The task list plan for drainage installation
The task list plan for drainage installation
Local building laws and procedures have to be complied with whenever you execute drainage or pipework repairs and installation by yourself.
If you are changing your current drainage, or installing a new system, you will most definitely be asked to show detailed designs of the implementation that you have in mind and it will need to be overseen as the work moves forward to ensure that it is compliant with local building rules. If you are simply replacing damaged sections of the drainage, in most circumstances they do not need to be informed.
Surface water is basically water from rain and is handled differently from dark waste water in a modern sewage development. 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. 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. Nowadays hygiene and recycling considerations have led to a mandatory separation of surface water and sewage water. To comply with modern planning rules you should always make sure that the foul water and surface water drainage system do not connect. When in doubt about the how the modern drainage system works, consult the Building Control Department.
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. Steep pipes should be avoided during the path design. Use the surveyor’s site level to calculate the drain fall over the complete system. If you do not have one of these available, establish a datum point and use a hose filled with water to establish levels and calculate the fall from the datum this way.
Be very careful not to excavate too close to your house, as you may undermine the foundation and cause a structural collapse. Keep the drain excavation at a uniformly safe distance from the building face to avoid damage to the foundation.
Try to leave as short a time as possible between digging the ditch and installing the drainage system as an empty trench represents a risk with the potential for a sidewall collapse. 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. Take he utmost care when doing this work. If you have any worries, you should support to the trench to reduce any risk of collapsing side walls during the building phase. The excavation should be only as wide as required, but should also permit the fitter to work conveniently. Be sure to remove any stones or bricks from the ditch bed and make it as even as possible. 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.
Bricks and/or any other sturdy material should never be used to prop up the pipe in the trench. In fact they should be never used as support as they can damage the pipe as they will focus pressure into a small area. The material used for bedding should be firmly compacted down with a depression created to allow the joints in the pipes to fit easily. A good guideline is that support should be provided for the entire 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. Thus, a drain route must be as straight as possible between any two points. 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 drainage can be delivered by conscientious DIY enthusiasts.