Sewage installing, what to do first
Sewage installing, what to do first
The most important thing that you have to care about while taking on any DIY plumbing and drainage work are the Local Authority regulations which they actively monitor.
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 rules. However you don’t need to inform them if you are just replacing some broken parts.
Surface water is basically water from rain and is handled differently from dark waste water in a modern sewage development. This can discharged into a soakaway, watercourse, surface water sewer or, particularly in older properties, into the foul water drainage system. 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. However, the latest systems are designed in a way which separates the foul water and the surface water. It is extremely important to ensure that you do not connect foul water to a surface water sewage system. The Building Regulation Department will be able to guide you on any details or procedures you may require for repairs or replacement of your drainage.
To properly prepare the plans and get local authority permission to commence work there is a need for you to plan the route of the waste pipes before you begin. Keeping the path as straight and short as possible will be the main concept behind the design of the waste passageways or pipes. The pipe work should run straight with a gentle incline. Use a surveyor’s leveling tool to set out the slope of the drain trench. Or just fill a transparent hosepipe with water and use the water level at the two ends to mark the required fall from the starting point.
The stability of the existing home is of prime importance it should be not compromised while the drain ditch is being installed so check you are not impacting on the existing structure. The substructure of the building should not be undermined by your digging if the drainage runs parallel to it.
Do not dig the ditch too long before laying the pipe when installing a new sewage system. 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.
The trench may need to be supported depending on the depth and soil conditions. It is advisable to take proper precautions. If you have any worries, you should support to the trench to reduce any risk of collapsing side walls during the building phase. You must make the ditch as narrow as possible while leaving enough room to work inside it. The ditch base must be smooth and clean, there shouldn’t be any bricks or protruding stones around. If the existing soil is too weak or clayey, you should place and compact a layer of firmer soil at the base of the trench to prevent later sinking.
For pipe support do not use bricks or other hard materials in the ditch. In fact they should be never used as support as they can damage the pipe as they will focus pressure into a small area. Consolidate the bottom with a small roller or rammer and provide grooves in the bed to support the joints properly. The support should be smooth and even, from the beginning of the pipe to its end.
The drainage system should be designed in a way that pipework remains accessible to drain rods should sewage maintenance work be required. Thus, a drain route must be as straight as possible between any two points. As a general rule, any change in direction of the pipework should be provided with an inspection chamber to allow rodding access.
DIY plumbing and drainage is certainly within the limits of most DIY enthusiasts.