Plumbing & Heating a garden log cabin

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14 Mar 2010
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Essex
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United Kingdom
Looking to erect a log cabin / brick structure at the back of my garden. This will be a single storey building and around 40 square metres.

Which ever option I go for, I will ensure that the building is insulated to a high level.

Requirement is: heating (preferably underfloor), toilet and a sink. This means I will need a drain and hot and cold supply.

The building will be approx 100ft away from the main house.

In terms of running power, data, aerial, etc cables - no issues. I think I have got these covered.

My questions are:

- drainage: do I run a pipe fairly deep underground to join the main house, or go for a septic tank?

- heating: do I tap into the main house's central heating, or do I install a separate gas/electric boiler? The building will be used constantly so will be kept heated as opposed to no heating at all when not being used.

- water: assuming I did not have a separate boiler, can I run a hot and cold pipe from the main house to this building?

With any underground pipes, i keep hearing about the frost line and how pipes should be buried at least 0.5m below the ground to prevent frost. Is this adequate, or should I invest in frost prevention heating cable?

I realise that every situation is different but would value the opinion of anyone who has had this sort of experience.
 
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For gas heating, you would have to run a gas supply from the main building, Minimum depth of your water supply I believe is around 750mm (It may have changed since I installed my water supply)... How about heating with air to air heatpumps, water cylinder heated by air to water HP with electric back up?
 
Minimum 750mm depth.

Wouldn't recommend you run hot water from the main house, nor the central heating, due to wastage of water and heat loss. So, if money's not really too much a problem, maybe and lpg boiler of some sort to heat water and underfloor heating.

As for drainage, providing you can get a gradient of about 1 in 40, then this should suffice

Check all details with LABC and planning, since this is likely to be classed as a habitable room etc etc etc. :rolleyes:
 
How about heating with air to air heatpumps, water cylinder heated by air to water HP with electric back up?

Is an air-to-air heat pump a viable solution on it's own? I want to use this building in the winter. Would I need additional heating?
 
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Check all details with LABC and planning, since this is likely to be classed as a habitable room etc etc etc. :rolleyes:

Yes, definitely!! Got an architect coming over in a few days to help design the building (amongst other things).
 
After all the useful tips, I think I'm leaning towards running a gas pipe, mains cold water and power to the garden building.

With the drain, if I can't get the necessary gradient, then I'll live with the septic tank.

Thanks everyone for the advise.
 
Anyone know of a small size (and capacity) combi boiler that I can use in this garden building?
 

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