Getting water supply to outbuilding?

[retrocircles]

Have an outbuilding I have turned into a functional office space. I am slowly improving it. What I'd really like is to have a toilet in there. How viable would it be to have this installed? The outbuilding is about 20 feet from the main house. Would it be a ridiculously big job? I think it would be an asset to the space long term.

Google Earth view so you can get the idea:

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• retrocircles
• 28 Oct 2014
• 1

 

[ree]

Why not post a sketch of the house plan view including soil pipe(s) & manhole(s)? Show which direction your drainage is running in to the street sewer.

 

[theprinceofdarkness]

As you have mains power in your office, I would use a macerator (~£300), this way you can run your "waste" in 22mm pipes, which for the main length can go in the same trench as the 20mm alkathene water feed pipe.
Frank

 

[mfarrow]

As you have mains power in your office, I would use a macerator (~£300), this way you can have a quick and easy installation, and then years of blockages, smelly leaks and messy maintenance. The main length can go in the same trench as the 20mm alkathene water feed pipe.
Frank

That's how I read it anyway

OP, you need to find out where the waste (not surface, unless they're combined) water from the house goes and how deep it is, as 'fall' will be your biggest issue. You need to have 20mm/m fall to the connection, though most soil pipe junctions etc are angled for 43mm/m fall. If you can break/connect into an existing manhole (at it's base mind) then go with that, otherwise a small access chamber is the preferred method of connection.

For water, it should ideally come out the house below ground level >750mm deep (i.e. through the foundation). If you can't do both you have a greater risk of frost damage but depending on where you are in the UK this may not be too much of an issue (the 750mm rule has blanket coverage of course).

 

[retrocircles]

Speaking to a neighbour who had their bathroom moved from the lower front of the house to the upper rear, they had surveys done. I have attached the photos of the plans. You can see that there are 2 manholes on my property, one in the rear garden about 3 metres from the outbuilding, one in the front garden.

I'm 41. I've noted the location of the outbuilding, and the current bathroom (if that makes any difference)

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• retrocircles
• 29 Oct 2014
• 1

Untitled

• retrocircles
• 29 Oct 2014
• 1

 

[retrocircles]

Why not post a sketch of the house plan view including soil pipe(s) & manhole(s)? Show which direction your drainage is running in to the street sewer.

Hopefully the plans attached above will shed some more light on the scenario.

 

[mfarrow]

Well it's just as I described really. Being on the ground floor you'll get away without a stack. I'm not really sure what else you're asking for?

Best thing for you to do now is go to the Planning Portal website and download a copy of the regulations, and also look at things like this broshure.

 

[retrocircles]

Just wondered if it would be a big job? Timespan? Ballpark of cost?

Happy to get my hands dirty & do as much as I can myself.

 

[mfarrow]

It depends how you establish 'big'. You'll need a trench and some pea-shingle in it then pipe and more pea shingle on top. At the connection, if you're installing a new chamber you'll be cutting the pipe which may be clay and will need to be mindful of neighbours' use of the sewer. Either bag it or chance it.

To be honest if you haven't a spare inlet on the chamber you're better with a new connection anyway, bedded on concrete.

If your pipe is 4" and <1m great small chamber about 400 dia. otherwise more expensive option required.

So assuming alls good then I'd say £150-200 for materials all in including trenching shovel, pea shingle, pipe, fittings, chamber and risers.

If it's easy ground you're talking about a couple of weekends if not then maybe longer.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

You'll also need Building Control approval and possibly permission from the Water Company to connect into their drain. Skipping Building Control now can prove expensive if the work has to be signed off retrospectively should you wish to sell the property in the future.

 

[mfarrow]

BC shouldn't be interested in outbuildings. Severn Trent will easily double the price I gave you.

 

[HawkEye244]

Well if you want to be cunning about it without involving BC you could go to the extremes of lazy and run a tee off the inside water supply from the house, drill through the brick and once outside insulate the pipe until you reach the outhouse.

Likewise you could have a saniflow system for the toilet and feed the waste back inside the house and drain into an existing drain.

Of course this is completely cowboy builders, ultra super lazy mans approach, you'd save hundreds

It's all relevant, certainly would save trench work which only god rewards in unknown ways

 

[mfarrow]

It's not being cunning it's BC not being interested in the work any more than they were interested in the building itself, assuming it's <30m² of course. When I rang mine all they wanted was a bill for the electrics, as they're fed from the house so need to be Part P.

 

[HawkEye244]

It's not being cunning it's BC not being interested in the work any more than they were interested in the building itself, assuming it's <30m² of course. When I rang mine all they wanted was a bill for the electrics, as they're fed from the house so need to be Part P.

Fair enough. In that case I'd run both waste and supply in overground insulated plastic, you could do the job in a day - only problem is obvious hazards from doing this - perhaps clipping the pipes along the perimeter at eye level - what do you think about this ?

 

[mfarrow]

The OP's already got my answer which is build to regs in 110 and avoid saniflo.

Insulated pipe is all well and good but it's going to be rather static water which frost will get to so not worth the expense. Just go as deep as practicable.