Can water, electricity, and gas supplies run in same conduit ?

Sea point · 21-11-2015 6:52pm #1

hi all,

i'm looking at a new build with tight/narrow access. we need to run the services from the public road underneath this access lane. I wondered if anyone new the rules about running water, gas, and electricity in the same conduit ? Is it possible?

delfagio · 22-11-2015 11:28am

Sea point wrote:

i'm looking at a new build with tight/narrow access. we need to run the services from the public road underneath this access lane. I wondered if anyone new the rules about running water, gas, and electricity in the same conduit ? Is it possible?

If your digging a trench in the access lane to bring the services in sure it's just as easy to lay 3 x 4" ducts giving you one duct for each service.

Then if you ever have to bring new supply in later on in life down the line, you don't have to 're dig the access lane.

One duct probably can be done, might not be ideal in the real world though. As there usually is specifications for laying services. They usually require spacing between other utilities.

Gumbo · 22-11-2015 2:46pm

Sea point wrote: »

hi all,

i'm looking at a new build with tight/narrow access. we need to run the services from the public road underneath this access lane. I wondered if anyone new the rules about running water, gas, and electricity in the same conduit ? Is it possible?

I can't see Gas Networks Ireland allowing their supply to mingle with others, same for ESB.

I would personally want them in separate ducts.

Sea point · 22-11-2015 10:56pm

Hi delfagio. Thanks for your message.

The lane way for the services is only 3 to 3.5 feet wide. Will that be wide enough to lay three separate ducts for water , electricity, and gas with the required spacing that Esb, Bord Gais and Irish water will ask for ?

Sea point · 22-11-2015 11:04pm

hi kceire. Thanks for your thoughts.

I suspect that you are right that there is little chance one duct would be possible for all three services.

Do you know what the minimum spacing required will be between the three separate ducts. I assume you couldn't lay them on top of each other and that they will need to be spaced out to the left and right of each other ?

delfagio · 23-11-2015 4:01pm

Sea point wrote:

The lane way for the services is only 3 to 3.5 feet wide. Will that be wide enough to lay three separate ducts for water , electricity, and gas with the required spacing that Esb, Bord Gais and Irish water will ask for ?

I assume you mean 3 - 3.5m instead of feet. No?? But yes you would have enough space in this to Kay the 3 ducts.

Sea point wrote:

Do you know what the minimum spacing required will be between the three separate ducts. I assume you couldn't lay them on top of each other and that they will need to be spaced out to the left and right of each other ?

Yes you can lay services on top of each other. Usually spacing between services both horizontally and vertically is 300mm.

If you look up specifications for laying if electrical ducts for ESB, type something like this into Google, you should find a PDF document from ESB for laying esb duct and cables. Or you should find it on the ESB website under new home connection section. This shows the spacing required from ESB cable in proximity to other services.

cpoh1 · 23-11-2015 6:01pm

Separate ducts for gas, water and ESB.

Can you imagine if you had a water leak with the electricity in the same conduit? Very bad practice in my opinion.

If you are digging a trench its very little extra cost to split.

Gumbo · 23-11-2015 6:34pm

Sea point wrote: »

hi kceire. Thanks for your thoughts.

I suspect that you are right that there is little chance one duct would be possible for all three services.

Do you know what the minimum spacing required will be between the three separate ducts. I assume you couldn't lay them on top of each other and that they will need to be spaced out to the left and right of each other ?

ESB and GNI both have their own sets of site standards that can be got online from their site I think. I'd be only guessing if I gave you an answer. Although the networks departments of each group are quite good so if you called them they may tell you over the phone or arrange an inspection as they will want to see them in place before they start pulling cables etc

delfagio · 23-11-2015 6:37pm

cpoh1 wrote:

Can you imagine if you had a water leak with the electricity in the same conduit? Very bad practice in my opinion.

Wouldn't make any difference

mickdw · 23-11-2015 6:54pm

delfagio wrote: »

Wouldn't make any difference

The standard Clearance between services should be 300 mm.
600mm should be allowed from high pressure pipe.
If you have about 1.2m that you can dig, I would lay 3 ducts all on the one level spacing them as good as possible to give 600 and 300 mm spacing.
ducts should be 600mm + below surface.

Sea point · 23-11-2015 7:22pm

Thanks for all the info everyone. Yes I only have 1.2 metres of space that I can dig for services. So it sounds like the solution is to lay three separate ducts on the same level (roughly 600mm beneath the surface) and to space the three ducts as much as possible (so roughly 500mm apart allowing for the diameters of the three ducts).

I will go and look for the materials people suggested online. Thanks again for the help.

cpoh1 · 24-11-2015 10:40am

delfagio wrote: »

Wouldn't make any difference

Rubbish!

delfagio · 24-11-2015 7:23pm

cpoh1 wrote:

Rubbish!

I was saying "it wouldn't make a difference" about what you said in your previous post, about having a water leak in with an electric cable. Not that it's ok to have the two in the same duct....Sure I already told the OP to put in three ducts one for each utility

Can water, electricity, and gas supplies run in same conduit ?

Comments