Would this be a good idea?

[jarbill]

I am wanting to run a buried water line and a buried electrical line a distance of several hundred feet, and I want to run the water line deep enough to be below the freeze line in the soil. The idea that I was turning over in my head was if I could use one of my pallet forks centered in the rack and tilted forward at a slightly down angle at first, and then increasing the fork's forward angle each pass, making slow shallow passes each time, eventually make a deep, narrow trench however far I need it to go?

Secondly, if that's not a good idea for some reason I haven't yet thought of, can someone give me another idea? Maybe there's an attachment made specifically for that purpose? I am wanting to do this in a way that I don't just tear up huge chunks of topsoil just to run a six-inch wide trench.

Thanks for any ideas.

Jerry in Texas

 

[MrJimi]

I don't think water and electric in same hole is a good idea and the dirt that you will plow with your fork will fall back in the hole
Sorry about all the good news

 

[mikim]

doesn't sound like such a good idea to me ...the only way I would consider that is if your ground is all sand....but even then ... for several hundred feet ... I would think it would take you forever. rent a trencher......and don't put water & elect in the same trench.

 

[JNB]

Somewhere on this site someone used a furrow dirt buster and actually tied the pipes to the dirt buster and put it in place as he made the drain. I dont know if that is far enough to avoid freezing. Looked like a good setup for the electical anyway.

 

[jarbill]

I didn't mean to imply that I was putting water and electricity in the same trench. Sorry about that. I just meant a trench for one and a trench for the other.

Okay. The general consensus is that it won't work. I'll try a trencher. That would probably be a better idea.

Jerry in Texas

 

[ctpres]

Just finished a 200 ft plus run of 3/4" water and 1/2" elec in same hole and pulled at the same time. Water about four inches above elec. I used subsolier with 1" thin metal straps forming U bolted to bottom facing rear. Then just bolted pipe between and pulled it all in one pass. Would have been 250' but ground was soft near end and couldn't get any traction in near mud soil. Pre glued all pipe (I had room) and pulling time was less than 20 min. Recommend a true subsoiler vs combo as all combination units I have seen have a shorter shaft, ie won't go as deep. If water and elec. in same hole is a problem, two passes shouldn't be a big difference. I bought subsoiler just for underground piping from threads on TBN.

 

[Treemonkey1000]

The single pallet fork might bend things that you don't want bent. Maybe you could drag something like a harrow behind on the 3PT. Adjust the depth with that. Or just rent a ditch witch. Are you going to run the power through some PVC just incase you are out digging and hit that stuff later on down the road? Or someone else may be digging to plant things. If you are like me I had to replace the main water line to my house so I drew out a map of where it went and how deep it was for later reference or new home owners.

 

[Illini22]

putting elec. with the water is no problem, some utilities even put gas in with elec ( besides phone and cable) which is more volatile. when I'splice electric cables half the time the trench is full of water

 

[ray66v]

Long run, narrow trench = trencher
Fast, easy, soft powder to backfill with, less settling. I hate to pay to rent one, but sometimes it just makes more sense.

 

[Z-Michigan]

Where in Texas and how deep is your frost line? There are plows designed to make trenches for cable, they may go 12-18" deep. Don't know if that's deep enough for you. A subsoiler could also dig a trench that deep, if you happen to, or want to, own one, and your tractor can pull it. In my area of Michigan frostline is rated as 42" (for building code). Oddly, you go up north and in some areas it's only like 18", supposedly because the heavier, constant snow for winter insulates the ground.

 

[jarbill]

Z-Mich

I'm in North Texas. I think somewhere I read that the freeze line is 14". However, as a case in point, yesterday, we got two inches of snow, and all my trees have nearly fully leafed out. Today, it was about 59 degrees. You know what they say: If you don't like the weather in Texas, wait a minute. Personally, I think that 14" would be way more than deep enough because even when it gets cold here, it doesn't stay cold very long like up your way.

Jerry in Texas

 

[jarbill]

Treemonkey:

Right now the land is just raw land, but there is co-op water and electricity to the land, (just not on it), so I'm not worried about damaging preexisting lines. I also do plan to either map it out or put above-ground spigots painted bright orange (Kubota orange? ) or something so any later homeowners, if there are any, can see the taps easily or maybe even run it right next to the fence line so it won't be getting constant car or tractor traffic over it. I can run it anywhere right now with no problems. What I was trying to do is I know I'll have some rock come up to the surface. I was thinking the the fork might be better at bringing those to the surface rather than a trencher. I've used a trencher before but not in this type of soil.

Jerry in Texas

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Hey Jarbill I found a couple of things no guy should be without. Either of these would do the trick for you. No worries!
Jim

 

[pat32rf]

Up here we always run lines at least 24" deep if they will have traffic over them and 48" if we don't want them to freeze. I would burry them both in the same trench and probably run an extra 1/2 plastic line in there as well for future telephone or whatever. Also, if using a trench I would allmost fill it in, then lay a run of orange or red flagging tape in the trench and bury it as well to serve as a warning to future hoe operators.....
We also bury hydro lines (TWU) in a bed of sand so we don't get rock cuts due to frost movement.

 

[turnkey4099]

doesn't sound like such a good idea to me ...the only way I would consider that is if your ground is all sand....but even then ... for several hundred feet ... I would think it would take you forever. rent a trencher......and don't put water & elect in the same trench.

What is the reasoning for not putting them in the same trench? The only thing I can think of is problems of digging one up without damaging the other. Not a big problem as far as I can tell. The electric should be run in a conduit though.

Harry K

 

[cwilson]

Electirc and water lines in the same trench? um not such a good idea i think water and electric umm well if the water lines bust you are goign to have MAJOR problems with your electricity

 

[wedge40]

Electirc and water lines in the same trench? um not such a good idea i think water and electric umm well if the water lines bust you are goign to have MAJOR problems with your electricity

I thought underground electric lines had extra insulation. I know where I'm at in the sping time the ground might as well have broken water lines running through it. Wouldn't know the difference..
If you're worried then run the electric in the same hole but run it through some PVC first.

Wedge

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

Jerry,
if all you need is 18" depth, go to TSC and buy their subsoiler then do a search here on TBN for one of the project posts about burying pipe using one.
running water pipe and gray carlon (electrical PVC) conduit in the same trench shouldn't be a problem - make sure you glue both of them up good. when you go to pull the triplex wire through the gray carlon, use a shop-vac to suck a sponge or balloon throught the pipe with baling twine attached - then you can use the baling twine to pull a 1/2" rope, and the rope will be strong enough to pull your ground contact rated triplex. 1" water line should be plenty for redidential, 1 1/2" or 2" for your electrical. If running a third pipe for phone, 1/2-3/4 should be plenty.

if you don't want the subsoiler, or have the time to make the pipe puilling attachment, rent a trencher - it'll cut a clean straight sided & flat bottomed trench 30 or so inches deep at a rate of 50-100 feet per hour depending on your soil. (my heavy clay with occasional rocks took a bit less than 2 hours to go 86 feet)

good luck!

 

[coobie]

I have run alot of electric lines under ground the past 30 plus years.IMHO I would seperate the two.I would put the electric line in grey conduit because if you have a fault down the road you can pull the old wire out and and replace it with new.Have you ever tried to find a fault under ground?It can get somewhat expensive to have someone locate the fault.Another thing if you put a side walk in or landscape you dont want your yard tore up trying to find faulted wire.Make sure before you start to dig have all gas,phone,electric,and cables lines located before you start to dig,if you cut one of these lines it can also get expensive to have someone come out and fix them.coobie

 

[ray66v]

Electirc and water lines in the same trench? um not such a good idea i think water and electric umm well if the water lines bust you are goign to have MAJOR problems with your electricity

Anytime you dig a trench, and backfill, th soil is going to be looser than the surrounding area. Therefore, if there is any water in the area it is going to fill the area of the trench. If you redig a trench during the wet season you will see what I mean. So, you are putting the electrical line in wet ground almost no matter what you do.
However, it does not matter because the cable is waterproof it is direct burial.
I would suggest spending the money for the conduit, (cheap), to protect the cable from damage. Frost and settling can cause stones to damage your cable.
I have put all the lines in one trench when the service was for an outbuilding. or some sort of outdoor service. As long as it is not the primary service for a residence, I would probably do it. Keep in mind, you could be sorry if you ever want to service one of the lines.