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Posted: Sat Jun 21, 2008 7:51 pm
by Johno12345
Hi,
My front garden floods like a goodun at the first hint of rain as it is clay, lower than the neighbours and road and back garden. This results in a flooded garden and drive.
I need to add drainage however the drains are around the back and are only inches deep so I am unable to get any fall from the front to the back.
I, however, have a cunning plan....
I was thinking of digging a sump, using something like a plastic IC, running some land drains into it from the worst affected areas, installing a sump pump on a float switch. Then having the outlet pumped uphill to the back and connecting it into a back-inlet gully which I would install in place of a standard yard gully. I would install the pump above the base so as to avoid silt.
Can anyone see any problems with this, legal, waterboard or otherwise? It seems like an excellent solution in my mind anyway 
Thanks
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 8:42 am
by seanandruby
Why not just channel your water round the back? you can lay your drain to a minimal fall.
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 9:50 am
by Dave_L
As Sean says - your plan sounds over-complicated!
Sump pump and float switches - are often just a source of irritation when they fail or trip out for some reasons!
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 12:03 pm
by Johno12345
If i laid drainage round to the back it would have to run uphill! The drains in the back are literally inches below the surface. in the IC, the pipes entering the IC have the IC lid resting on them.
The drain gets deeper as it runs away from the house but I would have to dig a trench across numerous gardens to meet up with it. I also cant make a new connection to the main sewer out front as there isnt one there!
Thanks for replying 
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 6:18 pm
by flowjoe
Sounds like a plan Johno.
As long as you a pumping into a storm water system you will be OK, if its combined storm and foul you should speak to building control or your local water authority but thats up to you. If its just a foul system then its a non-starter.
Install a good sized chamber so the pump doesn`t have to work flat out to often, keep the pump raised from the base so that the silt settles and can be cleaned out.
Always a good idea to get a spark to do the dangerous bit, installing some kind of circuit breaker in the process.
Posted: Sun Jun 22, 2008 6:32 pm
by Johno12345
Thanks , its a combined foul and storm sewer, I suspect the water board will not allow me to connect so i probably wont ask
Just need to find a suitable container, I was thinking of a plastic IC but I would have to fashion connections at a higher level and it seems a bit bodgified now.
Goes without saying that the sump pump would have its own circuit protected by a RCBO.
Thanks for the advice
Posted: Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:02 am
by seanandruby
Sounds like thats your only option then. you could build a manhole in 9 inch brickwork and make sure it is well sealed.
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 5:25 pm
by Johno12345
Hi again, I have worked out what I need/want for this project but I am a little stuck at the sump construction.
I dont fancy building one from brick as the ground is so sloppy.
Does anyone know of a preformed sump, preferably plastic that I can bury in the ground?
Thanks for your help so far
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:09 pm
by digerjones
hi i came across the problem.someone had installed a septic tank too low and the over flow was below the water table. i made a chamber out of small concrete manhole sectcions about 450mm by 600mm 300 deep. i put a pump in like you want to. this was 6 years ago , the customer has had no probs yeti i used plastic waste pipe 40mm and glued the joints. good look diggerjones
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:31 pm
by Dave_L
Can you not just dump a load of concrete into the bottom of the hole, form it to level and then plop a couple of Milton rings in?
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 8:33 pm
by Dave_L
Along the lines of this....
Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 9:56 pm
by Johno12345
Thats exactly what I need! Now I know the name, I can set about finding them.
Got flooded today in the rain, its alarming when you can see the water level rising by the second!
Thanks
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:47 am
by seanandruby
......They are heavy and need lifting in with a machine.
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 12:31 pm
by Johno12345
I was looking for one that was about 450mm dia but I have been advised that they come in plastic so I am going to Travis Perkins later to see what they have on offer.
Anyway, Im off to sort the drainage problems at work now
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:58 pm
by darrenba
B&Q sell a Marley Deep Inspection Chamber Riser which is 450mm wide and 450mm high and you can join them together. I've just bought a couple to make a small soakaway (going to drill holes in the sides and wrap in geotextile.)
Marley Deep Inspection Chamber Riser