Suggestions on Bringing Water Into New Shop

markz528 · Nov 10, 2021

In Cincinnati area so gets fairly cold. New 5600 square foot shop. Shop is a few hundred feet from water supply.

I'm planning on bringing water to the shop through 3/4" PEX tubing. My problem is how to get it onto the shop. If I bring it up out of the ground and straight into the shop through the wall, I expect it to freeze. Was hoping to bring it underground through a pvc pipe that I install in the concrete now, but the PEX requires a 7" bend radius so not very practical to bring it through an elbow.

Any suggestions? I thought about heat trace but outdoor heat trace is a pain. Concrete gets poured next week so I need determine what I will do very soon.

Shaybuilder · Nov 10, 2021

You can still use PVC, get a electrical conduit sweep in PVC, they have large radius sweeps for pulling wire through.

true temper · Nov 10, 2021

The way I do it is put in 2” PVC conduit and a 2” Grey electrical sweep. 3/4” PEX feeds through just fine.

markz528 · Nov 10, 2021

true temper said:
The way I do it is put in 2” PVC conduit and a 2” Grey electrical sweep. 3/4” PEX feeds through just fine.

I like that.

boslab · Nov 11, 2021

You could mole under the drive, works quite well
Mark

GregSY · Nov 11, 2021

No way would I use PEX.

I'd use something metal or possibly the Sch 80 PVC. In fact, the more I think about it the more I like Sch 80 PVC for this application. Tough as can be and it'll last forever. Once the water inside the shop, you can manifold it into PEX if you must.

Or....you could use good old lead pipe. It lasts a long time and the more you drink water from it, the more liberal you become. Especially when it's used as a a toilet drain.

gbent · Nov 11, 2021

For all that work, I'd use a larger line than 3/4. I'd even install a hydrant outside. My shop has 2" poly, brought up through a piece of 12" set 3' deep. The 12" was set just below concrete grade with a flat cap. After the concrete cured, we just cut the cap out.

Cole2534 · Nov 11, 2021

If for some reason the pipe must come above grade outside heat trace and insulate it. Use the good stuff, Raychem, and proper industrial insulation.

Programmed via Mazatrol

crossthread · Nov 11, 2021

I agree with gbent. If you have to go a couple of hundred feet then 3/4" is way too small. You might have to fight a fire or something and you would want a lot more water then 3/4" can provide. I think poly is the way to go as well. My irrigation lines are 1-1/4" poly and they routinely freeze and don't split. If you have never worked with poly then I might mention that a propane torch is your friend. Heat the pipe (carefully) with the torch and then stick on your barbed fittings. Before it cools down put on two all stainless hose clamps (not that crap they sell that the band is stainless but the worm gear is mild steel). I would personally go with nothing smaller then 1-1/4". The stuff is relatively cheap and seems to last forever. You should definitely install a freeze proof hydrant outside for pressure washing etc.

BT Fabrication · Nov 11, 2021

I would run min sch 40 pvc. same thing water mains are out of.

bury it 36" deep. have a 12" bed of sand around it to prevent it from getting any chance of frost heaving, and run a tracer wire on it 100%, insulate if you need to. and have tape 12" above it. too many lines get hit afterwards when digging for something else because they arent marked. also the sand layer is a pretty good indicator that something had been changed in the soil and usually means something is buried.

pex isn't the best for direct burial, wall isnt thick enough to support the dirt weight and can be crimped.

Joe Gwinn · Nov 11, 2021

markz528 said:
In Cincinnati area so gets fairly cold. New 5600 square foot shop. Shop is a few hundred feet from water supply.

I'm planning on bringing water to the shop through 3/4" PEX tubing. My problem is how to get it onto the shop. If I bring it up out of the ground and straight into the shop through the wall, I expect it to freeze. Was hoping to bring it underground through a pvc pipe that I install in the concrete now, but the PEX requires a 7" bend radius so not very practical to bring it through an elbow.

Any suggestions? I thought about heat trace but outdoor heat trace is a pain. Concrete gets poured next week so I need determine what I will do very soon.

As others have said, PEX may not be rated for buried use, and there is little reason to be a pioneer, as the money is in the trench et al.

Do whatever is done for water service lines from street to house in your area. In my area, it is some kind of plastic, and something like 1" in diameter minimum.

Garwood · Nov 11, 2021

6" 316 stainless for the win!

mjk · Nov 11, 2021

"6" 316 stainless for the win!"

welded
x-rayed
supported by epoxy covered billet risers in a tunnel

agree with others about pex above ground where you can(will) replace in years to come, probably sooner than you think.

seiner · Nov 11, 2021

Copper, poly and pex are used to bring water service in from the main because they are flexible and will stretch instead of break when they freeze. While sch80 is indeed very strong in breaks when water freezes in it.

1 1/4" copper is used preferentialy at least here in Alaska because it tolerates freezing well and because it conducts electricity so you can thaw it if it freezes.

I've run pex through pvc elbows before. you shouldn't have any problems.
I would run a thaw wire along side it in the ditch and bury it deep. Around here 10' is common. And insulate it. If your only going to bury it 36" you may as well just lay it on the ground so that you don't have dig it up when it freezes.

CarbideBob · Nov 11, 2021

Cincinnati. is there no a code for this?
First deal even with PEX is frost line, Do you know that for your install?
All good that such line will not break but you will still have no water.
I know this is rare but when the toilets will not fill and flush......

Superbowl · Nov 11, 2021

I agree that 3/4" is too small go 1". Plastic well pipe is cheap, easy to install, and designed for underground. A frost free 48" deep outside hydrant is nice to have.

JST · Nov 11, 2021

Copper may stretch, but I've seen it undamaged, with the soldered fittings pushed right off the end of it when it froze.

seiner · Nov 12, 2021

While copper is certainly not perfect and the damage you suggest is not unusual it is more forgiving than steel pipe.

Hobby Shop · Nov 12, 2021

PEX is 10x better than any sprinkler or well poly-pipe you can buy and it’s rated for direct burial. I’d run 1-1/2 pvc until you’re 3’ out of the slab, bury the Pex at least 40” deep and bump up to 1”. If the trench is clean and rock free, that line will out last anyone reading or responding now.

Maybe you already know this but my excavator buddy gave me a tip a while back about going under a driveway with water or electrical lines. Dig your trench on both sides of the driveway. Grab a piece of 10’ rigid conduit, cap the ends and push it through with the backhoe bucket while keeping it level. I’ve used this method a few times and it works great.

gbent · Nov 12, 2021

BT Fabrication said:
run a tracer wire on it 100%, and have tape 12" above it.

Both very good ideas, and cheap. Don't use the conductive tracer tape in place of a wire because if its broken it can't be repaired.

Suggestions on Bringing Water Into New Shop

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