New supply line - concrete slab

First of all, I'd like to thank the owner of this site for making it available. The information available here is awesome.

My home is plumbed with 1/2" galvanized supply lines. They are deteriorating and in need of replacement. Also, the kitchen is a more recent addition to the structure and is serviced from a branch off the bathroom (approx. 35 ft run of pipe). The kitchen sink is only about 12 feet from the line that comes through the slab to serve the HW heater and the cold water supply to the washer and utility sink. The kitchen and the rest of the house are approximately 3 feet higher than the slab of the wash room. (The wash room slab was likely originally the garage foundation, and the kitchen was added as a remodel; the crawl space under the rest of the house is directly over soil.)

I'd like to tap in to the cold water supply and the hot water at the tank and create a direct branch to the kitchen. The complication is that there is an exterior doorway in the wall between the water heater and the kitchen sink. I've considered the possibility of cutting a trench into the slab to accomodate the branch, but I'm lost as to how wide this would have to be to be reasonable. I figured I would make it 3 inches wider than needed to clear the supply lines and brace a top piece of subfloor-type plywood with 2x4s on each side. I had also considered the possibility of running the line through the wall and over/around the door, but that seems wrong to me somehow.

My question is whether creating this type of branch is advisable or whether another alternative would be better. I've created a partial floor plan that shows the existing supply lines in red and blue solid lines (x's on lines to be removed) as well as dotted lines to represent the approximate path of the new supply line. I've created an inset that shows the elevation view of the door casing in relation to the kitchen floor and counter level.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

--Mark

The following is based on my understanding of the picture.

What are the appearance requirements for the room that has the water heater? Will a couple of pipes degrade the appearance of that room? Is the floor in that heater room concrete or is there some kind of overlay on it?

I would be tempted to go UP from the water heater, over the outside door, down in the corner, and then through the wall into the cabinet that serves the kitchen.

Another possibility would be if there is a threshold of any height at that exterior door. You could serve the kitchen with 1/2" copper lines laid directly on the slab and against the threshold. Those pipes could be protected with a strip of metal that would prevent anyone from stepping on them.

You can run water line lines pretty much where ever you want as long as where you put them isn't going to freeze and where it comes in the house there is room to service the ball valve, check valve, and PRV if required. How much and where you want to tear up your house is up to you.

sign

Can't you see it now. The sign on the side of the truck says"

Routing over the door

Bob NH said:

What are the appearance requirements for the room that has the water heater? Will a couple of pipes degrade the appearance of that room? Is the floor in that heater room concrete or is there some kind of overlay on it?

I would be tempted to go UP from the water heater, over the outside door, down in the corner, and then through the wall into the cabinet that serves the kitchen.

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Thanks for your reply! The room is finished as laundry room and storage, but pipes outside the wall are acceptable (the existing plumbing is already exposed). The flooring is linoleum squares glued directly to the slab. That said, were I to go over the door and down, I suppose I'd prefer to hide the line in the wall given the routing.

Unfortunately, the door sill is at the same height as the slab so there's no room there.

Are there standards or rules of thumb for required distances to physically separate parallel hot and cold supply lines? I've looked in the UPC standard mandated by my jurisdiction and I did not find that detail specified there.

Thanks again,

--Mark

Tearing up and tearing down

Cass said:

How much and where you want to tear up your house is up to you.

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Thanks Cass. My intuition tells me you wouldn't be prone to tear up the slab at all ...

I appreciate your input!

--Mark

hj said:

Can't you see it now. The sign on the side of the truck says"

NYCHTHEMERON
SERVICE
​

Everyone would be looking for their nychthemeron to see if it was defective or wearing out.​

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hj, I love the way you put things.