Drains installation, what to do initially
Drains installation, what to do initially
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 changing your current sewage, or installing a new system, you will most definitely be asked to show detailed designs of the implementation that you have in mind and it will need to be overseen as the work moves forward to ensure that it is compliant with local building rules. However you don’t need to inform them if you are just replacing some damaged parts.
Surface water is basically rainwater. In older properties this surface water can find its way into the foul water sewage system, but more generally it can also end up in a watercourse, surface water sewer or soakaway. Air escape from the drains is stopped when rainwater pipes are discharged into the foul water drains through gully traps in an older combined system. But modern systems are especially created so that dirty water and surface water remain separate. Rainwater and foul water drainage should not be interconnected, however convenient it may seem. The Building Regulation Department will be able to guide you on any details or procedures you may require for repairs or replacement of your sewage.
Designing the path of the waste passages will be your first task. Sewage pipes must be aligned as straight as possible, with inspection chambers at short intervals. The pipe work should run straight with a gentle incline. Use the surveyor’s site level to calculate the drain fall over the complete system. In the absence of one of these, create a datum point and set levels with a hosepipe filled with water and compute the fall from the datum in this manner.
Don’t compromise the stability of the home when setting up the drain ditch. The foundation of the building should not be undermined by your digging if the drain runs parallel to it.
The pipes should be laid before too long a ditch is dug as a new trench can be unstable. You should attempt to get the pipes laid as soon as possible and, after inspection and checking, you should back fill the ditch.
The ditch may need to be supported depending on the depth and soil conditions. Do not take any risks. If you are not sure prop up the ditch anyway to prevent it from falling. Make sure that you leave enough room in the trench for you to work but try to keep it as small as possible. Protruding stones or bricks should not be left in the base and it should be cleaned to provide a smooth, regular surface. The base should be good so you may need to import material if the existing soil structuire is not up to the mark.
Never use bricks and/or other hard materials to support the pipe in the ditch. Such hard objects will cause the poorly supported pipe to bend or break and the joints will eventually fail. The bedding should be made compact to fit around the pipe joints. The entire drain pipe system has to be uniformly supported by the soil bedding.
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. Therefore, a run of drains should be as straight as possible between two points. As a general rule, any change in direction of the pipework should be provided with an inspection chamber to allow rodding access.
Following this guide you can see that DIY plumbing and sewage can be delivered by conscientious DIY enthusiasts.