Glycol Lines Underground?

[ericksonaz]

In the process of locating our chiller, we have discovered it will be outside and approximately 5' from an exterior brewery wall with a walkway between the chiller and the building.

The question I am trying to answer is do we run the lines overhead and above the walkway knowing they will be run overhead once inside the brewery?
Or
Do we run underground, therefore under the walkway, and then pop up inside the brewery?

I am concerned with exposed, yet heavily insulated, lines out in the AZ heat but also concerned with potential service issues if underground.
My gut is telling me overhead but I will leave it to you guys, the experts.

[Rooh]

You could put the lines underground in an extra large conduit. Use something flexible like pex so you can pre insulate and snake them in or out if you have to.

Rich DeLano
rich@thebrewinlair.com

[Starcat]

Layout

Without any question I would put them overhead. The distance described is not significant. Anything that goes in the ground as such would need to be High Industrial duty and bullet proof such as welded steel or SS. If you are using a package chiller with on board well, that is going to be more of an issue with ambient heat that a few feet of line run, but its done all the time.Depending on limitations there are many ways things can be approached such as going with a modular unit and having your main well and pumps indoors. Much larger systems sometimes use in ground wells. When your piping is where you can see it you can make quick repairs.

[bbesser]

As a structural engineer, my recommendation would be to run them overhead. Depending on your location and frost depth, you could have to run the pipes several feet underground to avoid conflicts with the foundation system. Additionally, running underground could result in future modifications being much more labor intensive if you have to excavate/slab cut to get access to the lines.

[gvh_Dan]

In case you are still trying to decide, I agree with Warren. Run them overhead. If they are properly insulated, the amount of heat they will pick up for that short of a run is minimal. He is also right, pipes you can see or more often repaired. That's why when you go to larger food plants/breweries, you will see chilled water, refrigerant and everything else run across the roof. Easy access = easy maintenance.

On the underground, in your area I have been involved in ruptured underground lines that were in expansive soil. When the soil gets wet, it grows. In this case it was a buried chilled water line that leaked a little. The soil expanded and caused it to leak a little more...more expansion...more leak...more expansion...rupture. The building started to tilt.

[dast]

Hi,
The COOL-FIT ABS Plus piping system can be direct burried without a conduit pipe.

Dan Strömberg
Cooling Market Segment Manager
Georg Fischer LLC
Phone: +1 714 368 4196
Fax: +1 714 368 4197
Mobile: +1 951 642 2339
Dan.Stromberg@georgfischer.com

GF Piping Systems
9271 Jeronimo Rd., Irvine, CA. 92618
United States

https://www.gfps.com/us

[gitchegumee]

One more vote for

OVERHEAD. Without a doubt.

[TGTimm]

Given the choice, there is nothing to recommend putting lines of any kind underground. Electric lines in over-sized conduits would be the only exception.