Our garden is near the base of an incline where the subsoil is clay. When there is heavy rain, the lawn becomes sodden and often there is surface water. Currently considering putting in perforated pipe land drains and collecting the water in a large underground tank.

The plan then is to automatically pump out the tank when it is full and here is where I would appreciate some advice.

Should I go for a submersible pump or an above ground pump that will work with a negative head ie a lift of about 4 feet? Alternatively should I put a pump in the pit alongside the tank?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

"JimG" wrote in message
...

Our garden is near the base of an incline where the subsoil is clay. When
there is heavy rain, the lawn becomes sodden and often there is surface
water. Currently considering putting in perforated pipe land drains and
collecting the water in a large underground tank.

The plan then is to automatically pump out the tank when it is full and
here is where I would appreciate some advice.

Should I go for a submersible pump or an above ground pump that will work
with a negative head ie a lift of about 4 feet? Alternatively should I put
a pump in the pit alongside the tank?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Whatever you choose make sure that it is 'solids capable' - you'll be amazed
what will end up in it However if you have somewhere lower to pump it why
don't you lead your underground drain there and avoid the tank and pump
altogether. (I'm sure that you're not considering dumping it into the public
sewer !!)

Andrew

"Andrew Mawson" wrote in message
...
"JimG" wrote in message
...

Our garden is near the base of an incline where the subsoil is clay. When
there is heavy rain, the lawn becomes sodden and often there is surface
water. Currently considering putting in perforated pipe land drains and
collecting the water in a large underground tank.

The plan then is to automatically pump out the tank when it is full and
here is where I would appreciate some advice.

Should I go for a submersible pump or an above ground pump that will work
with a negative head ie a lift of about 4 feet? Alternatively should I
put a pump in the pit alongside the tank?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Whatever you choose make sure that it is 'solids capable' - you'll be
amazed what will end up in it However if you have somewhere lower to
pump it why don't you lead your underground drain there and avoid the tank
and pump altogether. (I'm sure that you're not considering dumping it into
the public sewer !!)

are you planning to feed the collected water to your bogs, washing machine
or similar? as that may affect the type of pump you choose,

or were you just hoping to pump it out on a dry day onto next doors lawn


Do you know the depth of the clay layer in your garden?
my garden has about a foot of soil over about a 4 foot layer of clay, so is
a bog a lot of the time, with the exception of the area near my neighbors
conservatory, and that is because when he had it put in, they had to dig
down 6 feet to get the footings through the clay, and as a result that
corner of both our gardens drains nicely.

I keep thinking about renting one of those engines with a big drill bit on
them about a foot wide, and drilling a few 6 foot holes in the lawn, then
either some of that perforated pipe and gravel fill back in the holes,
hoping the rain water would be able drain away down the pipes through the
clay that is stopping it draining in a reasonable time,

But it'd be just my luck i drill into the coal mines that are below us, or
my idea would not work at all.

On Wednesday, April 16, 2014 7:12:44 PM UTC+1, Andrew Mawson wrote:
"JimG" wrote in message

...



Our garden is near the base of an incline where the subsoil is clay. When

there is heavy rain, the lawn becomes sodden and often there is surface

water. Currently considering putting in perforated pipe land drains and

collecting the water in a large underground tank.



The plan then is to automatically pump out the tank when it is full and

here is where I would appreciate some advice.



Should I go for a submersible pump or an above ground pump that will work

with a negative head ie a lift of about 4 feet? Alternatively should I put

a pump in the pit alongside the tank?



Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.



Whatever you choose make sure that it is 'solids capable' - you'll be amazed

what will end up in it However if you have somewhere lower to pump it why

don't you lead your underground drain there and avoid the tank and pump

altogether. (I'm sure that you're not considering dumping it into the public

sewer !!)



Andrew

There were old land drains there before which drained in to the foul water drain but these got silted up and broken up when a patio was constructed.

Have things changed so that it is against the regs to let your run-off go into the drains?

"JimG" wrote in message
...

On Wednesday, April 16, 2014 7:12:44 PM UTC+1, Andrew Mawson wrote:
"JimG" wrote in message

...



Our garden is near the base of an incline where the subsoil is clay.
When

there is heavy rain, the lawn becomes sodden and often there is surface

water. Currently considering putting in perforated pipe land drains and

collecting the water in a large underground tank.



The plan then is to automatically pump out the tank when it is full and

here is where I would appreciate some advice.



Should I go for a submersible pump or an above ground pump that will
work

with a negative head ie a lift of about 4 feet? Alternatively should I
put

a pump in the pit alongside the tank?



Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.



Whatever you choose make sure that it is 'solids capable' - you'll be
amazed

what will end up in it However if you have somewhere lower to pump it
why

don't you lead your underground drain there and avoid the tank and pump

altogether. (I'm sure that you're not considering dumping it into the
public

sewer !!)



Andrew

There were old land drains there before which drained in to the foul water
drain but these got silted up and broken up when a patio was constructed.

Have things changed so that it is against the regs to let your run-off go
into the drains?

Not up to current regs as we have our own private sewage system, but
certainly surface water never used to be permitted into foul drains without
a license having paid an annual fee. Surface water is supposed to go into
soakaways.

Andrew

On Wednesday, April 16, 2014 8:26:59 PM UTC+1, Gazz wrote:
"Andrew Mawson" wrote in message

...

"JimG" wrote in message

...



Our garden is near the base of an incline where the subsoil is clay. When

there is heavy rain, the lawn becomes sodden and often there is surface

water. Currently considering putting in perforated pipe land drains and

collecting the water in a large underground tank.



The plan then is to automatically pump out the tank when it is full and

here is where I would appreciate some advice.



Should I go for a submersible pump or an above ground pump that will work

with a negative head ie a lift of about 4 feet? Alternatively should I

put a pump in the pit alongside the tank?



Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.



Whatever you choose make sure that it is 'solids capable' - you'll be

amazed what will end up in it However if you have somewhere lower to

pump it why don't you lead your underground drain there and avoid the tank

and pump altogether. (I'm sure that you're not considering dumping it into

the public sewer !!)



are you planning to feed the collected water to your bogs, washing machine

or similar? as that may affect the type of pump you choose,



or were you just hoping to pump it out on a dry day onto next doors lawn





Do you know the depth of the clay layer in your garden?

my garden has about a foot of soil over about a 4 foot layer of clay, so is

a bog a lot of the time, with the exception of the area near my neighbors

conservatory, and that is because when he had it put in, they had to dig

down 6 feet to get the footings through the clay, and as a result that

corner of both our gardens drains nicely.



I keep thinking about renting one of those engines with a big drill bit on

them about a foot wide, and drilling a few 6 foot holes in the lawn, then

either some of that perforated pipe and gravel fill back in the holes,

hoping the rain water would be able drain away down the pipes through the

clay that is stopping it draining in a reasonable time,



But it'd be just my luck i drill into the coal mines that are below us, or

my idea would not work at all.

We are in South London where the clay is many metres deep.

On Wed, 16 Apr 2014 20:26:59 +0100, "Gazz" wrote:


"JimG" wrote in message
...

Our garden is near the base of an incline where the subsoil is clay. When
there is heavy rain, the lawn becomes sodden and often there is surface
water. Currently considering putting in perforated pipe land drains and
collecting the water in a large underground tank.

I keep thinking about renting one of those engines with a big drill bit on
them about a foot wide, and drilling a few 6 foot holes in the lawn,


But it'd be just my luck i drill into the coal mines that are below us, or
my idea would not work at all.

Have you seen this ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cXnxGIDhOA

G.Harman

In article ,
JimG writes:

There were old land drains there before which drained in to the foul water drain but these got silted up and broken up when a patio was constructed.

Have things changed so that it is against the regs to let your run-off go into the drains?

You need the permission of whoever handles the sewer waste in your area.
It will depend on the local load on the system if they give this or not.
It needs to be in writing and a copy lodged with LA building control
records. They can charge you based on the surface area being drained.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]