The 1st footsteps to drains installation

Before carrying out any DIY plumbing and drainage, you should first take into consideration the rules issued by your Local Authority.

You need to explain your work plan in detail to the authority if you wish to install a new sewage system or alter an existing one, the officials will then go through the plan to check if it is in accordance with the rules. In most cases they do not need to be notified for a simple replacement of broken parts.

Whatever water we see on the surface around your home is usually rain. 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. 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. 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 drainage system. You should get advice from the local authority Building Department before you start any work in a situation when you are not sure about the drainage system around your house.

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. Sewage pipes must be aligned as straight as possible, with inspection chambers at short intervals. If the pipe slope is excessive, your joint alignment may fail. Using surveyor’s site level you can calculate the fall of a drain over a distance to check the values. In case you don’t have a surveyors site level, choose a datum point and then a water filled hose can be used to calculate the fall from there.

Don’t compromise the stability of the building when setting up the drain ditch. Similarly, take care of the foundations when laying a drain that runs alongside the house.

If you try to dig all the trenches before you start pipe fixing, there is a chance of some trenches collapsing. Make certain that the pipes are laid as soon as possible and then bury them immediately after the testing and inspection are completed.

Depending on the depth and soil conditions, the ditch may require support. Do not take any risks. If you have any worries, you should support to the trench to reduce any risk of collapsing side walls during the building phase. Make sure that you leave enough room in the trench for you to work but try to keep it as small as possible. The base of the trench should be clean and even and free from protruding stones or bricks etc. If the exiting material is not suitable then you may need to import a suitable material for the base of the trench.

Bricks and/or any other sturdy material should never be used to prop up the pipe in the trench. This will damage the pipe and must never be used as temporary or permanent support. The base should be tightly packed in the appropriate manner with holes carved out to fit in the protruding pipe connections. 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. Which means that a run of drains must be installed straight 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.

DIY plumbing and sewage is certainly within the bounds of most DIY enthusiasts.

Posted in Blockages