What to execute when managing drain pipes or pipe remedies and installation by yourself
What to execute when managing drain pipes or pipe remedies and installation by yourself
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.
You need to explain your work plan in detail to the authority if you wish to install a new sewage system with drain pipes or alter an existing one, the officials will then go through the plan to check if it is in accordance with the rules. However you don’t need to inform them if you are just replacing some damaged parts.
Surface water is basically rainwater. This can discharged into a soakaway, watercourse, surface water sewer or, particularly in older properties, into the foul water drainage system through drain pipes. If gully traps are fixed at the junction of the rainwater pipe and the waste water drain, foul odour can be controlled. Nowadays hygiene and recycling considerations have led to a mandatory separation of surface water and sewage water. If you have a modern system it is very essential that you make sure that you do not accidentally integrate the foul water to a surface water sewage system via your drain pipes. If you have doubts about your house’s drainage system, you can get help from the Building Control Department before you begin any work.
Before starting your work, finalise the routes the waste pipes would take. The basic thing which you have to care about is to keep the route as straight and short as you can while designing the route of a waste or soil pipe, this will help to reduce the likelihood of obstructions. You must avoid making your drain pipes runs too steep. With the help of a surveyor’s site level, you will be able to determine the fall of a drain over a distance. 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.
You will need to guarantee that you do not impact on the stability of the house whilst installing your drain trench. You have to make sure that no house foundation is weakened if you are laying a drain pipe running parallel to the building.
If you try to dig all the trenches before you start pipe fixing, there is a chance of some trenches collapsing. Excavate a part of the sewage system, install and test the drain pipes, and then back fill and compact the earth before moving on to the next part.
Because of different depth and soil conditions the trench will probably need to be supported. You should avoid any risks with this project. If you are not sure prop up the ditch anyway to prevent it from falling. Make sure that you leave enough room in the ditch for you to work but try to keep it as small as possible. Ensure that the trench bottom is flat and free of stones, tree roots and soft spots. 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 drain pipes 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. For accommodation of the joints in the pipes,the bedding should be compacted in a regular way with hollows made a appropriate points. 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. Therefore, a run of drains should be as straight as possible between two points. In case of any change in the direction of the pipework and drain pipes it should be provided with an inspection chamber for allowing drains rod access.
Keeping these points in mind, you can carry out your own sewage and plumbing work smoothly and almost professionally.