The best actions to drain set up
The best actions to drain set up
The first thing that you will need to think about when undertaking any DIY plumbing and drainage are the regulations issued by your Local Authority.
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 rules. If you are simply replacing damaged sections of the sewage, in most circumstances they do not need to be informed.
Surface water is basically rain. 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. The rainwater pipes in combined sewage systems empty their discharge into the foul water drains through gully traps, this prevent foul air from escaping outside creating odours. With more contemporary systems, however the foul water and surface water is kept separate, this is a more recent development. Rainwater and foul water sewage 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.
Of course, the first thing you should do is plan the layout of the waste pipes. Sewage pipes must be aligned as straight as possible, with inspection chambers at short intervals. 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. 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 installing the drain ditch. You have to make sure that no house foundation is weakened if you are laying a drain pipe running parallel to the building.
Do not dig the trench too long before laying the pipe when installing a new drainage system. Get the pipes laid quickly and, as soon as they have been tested, fill the trench back in.
Because of different depth and soil conditions the ditch will probably need to be supported. Avoid risks when working in the ditch. If you are not entirely confident of the stability of the ditch you should add support. Keep the trench as narrow as possible, but allow room to work in the trench. Protruding stones or bricks should not be left in the base and it should be cleaned to provide a smooth, regular surface. You may have to bring in the right type of material for the bottom of the trench if the one that’s already there is not proper.
For pipe support do not use bricks or other hard materials 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 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.
It is important that all parts of your sewage system are designed so that all parts of the pipework are accessible to a set of drain rods. 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.
If you are keen on DIY and follow some basic principles then you will be able to do plumbing and sewage on your own.