Plumbing a slab with no existing plumbing

[Blake]

Hi there. Great informative forum!

I have just purchased a very old log home that sits on a slab that has no indoor plumbing at all. Just a rural concrete ring well in the yard and an outhouse. The area is very far north and subject to long below zero freezing times during winter.

I am going to renovate this house to live in year round so will need to install plumbing for the kitchen and bathroom. I am not going to do any plumbing work myself, I'll call in a pro for estimates, but want to know how they will run pipes in this situation? I want to sound somewhat informed of the procedures involved.

From the information I've read on the forums so far, I assume they will just bust up the concrete to put pipes in but are there any other methods? Can you put in a raised wood floor and run pipes under that? I'm gutting the interior so anything goes.

I'm sure I'll have many more questions in the future, thanks.

Blake

 

[hj]

floor

You would have to raise the floor about 12" to 18" to put the plumbing on top of the slab. The plumber will have the floor cut and put the piping under the concrete.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Leejosepho]

If the new bathroom will be on an outside wall and the kitchen area is on the same or an adjoining wall, it might be possible to only have to bore either through or under whatever foundation footing or wall *might* be around the perimeter of the slab and only cut the slab just enough for a main line and vent ... and the supply line coming from a submersible pump could be brought into a utility (water heater) area in a similar way in order to supply the adjoined kitchen and bath.

 

[HandyAndy]

A lot depends on how extensive your plumbing is and how it is located,

If the bath is back to back of kitchen then possibly not much of the floor would have to cut and tore out, water lines and sewer lines and vents all consolidated and so forth.

OR Consider adding on a bath room,

The kitchen then could exit out a small hole through floor and then out side of the build, you will need to consider frost line with water pipes and it is preferable to put sewer lines under frost line (out side) as well,

If your plumbing is spread out your water lines may be a challenge unless you want them exposed, or under the slab, or in an interior wall or heated attic space.
I would not really recommend it, but have seen it done, the hot and cold water lines ran out side of the building and then back in and up through the slab when there was a slab concrete floor, (it worked and did not have to tear out the existing floor).

 

[Blake]

Thanks for the replies guys. I've planned it out to keep the kitchen and bath next to each other along the outside wall that will lead to the septic tank to try and consolidate and simplify the project a bit. Only the incoming water lines will have an real distance to travel inside the house as the well is on the opposite side of the house from where the kitchen and bath will go.

 

[GrumpyPlumber]

Thanks for the replies guys. I've planned it out to keep the kitchen and bath next to each other along the outside wall that will lead to the septic tank to try and consolidate and simplify the project a bit. Only the incoming water lines will have an real distance to travel inside the house as the well is on the opposite side of the house from where the kitchen and bath will go.

Just bear in mind the frost depth of your locality and outside walls for the lines.

 

[Miho Dejan]

Hello guys!

I thinking of expanding my house a bit adding a couple rooms and a bathroom. My flooring is concrete.

But my problem is that if I expand out one direction.I would need a new septic tank because of the distance to the tank.

If I go the other direction, I would be pouring a new slab ontop of buried water pipes and a little bit of plumbing.

What should i do? Is it a bad idea to pour a new slab on top of existing plumbing?Can any one give some good idea..