concern in your yard. Where I'm at,Southern Alberta, the frost line is 36", code for a water line is 48". We recently had pipelines for a water co-op go through our area out in the country. They were put 7' underground, and a whopping 11' where they crossed under the roadways.

In our corrals the water lines were put 5' down by the people that originally built them and where the cattle congregate they froze up about 3 out of 5 years. When we replaced all the lines we went 8' and haven't had a problem since.

 

[Tim The Tool Man]

I grew up in Buffalo and remember when some of my neighbors pipes froze at 36" deep. Heck I remember sledding down a snow drift that blew over our 2-story roof.
Good times!

Our recent warmer winters are not going to be here forever. Just dig to code and you'll have no worries...

 

[rlitman]

Is this an outbuilding that can live without water for a little time? PEX is pretty resistant to breaking when frozen, if you HAD to bury it too shallow.

Will it freeze, perhaps. Most winters I see one or two water mains in the neighborhood freeze, and they're as deep as code requires. The cast iron mains though are very brittle, so even frost heaving of the ground under them will cause a break.

 

[mrpowderkeg]

Only 48" consider yourself lucky. Mine is at 7 Feet

 

[Mike007]

State of NJ also requires 48". It was increased from 36" after some reported issues.

 

[barks]

If you listen to the Global Warming people, you should be OK just throwing it on top of the sod.

 

[csp]

the shop im building is brand new... but the house is from the 1960's, does that grandfather me for old code or am i required as my shop is a new construction??

The water line for the shop will need to follow code. The house line doesn't need to be changed because you're building a shop unless the shop line ties into the line at the house.

 

[purplezr2]

Why not follow code it only another ft or two feet.

When I worked for the golf course I know that frost would go atleast three feet deep as occasionally we would forget a sprinkler when blowing the system out and have a cracked pipe.

 

[AZ Pete]

If you gave good snow cover, the ground will not freeze as deep, but under traffic areas or bare ground, that's another story altogether. Snow cover will insulate the ground and prevent the frost from penetrating as far as it does on bare ground. Compacted areas (roadways) will freeze deeper than un-compacted areas that are also clear. Maybe that's why some of your neighbors have been lucky with their water lines that are shallower than current code requirements. You could also drain your supply line during the winter and have a dry shop for the freezing months..... Me, I would follow code.

Another thought, if you don't intend to keep your shop heated, design the water service to be easily drained to winterize it, of look for something that works like a frost proof hydrant to bring the water into the shop.

 

[trbomax]

Code here is 4',but thats really not enough.I know a lot of people here with 4' lines that will freeze by mid feb if they dont leave the water run,which is not conductive to long septic field life.Mine are mostly at 7' with 2 " blue foam on the sides and top before back fill. A couple of my outside hydrants freeze,those are the lines set at 4'.

 

[justanengineer]

I would ask the question, what part of "upstate" NY are you in? Typically when I hear "upstate," the speaker is referring to the NYC suburbs in which case you may get away with what youre proposing. If youre in the "north country" up past "central NY" near Canada, that 48" also might include an insulation requirement but that varies town to town. Much of the northern farm country has no building codes or permit requirements, so Im thinking youre a bit closer to NYC.

 

[Train]

If you listen to the Global Warming people, you should be OK just throwing it on top of the sod.

And you'll have hot water without running a heater.

 

[burlybrute]

I chiseled a hole in the floor in my garage and pounded a sand point. Everything is inside, point, pump and spigot. If I decide not to heat my garage for a winter it is easily drain able. I only had to pound my point down 8 feet till I hit water.

 

[Big Bad Dad]

If you are building a new structure, you will probably have to have the Code Official or Building Inspector approve the water line installation prior to getting a final inspection approved for the new building. I am a former Inspector, and have issued my share of "red stickers". You don't want to do it twice!