Putting water out to the barn (finally)

[fishpick]

Since everyone likes pictures of projects (and tractors) - I thought I'd share one of the multiple projects in flight right now... I'm finally running a water line out to the barn. Actually - when done I'll have 3 hydrants connected to a 1" buried line.
1 will be at the front corner for ease of plant watering in the spring and getting water for chickens. Another will be in the BACK corner of the barn (haven't figured out yet if it will be inside or outside of the leanto) this one will be for cleaning off the tractor and getting water out to the pasture. Then the third one will be INSIDE the barn - as a source of water that's frost proof for a sink with a tankless small electric on demand hot water heater... the sink will dump to a dry well.
Anyhow - the plan was to use the little BX24 to dig out for the punch-through on the house foundation then rent a ditch digger... but - with all the money wrapped up in the BX24's backhoe - I have gone the slow and steady route and have gotten about 100' of 54" deep trench dug on my way to 200'.
Attached is the first link in the story - more to come ESPECIALLY this weekend where I hope to knock most of it out.

Ditch digging 101 ｫ Chicken Thistle Farm

 

[DJ54]

Nothing like having water where you need it..!! I have 4 frostproof hydrants around here, and love them..!!

Just a suggestion, and take it how you may...

If your using 1" line, get a roll of 1 1/2" of the same length, and use it as a conduit for your line. It protects your line from rocks rubbing it, and causing a leak. If for some reason the water line fails, the only digging will be at the hydrant, and disconnect from your water source. Shove a new 1" through, and your back in business.

We learned this the hard way back in the 60's, and it was all hand dug.... The line failed again, about 15 years later, from fatigue I guess. Repairs were made, and was back in business within 4 hrs. So the conduit idea was well worth it.

 

[fishpick]

Nothing like having water where you need it..!! I have 4 frostproof hydrants around here, and love them..!!

Just a suggestion, and take it how you may...

If your using 1" line, get a roll of 1 1/2" of the same length, and use it as a conduit for your line. It protects your line from rocks rubbing it, and causing a leak. If for some reason the water line fails, the only digging will be at the hydrant, and disconnect from your water source. Shove a new 1" through, and your back in business.

We learned this the hard way back in the 60's, and it was all hand dug.... The line failed again, about 15 years later, from fatigue I guess. Repairs were made, and was back in business within 4 hrs. So the conduit idea was well worth it.

Good suggestion - but that would require digging up about 75' already underground... I'll just keep my fingers crossed for now

 

[DJ54]

Just backed up and looked... 54" deep..?? WOW...!!, is the frost line that deep there..?? Or just going deep enough to hopefully not get into it, for future projects..??

Our frost line here is 30", but we go 36" just to be sure...

 

[fishpick]

Just backed up and looked... 54" deep..?? WOW...!!, is the frost line that deep there..?? Or just going deep enough to hopefully not get into it, for future projects..??

Our frost line here is 30", but we go 36" just to be sure...

Footers require 42" to code here... I got 5' hydrants because of how the house is situated and the wind we get removes snow and freezes deeper on our hilltop.
Most of the line is between 48 - 52" (I'm using the dipper stick to measure - so it's not always the same depth all the way along). The base of the hydrants is deeper...

 

[HL649]

Only 54". I wish. We put our water lines 8 feet in open areas and 10 feet under roadways and heavy trails.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Footers require 42" to code here... I got 5' hydrants because of how the house is situated and the wind we get removes snow and freezes deeper on our hilltop.
Most of the line is between 48 - 52" (I'm using the dipper stick to measure - so it's not always the same depth all the way along). The base of the hydrants is deeper...

That hydrant that you mentioned being in or out of the lean to? What you just said should tell you to keep it out of the wind. Be generous with the gravel drain below the hydrants. Use red brass fittings with double stainless screwclamps. Keep an electric hair dryer or heat gun handy. Instead of forcing a stiff hydrant handle, hit it with some heat for a minute or two, makes a big difference. Keep things lubed up with something safe like olive oil. Lastly, and perhaps I should not mention this since you already have some pipe buried, I use the more expensive "blue pipe with an opaque inner surface" because I am under the understanding that the black pipe can leach.

 

[cfabe]

Wow I just did nearly the same project last weekend. I installed 3 hydrants on 1" 160psi PE pipe. One in the large barn, one for a future goat barn and one out to our orchard/garden area. Total of about 600 feet of trench. Also ran 2" electric conduit to the two barns as well.

I don't have a tractor so I rented a riding ditch witch RT40. It made quick work of the digging, took about 4 hours, but it did not dig as deep as advertised. It had a cutter for 4.5' but it left about 6" to a foot of loose dirt in the bottom. Frost line is 42" here so it was just barely deep enough, not the extra foot I thought I was going to have.

I'm curious as to how fast trenching with a backhoe is? Even if slower, it might be worth it to get a clean trench.

 

[DJ54]

I suppose a lot depends on the experience you have on an excavator vs. a trencher. Not bragging, but I've logged right at 10,000+ hrs in 1 1/2 yd. machines. About half that on R.T. hoes.

You can move some dirt with an excavator, once you have gotten to the point, where the actions of the hoe, are an extension of your arm(s) & hand(s).

After enough hours, you just look at what you want to do, and do it without actually having to think to move the controls... Like becoming part of the machine...

Plus efficiency of using the bucket. I've seen a lot of guys dig with what I call the top of the bucket teeth. Bucket pointed straight down, and crowding into the dirt. Those sharp teeth were put on there for a purpose.!!

Pull the teeth straight into the cut, on a horizontal plane, using the heel of the bucket to make a smooth bottom. More or less shave a layer of dirt into the bucket, in an upswept motion. Not cram it in tight, then have to hammer the bucket to get it out... Yeah, you'll find some sticky clay that will build up every now and then. But 90% of the time, if you shave it, the bucket will come fairly clean... You're going to have a bit of buildup in the corners of the bucket, now matter what...

Doing 2 to 3 actions at the same time, smoothing out the operation. It all comes with seat time... With repetition comes efficiency...

I had a ball on a Takuchi, and Gehl mini excavator's I rented... Seemed it didn't take all that long to do the trenches, and it was time to do the grunt work... But sure beat using a #2 Razorback roundpoint shovel..!! I've got a few hours experience on the end of one of those too..!!

As stated in other posts... " It sure makes you appreciate hydraulics...!!"

 

[fishpick]

That hydrant that you mentioned being in or out of the lean to? What you just said should tell you to keep it out of the wind. Be generous with the gravel drain below the hydrants. Use red brass fittings with double stainless screwclamps. Keep an electric hair dryer or heat gun handy. Instead of forcing a stiff hydrant handle, hit it with some heat for a minute or two, makes a big difference. Keep things lubed up with something safe like olive oil. Lastly, and perhaps I should not mention this since you already have some pipe buried, I use the more expensive "blue pipe with an opaque inner surface" because I am under the understanding that the black pipe can leach.

I'm still debating the placement of that last hydrant as I can easily throw a bale of straw infront of it if left outside... Then the waterline front it to the pasture doesn't have to go under the leanto as well (down the road). Dunno - will figure that out where I get there.
Nope - using plain old black pipe... it is what it is Maybe the next guy who searches these threads will benefit from your comment.