Drain tiles

[kongmen]

Hope I'm in the right place. I'm going to put in an 8" drain tile which will be 225' long and about 4' or 5' deep at the road ditch. I do not have experience using a backhoe but when I get it (backhoe attachment on a tractor probably about a 30ish hp) I plan to dig a few holes on the property to get some practice first. Anyway, the thing I need some advice on is how to get the pitch right to get good flow. If anyone could chime in or refer me to a site that is not to far over my head on this issue I would appreciate it. thanks.

 

[rus_geek]

The easiest way to get a constant pitch is going to be renting (buying if you want) a laser level that can be set to pitch. Basically just set the laser at the high end of the run, set it to the pitch you want, and then use the grade pole and laser sensor to measure along your pipe.

Another option is to use a regular level with a block taped to one end. For example, if you want the pipe to slope 1/4" per foot, then use an 8' level with a 2" block taped to the downhill end. When you set that on your pipe and the bubble says it's level, the pipe will slope 1/4" per foot.

Another inexpensive option is a water level. There's a billion ways to make one, but basically it's a hose full of water. Search it out online, but for a one-time job, you can probably rent a laser transit for the cost of water level materials. The rental shop should be good about teaching you to use it, too.

-rus-

 

[kongmen]

Thanks for the reply. I think I will look into renting a laser level. So, you would actually lay the tile in the trench first then use the level pole to check slope, if slope is out of spec. then take that section out and either backfill or dig more?

For a 225' run what would be a good slope (when setting the laser level) to achieve optimal flow.

When checking slope how many feet between checks is reasonable.Thanks.