Hot and cold water pipes to outbuilding

[dean1256]

Hi,

We recently had a concrete base built in our back garden with a view to build a garden office at some point in the future. As the concrete base was being built the builders offered the option to put in a toilet soil pipe and hot and cold pipes underneath the base as this can't be done at later stage they said. They are not connected but just placed in case down the line it is needed. Picture attached. I'm not convinced the hot and cold pipes are right but the builder maintained it is correct. Is there any truth in this?

Thanks.

Dean

 

[jj4091]

Not sure what you think is wrong with them but I think they could dp with some mechanical protection to stop them getting snapped off during and after construction. It appears one is inside a duct which might help but not the other.

 

[CountryFan]

One water pipe seems protected against the cement, the other doesn’t. It will depend on the depth laid in regards to having them freeze.

 

[Ken Cooper]

You are totally right to be skeptical here. Running a direct, uninsulated hot water pipe from the main house all the way underground to an outbuilding is a massive red flag because the ground will instantly sap all the heat out of it before it ever reaches your tap. Almost every proper garden office setup just runs a single cold mains pipe and uses a compact under-sink electric water heater or an electric shower to generate hot water right there on demand.

 

[dean1256]

Thanks for the replies. The pipes are not currently running from the main house. The builders have only put a small amount of pipe (you may note in the pictures on the right against the fence). Its been capped off both sides. They did put some black plastic covering around the pipes but the hot pipe not all the way up.

The reason for my concern about the position of the pipes is because its at the front. The concrete base is 4m x 4m (I think the concrete slab itself is 150mm deep) . If we chose a small shed for example the pipes are going to be exposed going into the shed and would be a hazard?

 

[jj4091]

In that case you are never going to use them and might as well just cut them off

 

[dean1256]

In that case you are never going to use them and might as well just cut them off

The plan is to use the hot and cold pipes in the shed eventually. I didn't quite understand your comment. Do you mean that it would not be possible to use them in the way they are positioned that meet building regulations and health and safety?

 

[jj4091]

Unless you told them differntly I guess he would assume that a building was going to be the same size as the base. If you always intended to have a smaller shed then I think you should have made that clear to him. Cometics and practicality are the problem now not regulations.

 

[morqthana]

You are totally right to be skeptical here. Running a direct, uninsulated hot water pipe from the main house all the way underground to an outbuilding is a massive red flag because the ground will instantly sap all the heat out of it before it ever reaches your tap. Almost every proper garden office setup just runs a single cold mains pipe and uses a compact under-sink electric water heater or an electric shower to generate hot water right there on demand.

Curious 8½ year gap between joining and first posting...

 

[dean1256]

Unless you told them differntly I guess he would assume that a building was going to be the same size as the base. If you always intended to have a smaller shed then I think you should have made that clear to him. Cometics and practicality are the problem now not regulations.

They were aware of the smaller shed but I guess it could just be cut off and rerouting else where but not under concrete base? is that normally ok given the height of the slab - 210mm blocks and concrete slab is 150mm?