Setting Up drainage, do this 1st
Setting Up drainage, do this 1st
Before starting any plumbing and drainage work yourself you should find out about any Local Authority regulations that relate to your area.
Detailed plans of any changing or installing of sewage in your home will have to be submitted, and expect ongoing inspections until its completion to ensure that the work abides by the regulations. However you do not require authority approval for replacement of failed joints or cracked plumbing and drains pipes.
When rain falls on your house and property, it runs across as surface water and has to be drained properly. It can drain out through a soakaway, watercourse, surface water sewer or, especially in older houses, into the dirty water drainage pipes. In a system combining both functions, the rainwater pipes clear out into the dirty water drains through the gully traps that prevent fetid air from sneaking out of the drains. Nowadays hygiene and recycling considerations have led to a mandatory separation of surface water and sewage water. Rainwater and foul water sewage should not be interconnected, however convenient it may seem. If you are unsure about the sewage system around your house get advice from the Building Control Department before you start any work.
Before you begin, you will need to plan the route of the waste pipes. The main things to consider when planning the route of a waste or soil pipe are to keep the route as straight and short as you can. The pipe work should run straight with a gentle incline. A surveyor’ site level should be used to work out the fall of a waste pipe. A hosepipe filled with water from an established datum point can be used if you don’t have a surveyor’s site level.
You will need to see to it that you do not impact on the stability of the building whilst installing your drain trench. If you are laying a drainage run parallel to the building, you must ensure that any foundations are not undermined.
While installing a new drainage system make sure that you do not dig too long before laying the pipe. Make certain that the pipes are laid as soon as possible and then bury them immediately after the testing and inspection are completed.
Be wary of the depth and soil conditions and if necessary add extra support to the trench. You should avoid any risks with this project. If you are not sure prop up the ditch anyway to prevent it from falling. The excavation should be only as wide as required, but should also permit the fitter to work conveniently. The base of the trench should be clean and even and free from protruding stones or bricks etc. The base should be good so you may need to import material if the existing soil structuire is not up to the mark.
Bricks and/or any other sturdy material should never be used to prop up the pipe in the trench. This should not be used as employing this type of material as a temporary or permanent pipe support will damage the pipe. The bedding should be properly compacted with hollows made to accommodate the joints in the pipes. You will need to provide a continuous and uniform support for the complete length of the pipe.
An important criteria for pipe layout is that you should be able to access any point with a drain rod to clear blockages. So that is why a run of drains should be as straight as possible between two points or inspection chambers. Inspection chambers have to be provided at any sudden changes of direction or level, so that drain rods can be inserted easily.
Following this guide you can see that DIY plumbing and sewage can be delivered by conscientious DIY enthusiasts.