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Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 8:40 pm
by phil trainee plumber
Agreed to lay patio for relative. While digging down noticed wet soil around drain,dug deeper to investigate,nothing wrong with drain, dug deeper into heavy clay and found old land drain cracked seaping water.This is an upsidedown u shaped clayware (pipe?) just layed on clay. Overnight this left afew inches of water in the trench about level with the bottom of the normal drain. The pipe appears blocked solid downstream and dissapears under the house.Dont Know what to do to cure it.Thought maybe block pipe upstream and fill trench with 2 ft deep pebbles /rubble along length of house and let water dissipate further away from house.
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:07 pm
by seanandruby
Hi phil. it would seem your land drain has silted up over time. you need to find out where it falls to. You may need to replace it with a more up to date system of filter drain surrounded with stone. it's unlikely to go to a soakaway judging by the clay soil, so it could go to a catchpit, or stream etc.
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:19 pm
by phil trainee plumber
Thanks for your quick reply seanandruby .The drain dissapears into a housing estate and there is no money in the pot. I'll have to say it ; I need a cheap bodge
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2009 9:42 pm
by Dave_L
How big is your excavation?
I'd be tempted to backfill it with stone and carry on.
What were the ground conditions prior to your excavation work?
Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:33 am
by seanandruby
What is the "normal" drain surrounded by, shingle, concrete or as dug material? Where does that run to? I'm thinking, as it is level with bottom of that pipe then it is getting away slowly.
Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 7:37 pm
by lutonlagerlout
why phil, is a trainee plumber doing patios?
most of the lads on here wouldnt attempt to fit a bathroom or install a boiler for a relative
however as its xmas and your in it we will try our best to help
a photo would be handy ,instructions for upload are on the front page
is the drain surrounded by shingle upvc or clayware?
dont forget the picture
LLL
Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:12 pm
by phil trainee plumber
To add a bit more detail, which you may have allready grasped, the pipe is not really a pipe but an open bottomed u shaped length of clayware which must allow water to drain away gradually along its length as well as letting it channel through it . This was layed before the house was built more than 80 years ago and could have been blocked for years or weeks. The 'normal' drain /gulley was surrounded by soil and clay topped with an old footpath and heads into neighbouring gardens . The excavation is 1ft wide by 2.5ft deep and 15ft along back of house. If I block the pipe maybe it will just dissipate into the ground well away from the house. Backfill the trench with free draining material and bobs my uncle or will this come back to bite me
Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:22 pm
by phil trainee plumber
Not sure why I,m doing it along with my 12 hour shifts making biscuits ,training as a plumber and this in my spare time . Maybe its because I,m not charging owt. Cant get a picture today been working. Thanks for your help
Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 8:46 pm
by ilovesettsonmondays
seeing as you cant get us pictures .can you get us some chocolate hob nobs instead 
Posted: Mon Dec 14, 2009 9:44 pm
by flowjoe
The `Horse Shoe` land drains are usually very old and may well of been field drains prior to the housing estate going up, or they could have been installed to drain the plot while the foundations went in.
I wouldn`t be overley concerned, if it was silted up when you found it the water has been finding its own path for many years