how deep is your waterline?

[firemanpat2910]

We are having all the stumps dug out at the farm. Loggers took 200 + pines and there were many stumps left from before. the water line was cut 5 times in one day. The pvc was run about 3 inches below the surface and meandered around trees and the old curves in the previous road. I now can run a straight line from the well house to the corner of the house, a mere 700 feet of 1 inch pipe. The ditchwitch will be delivered next week, I am thinking 3 feet deep would be good.

 

[ericher69]

Is freezing an issue?

If so 48" minimum

If not check local bylaw/regulations

 

[firemanpat2910]

freezing would only be an issue if I spilled the beer cooler, That aint gonna happen.

 

[oldnslo]

What other lines are in the same area? Gas, electric, phone, etc.

Most areas have codes that recommend a given depth for each one to reduce the chance of them contacting each other and also as an aide for future digging.

Around here five foot is minimum for water lines because of frost.

 

[Toyboy]

For a 700 ft run, I think I'd increase the diameter to at least 1.5" or more to start and drop to 1" about 75' from the house. I suppose one of the plumbers here would know better than me though.

 

[jonyyuma]

Here 18 inches to 2 feet is safe for water. Cable and phone is in at 8 inches???Mini-sneak plows??

 

[KYDan]

Code here in central Kentucky is 36 inches where they have adopted it. I ran 2" PVC for our place. 1,000' run and then dropped to 1" for the last 150'. Code for electric here is 48" depth and the telephone is wherever you put it, most of the time about 12".

 

[firemanpat2910]

power lines are above ground. no gas, phone wires have been cut also, so the phone wire will go in the same ditch as the water. since there is a filter at the pump that is only 3/4 I see no benifit on pipe being any bigger than 1 inch. And now when I get done, EVERY one will know exactly where the water and phone lines are. tie a string to the pillar on the front porch. run the other end to the eye on the door latch at the pump house, and there it is.:thumbsup: no more guessing and worrying when we do other projects. Oh and this is Gadsden Co, in rural fla panhandle. more tahn a mile down a private road, We aint got no code !!!! LOL

 

[Fixemall]

For your area I would 24" then partially backfill 2-4" lay 2 phone lines, then another 6" backfill then a line of cheap caution tape or flagging, then backfill the rest. I do a lot of trencher work with my Vermeer and have seen a lot of phone lines fail for no reason at all. Caution tape will save you if later on someone gets dig happy.

 

[Ken45101]

You really should check with your local building department to find out what code is, rather than getting info from all over the country, which will not be applicable for your area.

In general, there are specific requirements (not just recommendations) although with a private well line you can probably get away with whatever you want.

There are the standards so that they know how deep to dig for repairs, etc. I know on a house we had built, the contractor dug it too deep and the electric company made him backfill before they would approve the underground electric line.

Ken