Any licensed plumbers here?

[Hunter8282]

I need to run a water line from the house to the pole barn. We live in MI so it will be buried 4' down and have a frost free hydrant in the barn.

I am trying to figure out what the best pipe material is to use for the run. It will be about 150' between the house and the barn.

Thanks!

 

[NYlakesider]

I need to run a water line from the house to the pole barn. We live in MI so it will be buried 4' down and have a frost free hydrant in the barn.

I am trying to figure out what the best pipe material is to use for the run. It will be about 150' between the house and the barn.

Thanks!

I'm a retired pipefitter! Every state and many different localities have different plumbing codes. To get the right info for your area I would contact your local building department.

Are you sure 4' is deep enough!

 

[DWalt]

Not a plumber, but I've done a lot of plumbing over the years. 150' is a fairly long run. No idea of what your water flow rate requirements are for the barn, but 1" PVC Sch. 40 should do the job. Might be able to get by with 3/4" if you don't need as much flow, as it has more pressure drop. There are several online calculators available for determining pressure drop for various water flow rates through various lengths, sizes, and types of pipe.

 

[Hunter8282]

Flow won't be that much. Basically filling up buckets of water for goats and chickens and washing a few items here and there in a laundry sink.

I hope 4' is enough! That seems to be the consensus of everyone around me including the builder.

 

[eyegots2no]

I while back I talked to someone about an electric band that you wrap around the pipe all the way along. Very low power but if temperature gets below freezing---it comes on keeping the pipe from freezing.

 

[Arik]

No but I did stay at a holiday Inn

 

[DWalt]

Flow won't be that much. Basically filling up buckets of water for goats and chickens and washing a few items here and there in a laundry sink.

I hope 4' is enough! That seems to be the consensus of everyone around me including the builder.

General advice is to keep the water pipe buried at least 6" below the frost line. I don't know what depth that is in your area. Your local water utility should be able to help in that regard. Where I live, the frost line is essentially zero. It seldom freezes here.

You could probably get by OK with 3/4" PVC pipe, but for relatively little more expense, I'd probably go with 1" PVC just to be sure, in the event of some future capacity increase need. 1" pipe will cost you only about 15 cents more per foot than 3/4" pipe. Maybe $25-30 more for the job, including fittings.

 

[msinc]

I live in Maryland, I believe the climate is similar{oops, my mistake, I thought it said Mo. Either way 4 ft is deep enough anywhere in the lower 48...I just finished up running 3 miles of 1 1/2" water line to 10 different automatic waterers for livestock on two different farms. I suggest you use 1 1/2" ABS black plastic waterline. We used the thick wall stuff and all brass fittings. Also installed about a dozen or so frostproofs. Double gear clamp the pipe to the barbs or fittings. It goes over them a lot easier if you use a little heat form a propane torch. Don't forget to have the gear clamps in place when you shove the pipe onto the barbs. Not the end of the world if you don't, but a time waster. Best of luck.

 

[dave holl]

I need to run a water line from the house to the pole barn. We live in MI so it will be buried 4' down and have a frost free hydrant in the barn.

I am trying to figure out what the best pipe material is to use for the run. It will be about 150' between the house and the barn.

Thanks!

I'm not a plumber either, but living out in the country we learn to do stuff. I ran 2 water lines from house to barn here in Ohio. Here are some suggestions:

1. Use 2 hose clamps on each plastic barbed fittings, if you go with plastic.
2. If work is done in cold weather, a propane torch makes inserting plastic fittings easier.

3. You'll need to dig a pit in the barn to accommodate the hydrant. Fill it with gravel so the hydrant can drain. My pits were 3'x3'x4'deep.

Whatever you choose to do, ask lots of questions of the pros and do it right.

Digging a second time for leak repair is downright aggravating!!
Dave

 

[DWalt]

!" PVC Sch 40 will easily handle 20 GPM with minimal pressure drop (about 15 psi for 150'), and even 30 GPM is not stretching capacity to the limit for a 150' run (about 30 psi pressure drop). But much depends on your source water supply capacity and pressure. If you need to go beyond 30 GPM, you'd be better off with 1-1/2" pipe.

 

[Slowhanddd]

Not a plumber but a water well guy for the last 30 + years.I would,if it were mine,run 160# 1" poly.Brass connectors heated pipe ends and double clamped with stainless clamps.It will more than do the job and should last almost forever.IMNHO

 

[cussedemgun]

A new trick for this OLD DOG

Google 'pex pipe'

The new stuff, cheap pipe & more expensive fittings.
(on that long run, you should come out great cost wise)
More forgiving if it should ever freeze.
Easy to work with, like tinker toys for plumbing.

One last thought "Anyone can be a plumber, there are only three things to remember".
1) Poo won't run uphill.
2) payday is on Friday.
3)don't bite your finger nails when working on the sewer.

 

[Drm50]

I ain't a plumber either but have put in a lot of water line to
out buildings and pumps. The black ABS flex is the way to go.
4' should be below frost line. What ever size you use depends
On your needs. Just be careful when backfilling to protect the
flex from sharp rocks. We put fine stuff on top of pipe, then
roof felt 15lb. Another layer of fine stuff, then proceeded to
cover it with what's left.

 

[unclebob]

I would love to help, but all I know about plumbing is the hots on the left, cold on right**** flows downhill and payday is on Friday!!!

 

[steelslaver]

+1 on the black ABS flex.

 

[smokindog]

Not a plumber but a few questions. Is this water supply going to connect to the public water supply or a private well? If a private well, is that your primary water source (and most folks around you)? If so, count it as public.

Why do I care? Because it's nice to protect everyone to ensure you're not introducing backflow into the primary water supply (shouldn't do it to the secondary either)!

If you use PVC or other "sectional" pipe, put in a lead free backflow, about $125 for the device and $75 for the post install "certification".

If it's the primary water source you're tying into, use a "single pipe" solution, I'd probably still research adding a backflow at the point of connection to the source (I'd bet a penny it's required regardless for a run it to a "barn").

Pull a permit, not too intrusive, get your plans reviewed for local codes, and do it right. And NO, I'm not a big "pull a permit for all the BS they wants permits for" kind of person.

I have a well for irrigation and all the wells around here are used for irrigation as we're on city water. I'm in the burbs but on the edge where there are multi-acre lots. I run a 25GPM zone about 160 feet from the well with 1" PVC. It was originally installed and connected to the city water before I put in the well a couple years ago (with a backflow preventer). I STILL installed a backflow preventer when I moved it to the new well. ALSO, I've had to dig up the main a few times over the past 5 years to repair leaks in the "glue joints" from hammering, soil shifts, and "lazy installation".

PS - they tried to force me to contract out my work to licensed trades when I pulled my permit (HAD to pull a permit since the well had to be registered with the County). HOWEVER, after doing some research, reading some Statutes, and learning I showed them the errors in their ways. The only person that had to be contracted was the person that did the backflow test post install. Just because the local tells you something does not make it so. I've yet to find a place where the law does not allow a land owner to do any/all work on their property (with the exception I just noted).

 

[Brian41]

I'm not a plumber either but did some plumbing work when I was a refrigeration mechanic for a superstore. One store had a long run from the store to the greenhouse and needed to be shut down and drained winters. One of the buried hydrants there started leaking bad and fortunately a rebuild kit was available for it and could be replaced from above without having to dig down which would have been a problem with the concrete above. Don't know if all hydrants are made that way but I'd check to be sure it can be serviced from above.

 

[mtgianni]

Black poly comes in several pressure grades. 80 psi is good for your wifes hobby projects but not much more. 100 Psi is much stronger internally and harder to bend, I would be OK with that but if I planned on being there 20 years go with 200 psi. You will probably have to get that from a supply house not a Home Despot type store.