Installing drains, do this 1st
Installing drains, do this 1st
Before starting any plumbing and drainage work yourself you should find out about any Local Authority rules that relate to your area.
If you are considering altering your existing drainage, or installing a new sewage system you will almost certainly need to present some detailed plans of the work that you intend to undertake and it will need to be inspected as the work progresses making sure that it complies with the local building regulations. However you don’t need to inform them if you are just replacing some broken parts.
Surface water is basically rainwater. In older properties this can discharged into a foul water sewage system whereas in other properties this can discharged into a soakaway, watercourse or a surface water sewer. In a combined system, the rainwater pipes are discharged into the foul water drains via gully traps which stop foul air escaping from the drains. But modern systems are especially created so that dirty water and surface water remain separate. If you have a modern system it is very essential that you make sure that you do not accidentally integrate the foul water to a surface water sewage system. When in doubt about the how the modern sewage system works, consult the Building Control Department.
Before you begin, you will need to plan the route of the waste pipes. The basic thing which you have to care about is to keep the route as straight and short as you can while designing the route of a waste or soil pipe, this will help to reduce the likelihood of obstructions. You must avoid making your pipe runs too steep. You can calculate the fall of a drain over a distance using a surveyors site level. By establishing a datum point and using a hosepipe filled with water to establish levels you can calculate the fall from the datum in a situation when do not have one of these measures available.
Don’t compromise the stability of the building when setting up the drainage ditch. The foundation of the building should not be undermined by your digging if the drainage runs parallel to it.
If you try to dig all the trenches before you start pipe fixing, there is a chance of some trenches collapsing. Excavate a part of the sewage system, install and test the pipework, and then back fill and compact the earth before moving on to the next part.
Depending on the depth and soil conditions, the trench may require support. It is no advisable to not take any risks. If you are not entirely confident of the stability of the trench you should add support. You must make the ditch as narrow as possible while leaving enough room to work inside it. The base of the ditch should be clean and even and free from protruding stones or bricks etc. You may need to import a suitable material for the base of the trench if the existing material is unsuitable.
You should definitely not use hard materials such as bricks to support the pipe in the trench. This will damage the pipe and must never be used as temporary or permanent support. The material used for bedding should be firmly compacted down with a depression created to allow the joints in the pipes to fit easily. For the complete pipe length you have to provide a continuous and uniform support.
Make sure that your plans are made in such a way that drain rods are within reach of every part of the network of pipes. So that is why a run of drains should be as straight as possible between two points or inspection chambers. In case of any change in the direction of the pipework it should be provided with an inspection chamber for allowing drains rod access.
DIY plumbing and sewage is certainly within the bounds of most DIY enthusiasts.