SITE 1.6: SITE UTILITIES - WATER

Every now and then a serendipitous collision of timing, opportunity and planning occurs in a construction project.  This happened within the last couple of months and we seized the opportunity.

We replaced the old galvanized water supply to the cabin with a gleaming new 1" copper water line.

The old water line was 3/4" in diameter.  It was  in the ground for at least 30 years if not longer - we don't know.  I think it was older than that.  

Our excavator (really good - Johnson Excavating - Eagle, CO) pointed out a break in the old line he found about 40' from the cabin as the new trench was being created.  

Not only did we have a break in the line, the line at the street meter was 50% clogged up with corrosion and stuff.  

So the water pressure we were getting at the cabin was compromised at the meter by 50% and at the break in the line by an unknown percentage.  We were probably getting 30% of the water flow we should have been getting.

I was asked what kind of water line I wanted into the cabin.  My choices were copper or a poly pipe.  The poly pipe was the less expensive option...but....

When I investigated further the differences between the two one particular fact made the decision easy.  The excavator and the town public works folks both indicated the poly was a good system with one exception:  it has a tendency to not hold a connection at the street.  What this really means is that the water main to street connection can fail, or become loose causing water to flow through the connection, into the dirt, causing all kinds of problems.

...and with my luck it would happen when the weather was below zero requiring additional funds to re-hire the excavator to dig down and re-connect the line.  

The question I asked myself:  Why would I put a pipe in with this connection?  I don't want to buy a problem because I saved $300 in materials.  

Copper connections are solid, time tested, cost a little more, and generally don't fail.  SOLD.

The new water main in the crawl space.

 One of the cool aspects of this project was doing all the planning, digging in the crawl space, and prep and then seeing all that pay off.

The pipe came right through into the crawl, exactly where planned with no issues.  Exactly the way we wanted it.

The next day, the plumber (Tim Burch - Burch Plumbing - Avon) came in and in five hours set new valves, the water meter, drain back connections and re-connected the existing lines and roughed in a line for a new water heater and a line to connect to the new bathroom and a new 3/4" water supply for the future garden water supply.

Once the plumbing was complete I turned on the hose bibb at the cabin and it felt like I was opening the line on a pressure washer.

Mission accomplished.