water supply line from well - verbose as usual

MarkAndDebbie · July 12, 2007, 05:21:03 AM

Background - I'm building the 1.5 story 20x32. Originally going to do concrete piers. After a talk with the county inspector - I'm doing a footer with a block wall crawlspace (4' - more of a duckspace). It's warm here so the bottom of the footer is supposed to be at 12".

Neither driller in the area wanted to come out till I was "sure" where the septic would be (makes sense).
EMC wouldn't run electric till the foundation was in place (the cost is subsidized - they want to be sure I'm building there).

Since I wouldn't have electricity to run the well pump (prob 200ft - not a hand pump) and I thought I would put in the septic last (so equipment wouldn't run over it), I was in no hurry to put in my line from the well (I have plenty of other stuff to learn). I thought at a 12" frost line I'll just dig it between the piers after I'm dried in.

While getting grading/septic bids, the septic guy I chose picked a spot for the leech that will be safe from getting crushed and offered to do the footer for $500 + materials at the same time (one trip). So MONDAY he is putting in the septic and digging the footer. The inspector checks the footer Tue and then they poor it.

Now I'm scrambling to figure out what to do about the supply line from the not yet drilled well.

I looked at my current house - the supply comes through my block. The crawl is dug out - so the block is well below the frost line.

At the new place I am on ~5% grade. On the high side, the bottom of the block won't be below the frost depth. It seems wrong ( and difficult with the rebar) to put the pipe through the footer. Do I need to go dig a trench this weekend and put a supply line in before Monday? How much of it do I need to put in? How far below the footer? Will this be a problem with the "disturbed earth" for the footer? What size/type line (since I don't know anything about my water yet)?

Also, now that I have an enclosed crawlspace I could put a tank (storage/pressure) under there. I guess I should know how big of an access door I need if I ever need to replace it.

Thanks everybody.

PEG688 · July 12, 2007, 08:23:11 AM

Some times you need a lot of words to explain what your asking

Why not put a 4" ABS pipe in the footer as a sleeve to run your water line thru , and a 6" chunk to run your 4" waste line thru toward your septic tank.

You can foam the excess hole after you run your pipes .

July 12, 2007, 08:45:11 AM

PEG always knows the answer.

JRR · July 12, 2007, 09:21:47 AM

If the site allows it, you may want to consider a "pump house". Can be made cute ... like a garden house. Well insulated, but ventilated through closeable vents. Near, or over, the well-head. Will contain pump and water storage vessel. All you pipe to the house is pressure-regulated water ... can go up and over foundation walls ... not thru or under necessarily.

This scheme keeps a lot of excess moisture (important in South East) and noise away from main house. A lot nicer when pump repairs are necessary ... especially if there's a rupture. Keeps us old folks from crawling around under houses in the wet.

Good place to store garden tools, etc. I made one that was like a two-storied playhouse for the kids. (Something else to keep away from the main house.)

In the short term, the pump and storage can be put in place ... protected with tarps ... the pump house can be built later.

MarkAndDebbie · July 12, 2007, 04:30:36 PM

QuoteSome times you need a lot of words to explain what your asking

Why not put a 4" ABS pipe in the footer as a sleeve to run your water line thru , and a 6" chunk to run your 4" waste line thru toward your septic tank.

You can foam the excess hole after you run your pipes .

Sounds good. So I could put the pipe (to hold the pipe) in the footer (8" thick) without affecting the strength/integrity of the footer? Would my inspector be OK with this? Is it normal?

Thanks!

July 12, 2007, 04:33:56 PM

QuoteIf the site allows it, you may want to consider a "pump house". Can be made cute ... like a garden house. Well insulated, but ventilated through closeable vents. Near, or over, the well-head. Will contain pump and water storage vessel. All you pipe to the house is pressure-regulated water ... can go up and over foundation walls ... not thru or under necessarily.

This scheme keeps a lot of excess moisture (important in South East) and noise away from main house. A lot nicer when pump repairs are necessary ... especially if there's a rupture. Keeps us old folks from crawling around under houses in the wet.

Good place to store garden tools, etc. I made one that was like a two-storied playhouse for the kids. (Something else to keep away from the main house.)

In the short term, the pump and storage can be put in place ... protected with tarps ... the pump house can be built later.

How would I protect the pipes from freezing? we're warm - but not exposed pipe warm.

PEG688 · July 12, 2007, 05:04:36 PM

Quote
QuoteSome times you need a lot of words to explain what your asking

Why not put a 4" ABS pipe in the footer as a sleeve to run your water line thru , and a 6" chunk to run your 4" waste line thru toward your septic tank.

You can foam the excess hole after you run your pipes .

Sounds good. So I could put the pipe (to hold the pipe) in the footer (8" thick) without affecting the strength/integrity of the footer? Would my inspector be OK with this? Is it normal?

Thanks!

They allow it here as long as the pipe going thru is smaller so IF the earth shifts / earthquake IE, the pipe inside is not tight in the sleeve pipe.

I don't know how they figger that the pipe is burried in earth which is around it wouldn't harm it but thats what we do here , sleeve / chase larger than pipe passing thru, under the rebar in the case of a larger sleeve pipe , maybe dug into the earth a bit , no big deal one little pipe , now ya can't put ten "sleeves" right next to each other.

Ask the inspector if he'll allow it YMMV.

G/L

PEG

JRR · July 12, 2007, 09:02:34 PM

If most of the pipe run is dug in below the freeze-depth, there won't be much tendency for freezing in a small section of exposed pipe... if the water moves occasionally. To be safe, all exposed pipe (all pipe above the freeze-depth) should be covered with foam pipe covering .. and then that covered with something to keep the insulation protected ... galvanized stove pipe and hose clamps sometimes works well, but not too pretty.

tc-vt · July 16, 2007, 10:01:02 PM

Check the available altitude to make sure you can have the minimum 1/8 to 1/4 inch per foot for your main drain to the septic tank and then the effluent line from the tank to the leach field. With your 5 percent grade you might have plenty of altitude to play with and run the drain under the footing. My drain runs just under my footing without penetrating it at all and was roughed in before the pour. You can always make a hole through the block wall after it is constructed if that is the level where the drain pipe should go through.

For my spring water supply, a horizontal 4 inch PVC schedule 40 pipe was placed below the level where the footer would be and comes up vertically inside the house perimeter with a long 90 turn made with two 45s. The 1-1/4 inch spring line was later fed through this.

Tom

July 17, 2007, 06:30:35 AM

Thanks for all the help guys. I'd like to tell you that all went well, but my contractor didn't show up. Anyway, I am more prepared if he (or another contractor) calls back with a good excuse.