Run a water line from the house to the shed underground.
Getting water from your house to a shed isn't difficult, but prepare yourself for some digging. If you want to avoid having water freeze in the pipes and burst them, you'll have to set the pipes below the frost line. Depending on where you live, this could be anywhere from 2 to 5 feet in the ground. Another tip is to transition from copper to PVC at the water line in the house. PVC pipes are easier to install and more reliable outdoors. If anything does go wrong in the future, they are also easier to repair. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Tap into a 3/4-inch water line in the basement or crawlspace at the point of closest approach to the shed. Turn off the valve that controls the line, and then cut out a 1-inch section with a pipe cutter. After the water drains, solder in a 3/4-inch "T" with the outlet facing in the direction of the shed.
2. Cut a 2-inch length of copper pipe and solder one end into the "T" outlet. Solder a 3/4-inch copper adapter to the other end. Let the pipes cool, and then wrap plumbing tape around the threads of the adapter and screw on a 3/4-inch PVC female slip adapter, tightening it with a wrench.
3. Cut a 1- or 2-foot length of 3/4-inch PVC pipe with a hacksaw and glue one end to the slip adapter with PVC cement. Glue a 3/4-inch PVC shut-off valve to the other end. Close the valve, turn on the water and check for leaks. Leave the valve closed while you finish installing the water line to the shed.
4. Drill a 1-inch hole in the siding between the valve and the shed as close to the ground as possible. Dig a trench between the point where the hole emerges on the outside of the house to the shed, using a shovel. It should be deep enough so the pipe will be below the frost line and the water won't freeze in the winter. Consult your local building department for the correct depth.
5. Cut lengths of pipe and assemble them by gluing them together with appropriate fittings so the line runs from the valve through the hole in the siding and makes a 90-degree bend along the outside of the house into the trench. Wrap pipe insulation around the length of pipe that runs along the siding, and fill the gap in the hole in the siding with silicone caulk.
6. Assemble the pipe along the bottom of the trench, and terminate it at the shed with a 90-degree elbow that points upward. If you plan to run the line inside the shed, drill a 1-inch hole in the siding and route the pipe through it. If you plan to install a faucet on the side of the shed, run the pipe vertically to the position of the faucet and attach it to the siding with pipe clamps. Wrap any exposed pipe that is above ground with pipe insulation, and patch the hole in the shed, if you made one, with silicone caulk.
7. Glue a 3/4-inch cap onto the end of the pipe, turn on the valve inside the house and check the line carefully for leaks. Once you are sure there are none, backfill the trench. You can cut off the cap when you are ready to make connections inside the shed or install the faucet.
Tags: hole siding, water line, house shed, with pipe, 1-inch hole, 1-inch hole siding