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Depth of pipes underground- enforcable or general good practice

  • 09-02-2010 11:06am
    #1
    secman
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,619 ✭✭✭


    As the heading suggests , I am enquiring as to whether the depth of water pipes placed underground is an enforcable regulation or just good practice. My daughter is in a situation whereby in the recent bad weather the mains into the house froze, only hers, the neighbours were fine. Then the heating pipes from outside boiler/burner also froze. The builder has committed himself to adressing the issue of the mains by way of placing the pipes to a greater depth. However he is washing his hands with regard to the heating pipes. We suspect that there is a leak in the heating pipes, as when the mains are turned off the preesure in the heating system drops to almost zero and the burner/boiler will not fire. But when mains comes back on the system fills up again and the renewed pressure allows burner to fire !

    Any info would be most welcome.

    Yours

    Secman


Comments

  • #2
    sydthebeat
    Subscribers Posts: 42,570 ✭✭✭✭sydthebeat


    the mains pipe and connection from dwelling are covered under "Recommendations for Site Development Works for Housing Areas"

    watermains pipes should have a minimum cover of 900mm.

    This should be enforced legally as part of the conditions of planning.

    the heating pipes for an external boiler should be properly insulated. they should NOT be freezing. If they are it constitutes a major issue. Im not sure of any recourse on this. Building regs part L 2008 states:

    1.4.4.3 Unless the heat loss from a pipe or duct
    carrying hot water contributes to the useful heat
    requirement of a room or space, the pipe or duct
    should be insulated. The following levels of insulation
    should suffice:
    (a) pipe or duct insulation meeting the
    recommendations of BS 5422: 2001 Methods of
    specifying thermal insulating materials for pipes,
    ductwork and equipment (in the temperature
    range - 400oC to + 700oC), or
    (b) insulation with material of such thickness as
    gives an equivalent reduction in heat loss as
    that achieved using material having a thermal
    conductivity at 400oC of 0.035 W/mK and a
    thickness equal to the outside diameter of the
    pipe, for pipes up to 40 mm diameter, and a
    thickness of 40 mm for larger pipes.


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