Running services to and from an outbuilding

[JDLDIY]

Hi there. We're going to build an outbuilding at the bottom of our garden. It's about 50m from our house's back wall and about 60m from the nearest manhole drain cover down the side of our house.

I want to have a plan in place for running electricity, hot and cold water to the outbuilding. We intend to have a toilet and bathroom facilities down there as well, so I've got to think about drainage for all of that as well.

I'd just really appreciate some thoughts/advice on the best way forward.

Some initial questions/thoughts;

Can I dig 1 trench to install the lot?
Am I better advised to install a mini boiler/water heater down there rather than runnning hot water from the house boiler?
Should I consider a macerator type toilet?

My research continues, but any feedback gratefully received.

 

[bernardgreen]

We're going to build an outbuilding at the bottom of our garden

We intend to have a toilet and bathroom facilities down there as well,

This seems very close to becoming residential, you may need to check on planning permission requirements.

Can I dig 1 trench to install the lot?

Yes, and install ducts for the cables to be pulled in later when their size has been determined.

Hot water from the house would not be a sensible idea. You would need more than just an inch or two of water proof thermal insulation around the pipes.

If the outbuilding is below sewer level (*) you have no option but to install macerator and pump.

(*) or above sewer level but not high enough to get the required fall along the 60 metres of pipe to the manhole

 

[foxhole]

Sounds like a granny annex?

 

[Ian H]

You would need about 1.5mtrs of fall to have a normal drain.

 

[JDLDIY]

Right, thanks all. I'll need to inspect the sewer I guess. Hmm...the manhole at the side of the house services our bathroom, but when you lift the cover the drain inside is only just below the ground level. How do I inspect the sewer level? Manhole in the road? Not sure there is one....

If I can't run hot water that far, can gas be run down there?

What would normally be used for ducting, drain pipe?

Thanks again.

 

[endecotp]

What would normally be used for ducting, drain pipe?

No, ducting. If you use drain pipe, someone will dig it up and think it's a drain pipe.

Maybe:
https://www.drainagesuperstore.co.u...duct-3237mm-black-smooth-single-wall-50m.html

There are various sizes, and it would be madness to not talk to an electrician first.

Fit one for power and one for phone/network/etc.

can gas be run down there?

You could ask in Plumbing, but they don't much like to discuss gas regulations in public to discourage idiots trying to blow themselves up.
My guess, FWIW, is that it would be quite difficult to run 50m from your side of your meter, because of the pressure drop. So you'd need to get a new mains connection and new meter. Or something like that.

 

[scbk]

If you just want hot water for a sink, have at look at the in line instant water heaters

 

[foxhole]

Power and water should be buried , no need for ducting, armoured cable for power.

 

[JDLDIY]

Ok, this is all great, many thanks for the advice and info. I'm thinking then that 1 trench, power can be run in either armoured cable or in a duct as linked (many thanks endecotp) and phone/ethernet in similar ducting. Sounds like heating the place had better be done with storage heaters, unless anyone can suggest an alternative? Heating needs to be turn on/off at a moment's notice - so I don't want to rely on a log burner or suchlike. Also not expensive to run, I will be insulating the place properly.

Drainage is going to be the big issue, does anyone have any suggestions on how to properly assess whether connecting to the sewer is going to be practicable? Where would I start to look/measure etc?

I will be getting professionals involved in this (certainly won't be doing the electrics), but trench digging etc will probably fall to me due to cost. Plus I just like to be informed first.

 

[Ian H]

Get a dumpy level (theodolite) to check the levels between the shack and the manhole.

 

[foxhole]

Storage heaters cannot be turned on quickly they require 24hours to absorb heat and once on cannot be turned off till heat dissipates.They claim to be controllable , but having had them found them useless, you can’t stop them giving off heat only slow it and on cold days often run out of heat mid afternoon. Of course you also have to predict the temp for the next 24 hours.
Any electric heating will be expensive to run, a woodbuner would heat quickly and be cheap to run [I burn pallets which are free].

 

[bernardgreen]

Click here to find this

The controls also have an output setting that allows you to regulate the amount of heat that the storage heater gives off. It means you don’t have to use up all the stored heat at once, but can let it out gradually, saving some for the evening if you want to.

Some storage heaters have a timer that gives you even more control over the output. It allows you, for example, to programme your heater to come on at a time that suits you, for example when you get up in the morning or just before you get back from work. Others include a control that regulates the amount of charge the heater draws at night, depending on the temperature.