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Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 12:03 am
by DrRocket
Hope I'm posting in the right place. I have queries which aren't strictly paving related...

I'm running a water supply to the garage to supply a washing machine. I'm using blue mdpe piping. A few questions that I really hope someone can help me with...

1) How deep should I go for frost protection (trench at 650mm so far)?
2) I'm teeing off the water supply at the house from alongside the outside tape (i.e. not inside the building)... I intend to lag the pipe and go straight down deep into the ground. Is this a stupid idea in terms of being suseptable to freezing?
3) Does mdpe burst when the water inside freezes?

Appreciate any views/comments.

Regards.

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 6:48 pm
by Stuarty
Ive only put a few water pipes in, and as far as i know 3 feet is sufficient ( 900mm ). Aslong as the pipe is well lagged all the way to the trench it shouldnt freeze.

Posted: Wed Aug 02, 2006 9:47 pm
by Dave_L
Sounds almost exactly how I did my garage supply, using 25mm MDPE pipe tee'd in from the existing mains supply in the utility room.

Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 12:11 am
by DrRocket
Many thanks for the feedback...

I guess my only worry is that the tee-off from the house is above ground and outside (i.e. along side the outside tap and not inside in the warm!)... but am reassured that good lagging should prevent the pipes freezing.

Many thanks chaps.

Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 6:26 am
by Dave_L
Decent lagging and perhaps boxing the pipework in for a little insurance against freezing would be a good idea.

Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 10:51 pm
by DrRocket
Many thanks,

One more question... I was going to use those foam tubes to insulate the vertical runs into the trench bottom, and possibly run the lot inside 35mm bathroom waste pipe. Would this be ok or is there special insulation suitable for laying underground?

Regards.

Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 11:59 pm
by Suggers
Dear Doctor,
The ground IS the insulation - we've run metres of the stuff (800mm down) to 4 live water troughs over the last 12 years -only used foam tube from ground to ballcock - no probs - except that one youngster took a shine to the foamy stuff, and would gallop off with it between it's teeth.
As for sleeving - there's nothing wrong with a belts and braces approach, as long as you have the money.
Regards.

Posted: Sat Aug 05, 2006 12:41 am
by DrRocket
Very amusing :laugh:

Many thanks for all the advice. Will insulate and sleeve the vertical runs to trench bottom either end. Sleeving should also prevent the over-curious birds round my way who like to pull the sealer off from around the windows. I'm sure it wouldn't be long before they began picking an the exposed foam.

Cheers all.