Maintenance of the drainage system

Many sites are equipped with drainage systems. Such additional communications allow you to remove excess water off the site, and thereby protect the territory and buildings from flooding. In order for drainage to work efficiently, it is necessary to properly plan and install it. But apart from that, proper operation is important. This is what the article will be about. Here you will learn how to maintain the drainage system.

What is included in the service?

Effective drainage operation is possible only with proper maintenance. Together with drains, various garbage can fall into the pipes (fallen leaves, small branches, sand). Over time, all foreign objects trapped in the drainage will create blockages. To reduce the risk of their formation in pipes, all outlets are sealed with plugs, protective grids and sand collectors are put on the catchments, and the manholes must be equipped with hatches.

But even such protection will not give a 100% guarantee against trash entering the system. Therefore, the operation requires the following measures:

• Observation of manholes. During operation at their bottom accumulates a large amount of debris and land. It is important that this sediment does not reach the level of the inlet and outlet pipes. If the land has accumulated a lot, then it is removed manually (using a spade or other improvised tool) or by supplying water under high pressure.
• Inspection of waste and collector wells. In the first case, a layer of debris and earth also forms at the bottom, which prevents water from seeping into the ground. If we talk about the collector (or storage) well, then it is necessary to periodically pump out the accumulated water from it. If it overflows - drains will go back to the site.
• Every 10–15 years, a “general” cleaning of the entire drainage system is carried out. This work is done using a pump and hoses. The drain from the pump is supplied to the drain and water is supplied under high pressure. As a result, all the accumulated debris is removed from the pipe.

The so-called general cleaning of the drainage system needs to be done in both directions. Therefore, experts recommend installing a manhole at each turn or pipe connection. If the installation of this design is impossible, then make the pipe exit to the surface (during operation, it is closed with a plug).

Care in the cold season

Many owners of suburban real estate may have questions about the preparation of the drainage system for the winter. Great difficulties (for example, pipe freezing) should not occur, provided that the entire system is properly installed:

• Pipes of rather large diameter are used. It is recommended to use drains with a diameter of 110 mm. In this case, the water layer inside the pipe will not exceed 1 cm. Such a volume is not enough to “break” drains.
• Laying of drainage pipes should be carried out in a crushed stone volumetric filter. This will prevent the formation of an ice crust around the drainage.
• It is necessary to constantly clean the observation and other wells of the system so that there is no water stagnation.

If possible, it is better to lay the drainage pipes to a depth below the level of soil freezing. But holding these events is not always advisable. Therefore, compliance with the requirements for laying pipes in a gravel filter and the diameter of drains is mandatory.

Repair and cleaning

If you notice that the drainage has ceased to cope with its functions, this will serve as a signal for the need for its cleaning or repair. Cleaning is carried out (as mentioned above) with the help of water supply under high pressure. If this did not help, you will have to open the problem area for its inspection, although this rarely happens. As a rule, with proper installation and maintenance, the drainage system has been operating for 50 years or more.

But after 10 years of operation, silting of the drainage system can occur. To prevent this from happening, a geofiber is used when installing the stone filter. But even in the course of time, it ceases to pass water in the required volume. As a result, moisture accumulates on the surface, which can lead to flooding.

To remedy this situation, carry out the following work:

1. The top layer of soil is removed over the problematic part of the drainage system. Land is removed to the level of geofabric.
2. Then the geotextiles are removed (it simply turns to the side) and the saltpeter is poured over the layer of rubble.
3. Further, everything is filled with water, and the soil is laid in place.

Such an operation will help extend the life of the drainage system for several years. But the use of nitrate can harm the condition of the soil in your area. Therefore, such measures should be taken only in extreme cases.

Video

The video provided specialist advice on how to properly maintain the drainage system: