Bringing mains water into outbuilding without cutting into concrete base?

Question

Yea these many years ago we built The Mother of All Sheds (uk.d-i-y passim) with a seriously meaty concrete base, and concrete block walls.

Some time later we ripped the back of the house off to extend. We also took the opportunity (all new plumbing) to take power, main drainage and mains water up to the shed whilst we had a mini digger on site.

The electricity is in and working, but the plumbing has been waiting for the right time.

I may now have the opportunity to bring the blue MDPE into the building and fit a stop c*ck and various other wonders of cold water plumbing.

As I understand it the traditional way to being water into a building is to bring it up through the slab which will protect it from frost but will involve a lot of drilling, cursing and swearing cutting into the slab. Also I can't hire manly tools at the moment.

So is there an accepted way to bring the MDPE up out of the ground and through the block wall without the risk of freezing?

Cheers

Dave R

John Rumm · Accepted Answer

Lots of lagging and possibly trace wire heating just in case?

FWIW, out cold main emerges from the path in blue MDPE, for a 12" ascent before turning through the wall. Its not even lagged, and freezing has never been a problem. (although being the main house supply is used frequently.

Fredxx · Answer

What diameter is your pipe?

Tricky Dicky · Answer

I've seen plenty of examples of MDPE brought up on external walls usually in hand car wash premises but as John has said lagging the pipe will provide belt and braces plus boxing in will neaten the appearance as well as adding to overall insulation.

Richard

newshound · Answer

Also, blue MDPE is pretty robust. We ended up keeping a fair sized livery stables running through a big freeze a few years ago where we ended up relying on just one feed coming up through the slab in a barn, it would freeze overnight but we were able to defrost it each morning and keep the place running from there. So I'd say you would be OK coming up outside and lagged, in a box for tidyness, with trace heating if you wanted a Rolls Royce solution.

Chris Green · Answer

I've got some exposed MDPE pipe feeding a tap outside a stable and tack room. It's been there for upwards of 20 years now and must have been frozen a few times at least. It's still watertight.

There's also some up in the fields feeding a horse waterer and that generally survives the cold too.

Cynic · Answer

Do it once, do it right!

Bringing mains water into outbuilding without cutting into concrete base?

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