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Posted: Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:04 pm
by Bobby Spray
I need some advice. I am in the process of installing a linear drain hard against my house. The garden slopes towards the house and the sub base is heavy clay so the soak-away we have at present can’t cope. I need to join the linear drain into the existing drain at the household waste water drain. Currently there is a bog standard square hopper and u bend connected to a clay pipe. I need to either break into this hopper or replace it with a unit that can accept flow two directions (vertical and horizontal). Can anyone recommend something that will do this?
Great site by the way
Bobby
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 12:07 am
by matt h
your local building merchant should have a joiner piece which will fit, if not, just cut the collar of the existing trap and bench your linear drain into it. Alternatively just remove the existing clay hopper and replace in plastic and make your fittings back from that.
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 1:40 am
by matt h
your local building merchant should have a joiner piece which will fit, if not, just cut the collar of the existing trap and bench your linear drain into it. Alternatively just remove the existing clay hopper and replace in plastic and make your fittings back from that.
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:59 am
by lutonlagerlout
wow you have a lot of pipes there m8
looks like 3 downpipes in 2 M?
you need to check the invert of your IC and work back from that
dont forget it needs to be trapped
cheers LLL :;):
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 8:34 am
by Dave_L
I'd excavate the whole trap out and start afresh with plastic and work towards tidying up all those messy downpipes etc!
You could (I have done) just cut a slot into the side of the hopper and bench into it as Matt has said, but it's far from ideal. Plastic will make a much better job of it.
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 8:38 am
by Dave_L
Second thoughts.....
Replace the gulley with a nice modern plastic one and drain the linear drain into the pipe between the trap and the IC, using a plastic P trap and a suitable T or Y connection. Does mean some excavation though.
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 9:33 am
by matt h
a little digging would save a lot of heartache in the long term, you are halfway there already, so the choice is all yours.I always go for the permanent solution wherever possible. It would also be adviseable to divide the load this trap is taking, as with all the downpipes going to the one could lead to 'washout' . Aseparate p trap for the down pipe on the left and the bath waste, but really should try to avoid mixing the two... depends on how your main drains are run. best of luck the weather seems to be holding so give it a go!;)
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 11:48 am
by Bobby Spray
Thanks for the advice so far. Just to clarify the points that have been raised.
1. The existing hopper is plastic and the drain is ceramic.
2. Why is the level of the invert important? Once I have worked out the invert what do I do with the info?
3. Why does the linear drain need to be trapped? Just for valuables that have dropped in?
4. What can I do about the god awful mess of pipes spewing from my house?
5. If I P trap the two pipes on the left (dishwasher and bath) do I have to install separate gullies for each of these?
6. Is the existing type of hopper the way to go? I am forever clearing leaves out of the existing one as the grill only goes half way across.
here is a larger shot of the mess at the back of my house..... the guy who did all of this when he lived in the house was a builder
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 1:20 pm
by matt h
Bobby Spray wrote:Thanks for the advice so far. Just to clarify the points that have been raised.
1. The existing hopper is plastic and the drain is ceramic.
2. Why is the level of the invert important? Once I have worked out the invert what do I do with the info?
3. Why does the linear drain need to be trapped? Just for valuables that have dropped in?
4. What can I do about the god awful mess of pipes spewing from my house?
5. If I P trap the two pipes on the left (dishwasher and bath) do I have to install separate gullies for each of these?
6. Is the existing type of hopper the way to go? I am forever clearing leaves out of the existing one as the grill only goes half way across.
here is a larger shot of the mess at the back of my house..... the guy who did all of this when he lived in the house was a builder
there are builders and there are builders iykwim. I believe you should just bite the bullet and start from scratch. Expose existing pipework to main drain(should be about 3m from property, and relay in plastic. lay linear drain against property and join into system. 3into one directed straight down to p trap and this joined to present system. down pipe by side of property needs to either be diverted by linear drain back to the existing trap area or taken to a soakaway, as continuous water at this point could lead to subsidenc
2.need to ensure adequate fall to ensure proper drainage
3. Linear drain does not need trap, just the joining trapTo stop gases coming back, reduces chance of rodents coming back up from main sewer
4.see above
5. separate gullies advised
6.There are many types of gullies available with covers which negate the leaf blockage problem. see local merchants
Hope this helps 
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 3:44 pm
by eazybarra man
I tend to agree with Matt. I would be inclined to start afresh and get rid of your spaghetti junction of pipes.
agreed its a bit more work but it will look (and probably smell a lot better)
You can buy plastic bottle gullies from your local merchant which have side inlets to allow connection of your waste pipes below ground level.
I would also install a silt trap with my channel drain too, reducing the chances of blockages in your main line.
Posted: Sun Dec 30, 2007 6:23 pm
by Dave_L
I was only advising a trap on the linear channel if connecting into the main combined drain run, not via the hopper.
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 1:26 pm
by Bobby Spray
I had a go at this at the weekend. All was pretty starightforward apart from the connection to the original clay pipe. It was layed on a mortar bed and I had to be a bit careful chipping enough away too fit the rubber connecting piece. Just the pressure test to do and I should be ok to fill in. A big thanks to all that gave me advice.
regards
BS
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 7:24 pm
by andpartington
looks good to me!!
but i wood have put a third hopper in for the down pipe then you can remove any crap that gets washed down from the roof and if u ever need to change the dp it become an easy job.
andy
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 4:43 am
by Suggers
nice one Bobby - is the missus over the moon?
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2008 12:47 pm
by Bobby Spray
No. Not exactly what you would call over the moon, as I’d used the money we received at Christmas from relatives to fix the drain!. I think that she had other ideas for it.