Water line size
Water line size
(OP)
I did some structural work for a client and he asked me about installing a 2,500 foot water line from the town main to his building. The building is approximately 70' above the water main. Will a 1" plastic water line be big enough?





RE: Water line size
You will have to have at least about 30 psi or 210 kpa at the town main to get any flow at all. If you had about 45 psi or 300kpa at the town main you might get about 4USGPM out the end.
Regards
Ashtree
"Any water can be made potable if you filter it through enough money"
RE: Water line size
Is the town even going to allow extending their system to your client's building? Is it even legal in your locale?
If so, is the town going to require the pipe to be sized for fire protection demands.
If so, how large of a fire flow would they require?
The peak water demand for single building can range from a few gallons per minutes to thousands of gallons per minute (e.g. a large factory). Fire sprinkler demands might be in the hundreds of gallons per minute range and fire hydrant flow requirements can be hundreds to thousands of gallons per minute.
In any case, a long dead-end pipeline will be prone to water quality problems if the demand is low, especially if the pipe is sized for fire protection.
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"Is it the only lesson of history that mankind is unteachable?"
--Winston S. Churchill
RE: Water line size
You also need to look at the interior.
If the building is residential, 1" is likely too big unless it is an apartment building.
If the building is commercial or industrial, 1" is likely too small, even if it is only for plumbing. If the building has flush valve water closets, a 1.5" is minimum, a 2" is better. You need to know what is being used inside (how many fixtures and the types), what the local plumbing code requires for pressure (IPC requires 35 psig static for water closets).
RE: Water line size
Unless there is a single bathroom in the building, 1-Inch will not be adequate.
RE: Water line size
RE: Water line size
Run the calcs yourself using some free flow/friction loss software online.
RE: Water line size
RE: Water line size
Chris Eberly, PE
www.parkusa.com
RE: Water line size
It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)
RE: Water line size
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6crT7RIjxh8
Chris Eberly, PE
www.parkusa.com
RE: Water line size
But you're getting ahead of yourself, you really need to know the building's water demand requirements before you can calculate all this which will depend on the volume of water through the pipe.
Regarding the booster pump, I'd wager if you have less than 50 psi at the main, you will need a booster pump.
One thing is certain, you need to run some calculations or risk having to tear the 1" pipe out to install something larger.
RE: Water line size
But good choice, what would enhance the installation is an appropriately sized bladder pressure tank for an installation that has intermittent, short supply demand such as a house / apartment, small office, small factory etc. - the pump doesn't need to come on each time someone want a drink of water or a quick wash of their hands etc.
The video is an excellent presentation , thanks for the share - many years since I visited Grundfos site.
It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)
RE: Water line size
You really need to calculate the total system head thru' the line from the main to the highest point in the building.
It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)
RE: Water line size
I'm from Texas, where "bigger is better". In the case of pipe sizes, the additional cost of upsizing the pipe size is often insignificant since the labor cost ia about the same to install 1" vs 2" pipe. It is common to use a day tank where your supply is limited. For example, we have a ranch in west Texas where the water well can only produce 3 gpm due to the well depth and geological conditions. To serve a lodge and additional houses, we need to have at least 20 gpm water. The solution is to provide a day tank (often referred to as surge tank, breaktank, or storage tank)with a booster pump to re-pressurize the water to serve the buildings.
Just remember, you can always upsize the pumps & tanks. Upsizing the plumbing piping inside of a building could be cost prohibitive if you choose to do it later. So, put in the larger pipe size early!
Chris Eberly, PE
www.parkusa.com
RE: Water line size
1. Small diameter pipe to a storage tank with a local booster pump
2.larger diameter pipe to supply directly to the building.
It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)
RE: Water line size