Back in the early 70's I took a year OUT of Plastering to work with my brother on the County Council road Gangs .... LOVED digging trenches by hand, even to the point of working through the RAIN - much to the disgust of the rest of the chaps who thought I was setting a BAD example :-) ..... "We don't get PAID to work in the rain" ......
To all the naysayers on here; if you’re half the craftsman that Robin is then you wouldn’t feel the need to criticise. I’m a joiner of 45 years experience and Robin is an exceptional craftsman and as he quite rightly points out he is a “chippy”. I’d like to see people pointing the finger here do a hand cut roof to Robins standard, or in fact any carpentry to his standard. Easiest thing in the world is to criticise.
This is really useful. For some reason i thought the waste pipe would have to travel through the side of the trenchfill footings, but this has shown me how you do it 👏
Great work Robin! Made me smile when you mentioned Wavin... my dad was a delivery driver for 30 years for them, as was his dad.... I’d spend my school holidays ‘up the road’ with him delivering... happy memories 💪
Absolutely Jim. Its been bloody tedious trying to get on outside, and I was also slightly comforted to see that even Robin has been affected by the awful weather.😜 (we'll all be moaning at how hot it is soon😆).
Another tip for cutting the end of the pipe square, I use a piece of half round gutter, that has been cut dead square, lay that on top of the pipe to either mark a cut line as you rotate the pipe , or use it as a guide for the grinder blade
Thanks for giving mere DIY mortals like me the confidence to DIY - i've learned so much from your channel and i'm doing stuff around the home that just few months ago I wouldn't have dared to.
Brilliant Robin, whatever you do, you do it PROPERLY. A great role model for youngsters coming into the building trade. Thank you for sharing, my favourite channel !
We took an inspection chamber out that day. Just picture 2 of us in there, 1m deep in trench covered in mud and trying to connect it all back up. I'll stick to my joinery from now on. Hahah
Good stuff Robin. A method to stop the loss of the pea gravel is to put down a membrane first, such as Terram, then the gravel. Cover the drain with the remainder of the gravel and then wrap the terrain over. It keeps the pea gravel together, but allows movement.
Looking forward to more videos about this build Was supposed to get the extension done last year so all this stuff gives me an idea of where my money is being spent 👍
Love your videos Robin, I've watched this series twice in advance of my own self-build extension and timber annex. I'm now at this stage too although mine is a bit more complex. I have to divert the existing clay run out to two new inspection chambers. I also have a ground level accessible wet room to consider. Never laid a drain before but the building regs are easy to understand. I spent hours carefully removing concrete that was encasing a clay pipe yesterday, need to make a clean bit for the coupler to attach the PVC. They seemed to be obsessed with pouring concrete over everything when they built this place, even a live un-allocated power line...
Yep, most drainage close to the surface was encased in concrete or "lean Mix" we still do that if the top of the pipe run is closer than 300mm from the surface, removing the existing concrete to get a connector on is tedious but super satisfying!!!! I had that at my current house when I re built !! Good luck with the build
Great start with the first three videos of the series. Disappointed though as anytime you guys dig over there, I keep hoping for Sutton Hoo II. Ya know, those Saxons and their hoards...
We have to God trades in Oz. I couldn't believe when I first got here how low in the pecking order Carpenters are. Coming from the UK I always felt we were one of the senior trades and probably the most versatile. In Australia Electricians and Plumbers are Kings. Nobody is supposed to do any plumbing or electrical work without a licence. Hence they earn nearly twice as much as me. You have to use them to get your jobs signed off by the inspectors so they have you over a barrel. They are also self policing which swells their heads even more. Electricians totally. Plumbers partly. All I can touch is storm water. Foul drainage licenced. And no push fit all glue up.
Great job Robin. The weather has been a pain over the last month, and I did chuckle at the end of the video as you were taking shelter.😁 (though it was cool how you habitually turned the level even when roughing in your fall🤩).
Well on new builds they prob don't bother with much glue when time is against so I'll go for your "carpentry plumbing". Keep those trench blocks covered if they are going to get soaked before the Brickies in. Will be a really well prepped site when they arrive (or are you getting tempted with some carpentry brick laying - hmmm how does that work . . . some of Brickies now using circular saws on blocks (cut each side). Look forward to next one.
Approved document H covers waste pipes. So max 3m for 40mm waste, page 9 diagram 3. The underground pipe through the wall in two ways page 15 diagram 7. If you lintel over, 50mm clear around the pipe with both sides closed off. If just through the foundation blocks, then create a rocker pipe
Hi Robin good morning. Iam from India. I have a doubt regarding the O ring in the pipe joint. How long will it last. Any leakage will arise after few years. ?
appreciate your work Robin, but you need 4" shingle cover to all sides of the pipe. Trench should be 300x300 or so. Your oversite will now need to be a reinforced slab, or incorporate mesh over that area. Don't want to be a negative nancy, but that is the guidance.
Do you mean small shingle around the pipe then around the small shingle put 4" shingle to take up the rest of the 300 space? I'm digging mine today but we've got a reinforced slap on EPS, but ours drainage is 1metre below ground (with 600mm of hardcore above) as we now live in eastern Europe which freezes easy. I'd appreciate any help 👍
@@fckmunch the idea of the shingle is to allow gentle movement of the pipe in high plasticity soils (clay basically shrinks and expands a lot). the reinforcement in the slab spreads the load over a large area to reduce the downward forces on the pipe. 4+4+4=12 (300mm) so there is 100mm cover all around a 300square trench. but certainly look into your countries building codes / documents - or ideally an experienced professional. This is refering to Englands Approved Document H (available free online).
@@j4ck888 "This is referring to Englands Approved Document H (available free online)." Thanks for the referral to this document. In Robin's video ( at 3:52 ) he lays pipe at a fall of 1 in 80, this is precisely what Table 6 of Document H states as a minimum for a flow of more than 1 litre/sec. For a flow of less than 1 litre/sec the document states a minimum fall of 1 in 40. In Table 5 it states a single dwelling has a flow rate of 2.5 litres/sec which corresponds to a fall of 1 in 80. My first query with this document is why it doesn't clearly state a maximum fall, surely that is just as important as a minimum fall? My second query is if a single dwelling has a flow rate of 2.5 litres/sec then under which circumstances does Document H envisage a 100mm foul drain being laid at 1 in 40 for a flow rate of less than 1 litre/sec? I'm not asking you directly, just throwing it out there in case it is of interest to you or anyone else. Thanks Roy.
@@roystonrichards1556 Good spot, from experience no builder wants a toilet waste to fail and for a smooth transition to the sewer. The minimum and maximums may pose as being restrictive in certain circumstances and are solely guidance based on empirical data and experience. Believe it or not extensive testing in the 50's and later in the 90's by the NHBC tested the falls again using 'westminster solids' lol - the actual term. What is commonly unaccounted for is the volume of flush which have been steadily getting smaller as water saving initiatives. Naturally, if you had a long running foul drain (maybe 10m+, with bends etc) and had a large vegetarian diet the flush volume would likely struggle to discharge it into the sewer.
Hi robin I’ve just had to ask the company who were doing my footings for a single story extension & moving my drains to leave as the level of craftsmanship was way below expectations (putting it lightly). I’ve had to have all the trench shuttered with osb boards to stop it collapsing anymore than it already has. My questions is, after I’ve had the concrete pumped into the trench, am I ok to leave the boards in place or do I need to remove them? I’ve read that it can cause a potential void in the future but it looks like you have left yours in place? Hope you can help as I’m seriously stressed over the whole ordeal. Thanks
It's is a stressful ordeal!!! If you are able to slide out the osb during the pour without the sides caving into the concrete then try..... but osb will turn into mulch and basically become the ground over time the base of a footing is one of the most important factors... depth and soundness so clear the soft stuff out prior to the pour and be careful!! Excavations are super unpredictable and can be very dangerous, good luck and hope the build goes well in the future
That trench should really be wider so the pipe is properly bedded in pea gravel all the way round. The oil tank will have to move because it will be way too close to the building once the extension is built.
have ya ever tried the rothenberger plastic pipe slice tools? similar to the copper pipe slice but with a sharp blade rather than a cutting wheel. can get em for 32mm and 40mm pipe. i use mine regularly
You have probably been asked a thousand times Rob but can you advise what ear defenders to get? I’m like you and have terrible tinnitus and have consequently become very sensitive to loud noises.
this depends on many factors, in our case we need to work from a fixed point where the drain run ends, then we plot out the proposed run and calculate the required falls needed to get to the position we need, if like in our case the lay of the land is in your favour i.e. falling slowly then you can be at a fairly regular depth, if it is a driveway then you need to be about 400 deep to the top of the pipe at the shallowest point and use a lean mix of concrete over the shingled pipe to protect the pipe from traffic etc, if in doubt check the rules in the building regulations documents all available online
As a matter of interest how is the oil tank affected by the extension as by oftec standards they should be 1.8m away from non fire rated eaves / openings etc and the foundation's look pretty close to it's current location ?
Hi Ricky, its going to be taken away and replaced with an Air source heat pump, we had to keep it going for a few weeks until the client handed over the building to us
Would you ever run drain and foul pipe under a foundation. Im building a block wall and am running the two under the wall and is it frouned upon or should I just lower the foundation add a extra 3 courses or block work and run them over the top as you have ?
@@ukconstruction thank you so much for the reply I’ve got to replace the old p trap and hopper. I was unsure of what to Lay it on as I’ve seen pea gravel used to bed and cover everything.
I have a question if any one can answer. Going to make a utility room and want to put a toilet and sink in . Got a Roding eye closer than my manhole . Can I change the Roding eye into a manhole ???????
Robin. Nice work but it would have been better to cut the rocker 8in longer and cut the long 4in to suit it the joint should really be off the footing and not over it. But to be honest it doesn't matter that much
This is the main debate when it comes to drainage!! the building regulations states that you should aim for an even fall for the main run of drains of 1-80 and shorter single runs that connect to the main run of a maximum 1-40, there is lots of information on this widely available on the web, hope that helps mate
I wondered this too as I’d always assumed 1:40 for that size pipe. Had to look it up and (very quick search later) the nhbc state “Where flows are 1.0 L/second or less, gradients for 100mm diameter pipes should not be flatter than 1:40.”…..it goes on to say (for 100mm) that where it exceeds 1L/s it should be 1:80….here’s the link if anyone’s interested….nhbccampaigns.co.uk/landingpages/techzone/previous_versions/2007/Part5/section3/default.htm
Back inlet gully needs fitted on kitchen and bathroom wastes, to prevent odours from entering as it has a trap incorporated Love your videos, especially the traditional cut roofs , and your tips 👌
Where we have an island unit or room like a w/c internally of an external wall the we will have a stub stack, we will be having an airtight manifold at floor level for this kitchen sink waste and the waste obviously has a trap, many clients and indeed architects prefer not to see pipes going through external walls and Back Inlet Gullies
@@ukconstruction Agree Robin But this is compulsory in Ireland as the trap on the waste water, no pipes are shown just an external gully lid on footpath Traps are on all internal fittings also Best wishes
Enjoy watching all your videos robin I recently bought a chamfer attachment for my drill it's perfect for burring the pipe ends off check it out and do a vid maybe 👍
Would it be advisable to increase the fall of the pipe to max 1/40 if 70cm of stone and hardcore are compacted above the pipe, (pipes sunk deep down for freezing point? I would expect settlement with that weight which could reduce pipe fall over time?
@@daniellegge1630 and that can go straight down a soil pipe? I only ask because I’m creating a utility room within a building and I need to get a waste through the house. I thought that washing machines wastes etc were 50mm pipes which fed externally into a P-trap with a grill which was attached to the soil pipe. I was told some time ago that you couldn’t attach a sink waste into a soil pipe and that the sink waste needed to be led outside into a down pipe when above ground level leading to the P-trap or Bottle trap or the sink waste leads through the wall into the soil pipe trap at ground level.
Hope you can reuse most of that pipe in the installation. Reusable extendable pipping perhaps 🤔. That can be used and used again? Sustainable ' completely recyclable ♻️ and lasts for years. Let's call it the swdk. 'Soil waste diversion kit'. Materials and falls accompanied by sustainable resources would be the biggest hurdle. Hmm...🤔
I was thinking the same, push fit connections would fit the bill for this - I've got a drawer of old ones that I keep around for these types of jobs. They are never permanent fittings, just push on and then take them back off when the temporary supply isn't needed any longer.
If the existing manhole/ pipe you are connecting to is at one level and the drain where it connects to the house is slightly higher then that is your fall. As long as the bubble is slightly toward the correct line on the level the turds will flush away.
The rules around falls for domestic drainage as stated by the LABC and most of the manufacturers is 1 in 80 for the main runs and you can go to 1 in 40 for single short runs to a gulley or soil pipe, it's a great topic for debate!!
I think getting the right fall for the situation can be tricky, modern low volume flushes with too shallow a fall risks holdup like a cloakroom with a pan and basin only. Obs as soon as the runs meet like at the chamber its not too bad afterward but I'd put in additional rodding eyes so glad to see Robin seems to be doing that too.