Garages are a great space for storing tools and other items. However, they can be more than just a storage unit. If you have the land to build on, then your garage could also serve as an extra living area or even a work office.

But if you ever want to use your detached garage for anything besides outdoor storage, you will need plumbing! In this blog post, we’ll go over how to run pipes from the house out to the detached garage so that it has all of the necessary connections needed for water and sewage disposal.

How to Run Plumbing To a Detached Garage

We provided easy steps on how to run plumbing to a detached garage. The steps are as follows:

Step one

First, you need to determine the size of piping needed by calculating it based on the length and width of your house then adding 50 percent for waste allowance.

Step two

After determining the piping needed, install a water meter to measure how much you are using. Make sure that your house is equipped with at least one cold-water shut-off valve and one hot-water stop valve, so it does not affect other areas of plumbing in your home or garage. You can find more information about this here:

Step three

Choose where the main drain will be installed, which should run between 15 feet to 20 feet away from any building fixtures like showers, tubs or sinks.

Note that if the location chosen is too far, there might be changes in pressure throughout different rooms of your home or garage, causing leakage problems around faucets and appliances due to increased pressure exerted by force within pipelines without any allowance for expansion.

Step four

After choosing the location, dig a trench that is at least 24 inches wide and 36 to 48 inches deep with a slope of one inch per foot toward your house or garage where you will be installing drainage piping.

Make sure that the topsoil around the area dug out would not fall into trenches while digging otherwise. It might cause damage to pipelines by preventing the free flow of water, thereby causing leakage problems in plumbing systems which could lead to costly repairs later on.

In addition, make sure to avoid any underground power lines from being damaged during the excavation process since this also poses a risk, especially if there are high voltage electric wires running through them as they can pose fatal consequences once severed, like fires caused by short circuits, among others.

Lastly, it is important to note that you need at least two access points for each plumbing system in order to facilitate future repairs.

Step five

After digging the trench, install a branch line on either side of your house or garage, which should be six inches wider than the main pipe so there would be no tension exerted by flowing water once installed.

Note that this step requires help from another person since pipes are heavy and difficult to handle especially if they were not cut into separate pieces beforehand.

Before joining drain lines together, make sure all connections are airtight using a joint compound with embedded fiberglass mesh tape, then check them through an air pressure test before placing dirt back over trenches. Installing drainage piping also requires additional steps like installing cleanouts near toilets and other fixtures to facilitate future maintenance and repairs.

Step six

After installing the branch line, you can now install your main sewer pipe by lining it with a flexible rubber or plastic sleeve then carefully bend piping around corners without kinking before joining them together using band clamps where necessary after fastening cleanouts near fixtures in order to easily access pipes for future repairs when needed.

You need at least three cleanouts which are branches on drainage lines that allow easy flow of water through one opening while preventing backflow from entering other drains once used especially during heavy rains since this is how wastewater gets out of homes causing flooding problems in some areas if not properly maintained like clearing blockages along pipelines due to accumulation of dirt over time among others.

Lastly, make sure all joints and pipes are air-tight before filling trenches with soil.

Step seven

Ensure all joints and pipelines used for the drainage system have an adequate slope to ensure they are working properly by allowing water to flow toward the main sewer line without any hindrances so it does not cause backup problems in the future, especially when heavy rains occur.

Furthermore, install cleanouts near fixtures that can be accessed through wall cavities or floors of your home or garage so you can easily clear blockages over time due to the accumulation of dirt inside piping, among others.

Remember that this is an important step because having blocked drain lines at home would lead to costly repairs once the clog gets bigger, then damage on walls might result if there was no access point near fixture areas.

Step eight

Finally, after installing your drainage system, check for any leaks before covering trenches with soil. Then install a clean-out near the mainline to easily access it when needed.

Use gravel under foundation slabs of detached garages and run water through all pipelines, including drains inside bathrooms and kitchen, by flushing toilets, to ensure they are working properly without any problems.

Finally, test plumbing lines once again using air pressure test then backfill over trench area after ensuring no leaks or damage on piping systems. Finish up by placing topsoil around excavation areas and plant grasses over them.

Remember: make sure everything is done right from the start until the finish so you do not need costly repairs later on, which would add more unnecessary expenses for you in the long run.

Moreover, do not forget to leave access points near fixture areas so you can easily clear blockages over time through cleanouts. You might also want to read our post on how deep pool plumbing is buried if you have a pool and what non plumbed fridge freezer means.