Running a water line to my garage, need advice.

[lakedawgs]

I am turning my garage in to a brew shop. First thing I want to do is run a water line. 60' from the house, trying to figure the best way to do it.

Frost line is about 40" + where I live. I have free access to certain tools and I am planning to use a Dingo with a 36" trencher attached. I want to run a Pex line 36" deep, add a drain valve in my basement where the water originates, so in the winter I can brew and then drain the line in the basement to prevent freezing.

Give me your thoughts on this plan. I can only dig about 36" down but want to be safe in the winter from extreme temps. This is the only part of the brew shop plan that I am a bit unsure about. Once I get rolling on the whole thing I will start a build thread.

THANKS
Lakedawgs

 

[scarekrow]

I would actually rent a small excavator and dig down to 48" with a 12" bucket. Using a trencher will only dig it 6" wide and about half the dirt will fall back into the trench then you need to remove it.
I just ran an electrical conduit to a barn and used a trencher and wished I had spent the extra $50 to get the excavator. Plus they are fun to operate.

 

[lakedawgs]

I am very familiar with the Dingo and will get a solid 30+" if depth. I am figuring with the drain valve in the basement I will be safe. Am I thinking right? That is my question.
Thanks

 

[scarekrow]

If you drain, yes it will work. Plus Pex can expand double its size before bursting. Just note the fitting can not.

 

[jsprinceiii]

I would think "Long Term".. Go Big!!
Will the garage be heated?

 

[lakedawgs]

For now, just temporary heat, hopefully a permanent solution will be installed in the future.

 

[wilserbrewer]

If you drain, yes it will work. Plus Pex can expand double its size before bursting. Just note the fitting can not.

I belong to a hunt club, our cabin has pex pipe that has not been drained in years through some very cold temps without damage.

Might help to insulate on top of the pipe in the trench, surround the pipe w/ insulation or mulch / wood chips.

 

[beernbourbon]

I would actually rent a small excavator and dig down to 48" with a 12" bucket.

I would think "Long Term".. Go Big!!
Will the garage be heated?

+1 to both of these..... combined..... if you think long term, heating garage, and if you happen to have natural gas or propane for the house, running a gas line in the same trench is no big deal..... give it about a foot of cover differential: water line at +/-40-48" and then the gas line at +/-30"
You have applied safety of never having to worry about the water line, AND you don't have to go through the hassle of digging up the yard again for a gas line should you choose to add it later. You just plug it at both ends, and gives you that comfort of knowing that when you go to do it, it's one less thing to have to think about doing. "I'm ready to put the heater in, but damn, I really don't want to go rent the trencher again, tear up the yard, and oh ****, I hit the water line, now I gotta dig that up again" ....... not that anyone here has ever done that or something similar. Murphy's a mother
IF you are thinking of placing water line that shallow because that's where it would hit in the basement to be able to drain it via gravity, that's a good idea, but think in a different direction....do you have at least a small compressor? (+/-$150). If line is deeper, really no need to drain it, but if you feel you must, just blow it out.

 

[lakedawgs]

I thought about that. What is the best thing to insulate with before I backfill the trench?

 

[geouy0523]

For now, just temporary heat, hopefully a permanent solution will be installed in the future.

36-inches in a 42-inch frost line probably won't be a problem. But if it is really cold (<10 degrees F) you will be amazed at how quickly a small diameter pipe can freeze. You might want to add heated pipe wrap to the pipe that comes up to the surface in the garage, unless your permanent heat solution is coming soon.

 

[wilserbrewer]

60 and 80 foot heat tapes...

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Easy-Heat...bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&findingMethod=p13n

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Easy-Heat...bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&findingMethod=p13n

 

[scarekrow]

Heat tape is not made for direct burial. Also you can't combine heat tape with insulation.
You can run the pipe in the insulation and bury.
Also if you are thinking maybe down the road adding gas to the garage just drop another conduit into the trench say 1". You can run a 3/4" gas line inside the 1" line later if you want.

 

[dmarc85]

Bury a 2" pvc electrical conduit and run a flexible water line through it. Install an auxiliary fan to move indoor air through the conduit if you're concerned about freezing. Use the hollow conduit to run Ethernet cables for internet and sensor wires.

 

[wilserbrewer]

Bury a 2" pvc electrical conduit and run a flexible water line through it. Install an auxiliary fan to move indoor air through the conduit if you're concerned about freezing. Use the hollow conduit to run Ethernet cables for internet and sensor wires.

This is a great idea! Not much money and great insurance, if the line does freeze, it would be very easy to thaw and or replace /repair if damaged.

 

[GHBWNY]

Pre-fill the ditch with some pea gravel (crushed stone may damage line) and flatten out and tamp with the idea of putting some pitch in the line (1/4" per foot). With pitch, you can close the house end and open the garage end for winter drainage. Just as important, don't create any sags in the line where water can collect and freeze. Only prob with pex is that it is not only flexible, but comes coiled and is hard to straighten and keep flat over that distance (you may want to weight it with rocks along the way before backfilling). Sched 40 might work better and it's available in straight lengths so you could get your pitch more reliably. At 36", I don't think you're going to have a prob unless you have deep, sub-zero temps for a period of several days in a row.