Plumbing Help

[cmuncy]

I am currently in the process of building my house in my own little woods. The issue at hand is getting water to my humble abode.

The water main is 8" pipe at about 65 psi. I have a choice of the standard 5/8" water meter at a given tap fee and monthly tarriff or upgrade to a 1" meter and corresponding increase in fees.

THe dilemma is that I have to run almost 850' of water line down a 30 to 40' grade to my house.

I am trying to determine if I should splurge for the 1" tap and use 1" or 1 1/2" pipe to my house or would the 5/8" meter be adequate??

5/8" tap and fees will be about $750.00 plus 33.00 a month plus usage.

1" tap and fees will run almost $1200.00 and $52.00 a month plus fees.

Other than the house and my shop, the only other watering area might be a small yard plus my horses.

I have also heard from *experts* that I might need an accumulator at the house to equalize pressure surges due to the head pressure from 850' of 1 1/2" pipe.

Anyone out there clear up this mud??

THanks /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[bgott]

I tried finding a water pressure drop calculator on Google and came up with quite a few. One of them was uncomplicated enough to get a simple calc of the run you are making. This is without the elevation drop figured in. I ran 5/8" pipe through it for giggles and it showed a pressure drop of 49 psi and change. 1" showed 5 psi and change and 1.5 " showed .77 psi drop. Bigger is better on the line. I figured it at the default of 4 gallons per minute. You probably already knew this. Being that the restriction, the tap, is at the start of the run I doubt that the smaller tap will make any difference in pressure, it will just affect your volume as compared to the larger tap. I have a couple of small trailer parks that have three units on a single 5/8" tap and haven't had any complaints of water pressure dropping. You also have the 40' drop in the line to speed things up, you will probably gain pressure at the end of the line. Think mini water tower. You will know if you need an accumulator the first time you run a faucet wide open and slam it shut, they aren't that hard to install and you can build one yourself easily enough. I'm sure somebody that knows a lot more about this will chime in but I'd go with the 5/8" tap and the 1 1/2" pipe.

http://www.aps.anl.gov/asd/me/Calculators/film_coeff_dp.html

 

[Bird]

Without all the calculations, technical knowledge, etc.; just my experience as a member of the board of directors for our water company, I agree. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif Almost no one in our area, except commercial accounts, used the 1" tap. I know at least one neighbor had the 5/8" tap and meter, then 1200' from the meter to his house, no accumulator, had several outside faucets to water lawn and garden, and to fill water tanks for cattle.

 

[Egon]

The pressure differential across a 5/8 or 1 in valve should
not be that much for regular household flow use. Using a larger pipe for the long run will help reduce frictional losses. You'll gain .433 psi per foot of water height difference. If the pressure becomes a problem install a regulator.

Egon

 

[Dave___in___CT]

Hi...


After 10 years... the 1" costs at least an extra $2,730... not counting lost interest...


Dave...

 

[Egon]

Somehow [ but whats new for me ] my post was suppossed to indicate the 5/8 would be plenty but it surely didn't.

Egon

 

[SPIKER]

I would go with the other guys said, stick with the 5/*" tap, but run larger dia line, the 1.5" would be great, and with that fall of 40' you will gain more pressure than what is at the street, as for an accumeulator, you can install one of the SMALL watter pressure tanks at the house incoming line just like what you have tor rural well water, they are cheap and will give you added volume in a pinch as well as stopping the water hammer effect when a fauset is shut on/off quickly. maybe think about adding some filters on the incomming line to for added safety from the water setting in the line a long time. rural water around here tastes very fishy but it is pumped straight from lake erie @ the loriane water plant... by the time it takes it's journy from there to here, probalby 60miles it has it's good and bad days for taste & smell...

MarkM

 

[cmuncy]

For starters, thanks for all the replys. It looks like the 5/8" with 1 1/2" pipe wil lbe the way to go. If for some reason I have issues, I can always upgrade later.

For the second question: is there another material alternative for the 1 1/2" x 20' pvc pipe to make the 800'+ run to the house?? For exxample: is there a "pvc pipe on a role" that could be bought in one continuous piece??

Thanks again guys.

Chris

 

[boustany]

Looking at your most made me glad I have a well

Better quality water & less expensive.

 

[chim]

"Pipe on a roll" is the only way to go. I don't know what the max length available may be, but any decent supply house will stock it. I installed a one-piece run of nearly 300' at my place. The water main for the nearest town goes past our house, and I had to run from the main to the house via a metering pit. I used 1" pipe, and we have plenty of pressure/volume.

One pointer - when you install the pipe, don't connect the ends prior to backfilling. A bud had an installation between two buildings and made the connections on both ends, then backfilled. The (black) pipe had spent time in the sun, and warmed up consideraably. When he backfilled, the pipe cooled/contracted and pulled apart at the connections.......................chim