water line

[tech]

i want to move my existing outdoor hose water line into my dettached garage. i want a single water line from my house to the garage so i can put the hose in there rather than having it on the side of my house as it is now. my questions are:
what kind of pipe to use?
will a 25' run drop water press?
how deep to bury it?
how to bring it from under ground into garage with slab foundation without it freezing in the winter?

 

[Stuart in MN]

Assuming your garage isn't heated I think you need a yard hydrant (for that matter, it would be a good idea even if the garage is heated just in case you leave the door open or the heater fails.) The valve is located underground, below the frost line.

http://doityourself.com/store/6166060.htm

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Consult your local building inspector or a plumber for burial depth in your area. It gets very cold where you are so you need proper info. I'm willing to bet it will be real deep, more than you would expect.

You are wanting to take a water line from a hydrant on the side of your house? You probably have some sort of frost proof faucet on the house now. Generally outside faucets are supplied by a 1/2 inch line. You need a bigger supply than this. If you can find an incoming line to your house, or a line to an ourside yard hydrant , you would be better off I suspect.

I would use at least a 3/4 line. You won't get any pressure loss from a mere 25 ft. If you were going hundreds of feet you would want to use one inch, which I tend to use for everything anyhow.

I'm in Georgia, I merely brought the line up out of the ground outside and went thru the wall, I have it insulated and sleeved with a split 4 inch PVC pipe. You are in New Hanpshire, you cannot do this, you somehow need to get under the slab and up thru it. Again, a plumber or code man may be the best source of info for your area, due to the extreme cold.

Charles

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I sent an email last nite to the City of Keene, code enforcement, Plans Examiner, Gary Schneider, [email protected] simply asking the minimum bury depth of water pipes there,

Gary, Your area is a very cold region with long cold soak periods. In a discussion group on the internet we are discussion water line bury depths and I am curious what is recommended in NH for residential water line burial, such as to a yard hydrant or outbuilding?

and here is what I received back this morning.

Good morning. The State of New Hampshire as well as the City of Keene enforces the International Plumbing Code 2000 along with the State adopted amendments. I would refer you to Section 305.6. The minimum frost depth adopted by this community is 4' minimum below finished grade. The State amendment to Section 305.6.1 states 4' minimum

Hope this helps you.

Charles

 

[tech]

thanks thats info i needed, i didn't know yard hydrants existed.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

thanks thats info i needed, i didn't know yard hydrants existed.

They come in several different varieties, and are available in different lengths. Here in Georgia, the four foot one is marketed most, you bury it to 20 to 24 inches and leave 2+feet sticking up. For your area, you would need one about 6 to 8 foot long.

http://doityourself.com/store/6528897.htm

Caution, do not leave the hose connected when not in use, unless you have a vacum breaker installed on it. When you shut them off, a small hole in the side is exposed at the bottom, allowing the water standing in the hydrant to drain out. It cannot drain if there is an airlock caused by a hose still hooked up.

Tricks for these things. I installed a 1/8 pipe elbow on the small drain port, with it pointing down, to keep dirt out if the port. I used a cement cap block in the bottom of the hole for the hydrant to sit on, so it won't sink deeper and damage the pipe (ever notice how fire hydrants tend to sink in the ground over time?) Around the base of the hydrant I put gravel for the water to drain into and covered it with plastic to prevent dirt infiltration into the gravel, then I top the hole with dirt. One other thing I do is to install at least an 18 inch section of galvanized pipe in the fiting on the bottom. This gives you a rigid horizontal run of pipe that sits on the cap block and is packed down with dirt, this helps stabilize the hydrant, and keeps it from trying to rotate when a hose is pulled sideways

Charles

 

[Ron Lombardo]

Hi I~m a plumber and yes 4 foot is the bury depth, but I have fixzed hindreds of those yard hydrants.... thye break every year....... what is the elevation of the house compared to the garage..... does the house have basement..... 3;4 copper or pex tubing would be best.... if the house os lower and there is a basement I would run it to the garage and drain it from the house in the winter.

 

[Satatic]

To go from the outside into the garage will require a hammer drill. You drill your hole right threw the slab. Then go outsid eand dig down below your footing. Then take a tile spade and start picking away. Its not as bad as it sounds, we do it quite often when replacing waterlines.

 

[tech]

Hi I~m a plumber and yes 4 foot is the bury depth, but I have fixzed hindreds of those yard hydrants.... thye break every year....... what is the elevation of the house compared to the garage..... does the house have basement..... 3;4 copper or pex tubing would be best.... if the house os lower and there is a basement I would run it to the garage and drain it from the house in the winter.

so could the water be on in the winter or would i need to drain it after every use?

 

[Paradise Ridge]

so could the water be on in the winter or would i need to drain it after every use?

Frost Free hydrants drain out from the bottom everytime you shut them off. Dump a bucket of rocks in the hole before you install the hydrant and it will give the water someplace to go. I use mine all winter and we have 4 months of freezing weather and frozen gorund up here in North Idaho.

To firm up the hydrant in loose soil, drive in a fence "T" post to just below grade and hose clamp it to the hydrant. Makes it nice and sturdy until the ground firms up.

My nickels worth,

Scott