Part 11 (1/2)

_Street Sewer._--Large pipe in streets to receive all soil and waste from buildings.

_House Sewer._--Conveys sewage from building to street sewer, extends from foundation wall to sewer.

_Street Main._--Water pipe running parallel with the street, belonging to the water company.

_Service Pipe._--Runs from the street main into the building.

_Corporation c.o.c.k._--Bra.s.s stop tapped into street main.

_Goose Neck._--Lead pipe which connects the street main and service pipe.

_Trench._--Hole dug to receive pipe.

_Main Tapped._--Hole drilled through wall of main and a thread made on it while pressure is on.

_Curb c.o.c.k._--Bra.s.s shut-off placed at curb.

_Solder Nipple._--Piece of bra.s.s pipe with thread on one end and plain on the other end which connects lead and iron.

_Coupling._--Fitting which connects two pieces of pipe.

_Stop c.o.c.k._--Bra.s.s fitting for stopping flow of water.

_Curb Box._--Iron box extending from curb c.o.c.k to surface.

_Curb Key._--A long key to fit in side of curb box to operate curb c.o.c.k.

_Swab._--Stick with ball of rags or paper on one end.

CHAPTER VIII

INSTALLING OF FRENCH OR SUB-SOIL DRAINS

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 45.--Sub-soil drain.]

When a building is erected on a site that is wet or springy, some means of carrying off the surplus water in the ground must be provided for, or the bas.e.m.e.nt of the building will be flooded with water. For the thorough understanding of the methods employed in laying a drain of this kind, I will go over it carefully and the beginner can read it and then study it, and understand just how it is done. A site may appear to be dry on the surface of the ground and yet be very wet under the surface. If no information can be had regarding the site, it is always well to drain the site if it is on a slope or near a body of water and on the water shed of a river or lake. If a building is a large one and the foundation goes down very deep, the site should always be drained. The drain is laid under the bas.e.m.e.nt floor and around the outside of the foundation wall on a level with or lower than the bas.e.m.e.nt floor. The value of draining a building site when the building is first started is very often overlooked. The cost of the drain will be saved in a few years as the bas.e.m.e.nt will be free from all excessive dampness. The expense of installing a sub-soil after the building is up and in use is great as well as inconvenient. The drain is called ”sub-soil drain” on account of its location under the ground and on account of its duty of taking off all surplus water that is underground.

With the surface water taken off by the surface drains and the sub-soil drained by the sub-soil drains, a wet building site can be made practically dry (see Fig. 45).

MATERIALS USED IN SUB-SOIL CONSTRUCTION.--The object of the drain is to collect water and carry it away from the building by means of pipes. Terra-cotta pipes, with or without hubs, are used.

Perforated tile pipe is sometimes used. This pipe is unglazed terra-cotta pipe with 1-inch holes in the sides about 3 or 4 inches from the center. These holes allow the surplus water to enter the bore of the pipe and thus be carried off beyond the building site.

When the sub-soil of a small building needs draining, the trenches made for the house drain and its branches are used as a drain in the following manner: The trenches are dug deeper than is required for the house drain. The trenches are then filled to the correct level with broken stones. There is s.p.a.ce between these stones for the water to find pa.s.sage to a point away from the building. When this method is employed, some provision must be made to prevent the house drain from settling. When locating the drain, we must consider approximately the amount of water that is likely to be in the soil and required to be carried off. If there is considerable water, the pipes should extend all around the outside of the building foundation wall, also a main pipe running under the cellar bottom with six branches, three branches on each side.

If there is not a great deal of surplus water in the soil, the drain around the outside of the foundation wall should be put in and one drain line running through the bas.e.m.e.nt will be sufficient.

LAYING THE PIPE.--The drain pipe should be handled with care, for it is easily broken. The trench should be laid out and dug, then the pipe can be laid in it with a grade toward the outlet or discharge. If pipes with a hub on one end are used, the hub should not be cemented. A little oak.u.m is packed in the hub to steady the pipe and keep sand out, the bottom of joint is cemented, a piece of tar paper can be laid over the top of the joint to keep the sand out. With joints made this way, the water can find its way to the bore of the pipe and yet the sand will be kept out of the pipe. As soon as the water gets into the bore of the pipe it has a clear pa.s.sageway to some discharge point away from the building. If tile pipes without any hubs are used, some covering should be put around the joint to keep out the sand and still allow the water to find its way into the pipes.