In previous posts I noted the site utility work. That work is preparing the way for a number of important improvements that have taken place.
One of the key elements to the interior work was the excavation of the crawl space. (See Cabin 1.8 - 09.03.13)
Water:
We brought a new 1" line in into the building that replaced the old 3/4" galvanized line. The meter has been brought into the building. We had the town check the water pressure at the street and it was 80 lbs so a pressure reduction valve was installed to get the pressure down to around 65 lbs.
I am a systems guy. I want flexibility in where and how to shut zones off to do repair work. I have a main shutoff within 6' of the foundation and a shut off just past the water meter so I can isolate this entire assembly. From that point I have new shut off valves at the point where we run a line into the bathroom area - which will also provide water to the garden. There is another valve to the kitchen and there will be another valve for the water heater. There will then be a few other valves to isolate specific elements.
All this so that if there is a leak or water issue in one area, that area can be isolated without affecting water to the entire structure.
I also had the plumber (Burch Plumbing - Avon) install a drainback valve just before the meter so the entire system could be drained for repair purposes. This is also helpful right now because I am keeping the cabin rather cool and by draining water from the system to reduce the chances of any kind of freezing issue should the furnace go out. It has been cold this winter and an additional layer of insurance is prudent.
So, by carving out a crawl space where there was not one a year ago we have created an environment which has saved us a lot of money.
- The excavator punched the new 1" line through into the crawl space in 10 minutes
- The plumber was able to access every area to install a new plumbing system in about 5 hours.
- The excavator punched the new sewer line into the building in about 10 minutes when it reached the cabin.
- The sewer pipe is completely accessible underneath the floor.
The crawl excavation will continue to save a lot of money as we put more systems in and we are able to access systems as future needs occur.
After the new water line was all connected I tested the water pressure. I opened the hose bibb I had installed last summer. The volume of water coming out of the hose bibb was significantly increased. I felt I was going to power wash the apron in front of the cabin with the new water pressure. A significant improvement.
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