How to make a drain hole yourself
In the first case, all the work will be done quickly and efficiently, but their services must be paid. It is because of this that many owners of private houses and summer cottages decide to make it on their own.
After all, it does not require numerous skills and any complex tools. So, let's look at how to properly make a drain pit on your own.
In order to build it, you will need to decide in advance how much it should be, choose the most suitable place, dig a hole and properly strengthen the walls.
For all this, there is no need for great knowledge in construction. It is only necessary to do everything slowly, correctly, following the recommendations.
Volume and type of drain pit
The first step is to decide what volume of the drain pit will be the most relevant.
Of course, if your family consists of only two people, then 2-3 cubic meters will be enough.
This volume is also enough for a summer residence, if they do not live on it permanently, but simply visit from time to time.
In addition, such a hole will need to be cleaned quite often, and this is a rather expensive and complicated procedure.
It is best to make high-quality, which will rarely need to be cleaned.
As mentioned, its volume must be calculated based on how many people permanently live in the house.
If the family is large and there are a lot of drains, then the structure should be made of high quality and of a decent size.
Indeed, with permanent residence, water will be used quite often and in large quantities, since we all wash our hands, regularly take a shower and bath, and wash dishes. That is, if the pit is small, it will quickly fill up.
In addition, with regular use of large amounts of water for various needs, it is recommended to build septic tanks. They are an ideal option, as they do not harm the environment and meet all sanitary standards.
But in this case, it is required to build several wells at once, and not just one pit. By doing this, it is possible to achieve high-quality purification of the water used, and then divert it into the ground.
You also need to carefully consider where the drain pit will be located. Indeed, sooner or later it will be necessary to pump out sewage from it, which means that there must be a convenient entrance for a sewage truck, or at least a hose for pumping should be enough for it.
In addition, this service is paid, which means that the more flights are made, the more expensive it will cost you, since the distance has a significant impact on the price. That is, if the pit is shallow and of small volume, you will often have to resort to the help of vacuum trucks and you will need to fork out significantly.
When choosing a location, consider the following factors:
- The groundwater level, if available on the site, should be deep
- If there is any source of water, for example, a well, it is recommended to place it at a distance of at least 30 meters from it
- It should be possible to access special equipment
- The pit should be located at a distance of at least 5 meters from the residential area.
After it has been decided how much this structure will require, and having chosen the place where it will be located, you should decide which design is best suited. Let's look at the most versatile drain pit, the efficiency of which has been proven over the years.
The most popular and common is a drain pit in the form of an earthen tank without a bottom. Despite its apparent simplicity, it is very effective.
First of all, this is due to the fact that since its bottom is earthen, and not filled, for example, with concrete, the water in it is collected slowly. After all, it is gradually absorbed into the ground.
It should be cleaned once every 3-4 months. Although there are some drawbacks. In particular, drains will gradually pollute groundwater and such a pit should not be placed closer than 5 meters from a residential building.
Due to the fact that silt accumulates at the bottom, the filtering properties begin to get worse. To avoid this, you should from time to time call the sewers and pump it out.
Usually the walls of this type of pit are laid out from. But you need to remember that there should be small gaps in it so that water can seep through.
But in recent years, ready-made concrete rings have been increasingly used for this purpose, which can be installed quickly and without any problems. Although you can still find drain pits with earthen walls.
But as the practice of their operation shows, they are short-lived.
To make the process of waste decomposition faster, special strains of special bacteria should be poured into the water. They will gradually multiply and recycle waste. The drain pit, thanks to this, will become dirty much more slowly.
In recent years, more and more often began to install ready-made tanks. They can be made of concrete, plastic or metal. But the latter is not recommended.
This is due to the fact that iron will quickly become unusable under the regular influence of an aggressive environment. The most acceptable material is concrete. It is distinguished by reliability and durability.
If you are going to use sealed structures as a drain pit, from which liquid will not come out and be absorbed into the ground, then you will need to take into account that they need to be cleaned and pumped out frequently. For the latter, a regular hose is quite suitable.
Well, the silt is removed with the help of special equipment, which only specialists who provide such services have. So take this into account, because it will cost you regular and significant expenses.
As we can see, before starting work, you should think through everything well and choose the volume and type of structure that are best suited to your existing needs.
Installation order
In order for the structure to serve for a long time and effectively, you need to know how to properly make a drain hole in a private house.
The first step is to prepare a pit of the required size.
Those who do not want to spoil the landscaping of the site prefer to do it manually, but this is quite a difficult task and takes a lot of time and effort.
It is better to dig it out with an excavator, it will be much easier, although existing garden plants may suffer.
As a matter of fact, which option will be more acceptable needs to be decided by the owners.
It must be at least five meters deep. A special drainage cushion should be installed at the bottom.
If the drain hole will be dug by hand, the following will be required:
- Ladder
- Shovel and bayonet shovel
- Master OK
- Bucket
- Pegs to mark the edges of the pit
When digging a hole, it should be remembered that layers of sand and gravel must be poured onto the bottom, after which, it should be compacted with high quality. If you do not plan to make it airtight, then it is recommended to fill in more gravel.
Thanks to this, the drains will be well and efficiently filtered. Well, in the event that you intend to make it airtight, then a ready-made concrete slab should be laid on a layer of compacted sand and gravel. You can also immediately pour a concrete screed directly into the pit.
Not so long ago, red bricks or thick boards were usually used for the walls of the pit. But now they are used less and less, although their popularity is still great.
This is mainly due to their low cost and availability. In addition, if brick is used, then it has a checkerboard pattern, which means that water will flow into the ground.
Thus, it will need to be pumped out much less often than if it were completely sealed.
Remember that if this particular technology is used, then it is not necessary to pour soil around it, but finely broken brick or crushed stone. Due to this, the liquid will be absorbed much faster.
In addition, some craftsmen reinforce the wall using old tractor tires.
Of course, you can try this method. But keep in mind, finding tractor tires in sufficient quantities is not so easy.
Despite the considerable advantages of the method described above, in recent years, more and more often, ready-made reinforced concrete rings manufactured at the factory are used to construct the walls of drain pits. They are delivered to the right place by trucks.
But since their mass is quite significant, a crane-manipulator is required for unloading. And that means additional costs.
In addition, it is necessary to have a convenient entrance to the place where it will be located.
In the same case, if this is not possible, then after unloading the concrete rings are rolled. To install them, it is advisable to build a homemade, block lift.
It is quite easy to make it. This does not require a complex tool and special skills. Rings should be installed in stages, one after the other.
Since you are dealing with a rather heavy load, you should pay attention to safety precautions. During the work, everything must be qualitatively fixed.
Do not treat it negligently, otherwise, it is likely that you can get seriously injured.
Work must be done in the following order:
- A hole is dug to a depth of 1 meter
- The block lifter sets the first ring
- The soil is again taken out, and supports are placed under the already installed ring, which should prevent it from sinking deep into the pit
- After that, the second is mounted on the first product, and they are fastened together with metal brackets necessary to prevent jamming of concrete blocks
- Next, we deepen the pit again, install supports and perform the procedure described above and do so, after each new ring
- The last to be mounted is a partition with an opening for the hatch
- We install the hatch, which is most often made of cast iron or plastic
- The bottom of the well should be covered with rubble and compacted with high quality
In order for the structure to be airtight, all joints should be carefully sealed with bitumen mastic. Do not forget about the hole intended for the sewer pipe.
The gaps also need to be well lubricated. By the way, the pipe should not go in a straight line, but with a small one. Thanks to this, the liquid will drain better.
It is necessary to remember about the formwork, which is made of concrete. Holes are made in it for ventilation and an inspection hatch. It is recommended to make it double, and fill the gap between the two parts with foam.
By the way, it is desirable, after the drain pit is ready, to improve the area around it. Of course, this is not at all necessary, but still, this way you will achieve an attractive appearance of this place.
Often, various ornamental crops are planted in the ground for this. They not only delight the eye, but also mask the drain hole, making it invisible to others.
The whole procedure is quite simple and does not require special skills. The main thing is to follow the recommendations, take your time and follow the safety precautions and you will definitely succeed.
Chemistry for pits and arrangement of the entrance to it
After the structure is ready, you need to think about how it is needed as little as possible.
After all, as mentioned above, this procedure requires considerable costs.
Special chemistry, which is found in abundance on the shelves of specialized stores, can be of great help in this.
Thanks to its use, it is possible to significantly speed up the process of decomposition of various wastes, which means that the drain pit will become contaminated much more slowly.
Such chemistry is available in the form of tablets, powders, liquids. Which of these is best to choose is up to the owners to decide.
Since the microorganisms that appear in the water after the use of chemistry use all kinds of organic waste as food, they quickly decompose.
In addition, they can help you get rid of bad odors. Pretty quickly, the water in the drain pit becomes clear, and all solid particles sink to the bottom, turning into silt.
These microorganisms are not able to damage the material from which the structure is made. They will not harm the human body.
But from time to time it will be necessary to add chemicals to the liquid again, as they tend to gradually die. Thanks to them, you can use water for watering your garden, as the water is absolutely clean and safe for plants.
Before a drain pit is built, you should also think about how it will best be reached by equipment.
This is not only a sewer truck, but also the vehicle that will deliver everything necessary for it. If you think about everything in advance, then in the future, the procedure for removing waste from it will be much easier and faster.
To do this, try to place this design closer to the gate. It is desirable that it has a hard coating. Please note, if you do not know how to properly make a drain hole for a bathhouse or at home, you need to find the necessary information, for example, on the Internet.
In addition, you should not plant flower beds and other plantings on the path of the possible following vehicles, as they will only interfere and most likely will be under the wheels of the vehicle.
The use of special chemistry will not only significantly save on cleaning waste from the pit, but also make the water clean and safe for, and by preparing the site for the entrance of equipment in advance, they will make the waste pumping procedure simple and quick.
As we can see, it is not difficult to build this structure on your own. All you need is a simple tool, the material, strength and desire necessary for this. If everything is done correctly, then a positive result will be ensured.
The stages of construction of a cesspool are presented in the video:
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