Table Of Contents
What Is Stormwater?
Rain can infiltrate into the soil, evaporate, be stored in puddles or ponds, or contribute to surface run-off, known as stormwater. Most water run-offs can be passed into nearby rivers, streams, and other water bodies without treatment.
Where stormwater flows of a building’s roof it can cause several issues such as flooding and water damage, so you need to ensure that you manage it properly.
What Are Downpipes?
Downpipes are the pipes used to direct rainwater from your roof’s guttering system to the main drainage system or stormwater network. These pipes are at times referred to as drain spouts, roof drain pipes, and downspouts. Building regulations require that the right provisions be made to allow rainwater to be carried from the roof of your building. This is why your roof should be constructed with the proper fall towards a gutter or a surface water collection. The gutter then takes water to the vertical downpipes connecting the discharge to the main drainage system.
The downpipes connected to stormwater are usually vertical and extend to the ground level. If you are wondering where to find them, just look at the corner of your house, where they are usually connected.
Discharge from downpipes is either:
- Connected directly to the stormwater drain that discharges into a soakaway.
- Connected to a drain that discharges into surface water sewer.
- Connected indirectly to a drain through a trapped gully if the drain discharges into a sewer.
In the past, downpipes were designed using cast iron. However, uPVC systems have become popular nowadays because they are easy to install and require low-level maintenance. They can also be made from galvanized steel, aluminum alloy, and stainless steel.
Downpipes are connected to a building with brackets that can be easily removed for cleaning if needed. The number or size of the downpipes is determined by the intensity of rainfall and the surface to be drained. Although they carry rainwater from your house’s roof into the stormwater network, they are not supposed to enter the drain used for wastewater from inside your houses, such as toilets, laundry, and kitchen.
Downpipes can easily get blocked by debris like twigs and leaves. To control this, they require regular maintenance.
Important Factors To Consider In Relation To Downpipe Connections
All downpipes should be connected well in order to work efficiently. If there are holes or gaps in them, water can leak through and cause damage to your property or result in dampness issues. It is not advisable to wait until there is a heavy storm or water build-up to find out that your downpipe connections are not functioning in the right way.
Here are some important considerations when dealing with downpipe connections:
- Downpipes should serve more than twelve meters of gutter length for each pipe. Thus, you need to look at your building measurements and know how much downpipe still serves each gutter. This ensures that you do not exert undue pressure on your system.
- Place the downpipes close to the valley gutters. You should consider whether you require offering for overflow to the gutter.
- Downpipes and gutters work together. Therefore, you should choose your downpipes depending on the right eaves gutter section.
- Downpipes should always be secured safely to your building. The pipes should be fixed to the walls by the proper materials or brackets, which can resist heavy rain and wind and are rust resistant.
Do Downpipes Have To Be Connected To Stormwater?
Downpipes must be connected to stormwater and soakwell. This ensures that there is no overflow on your property or other drainage issues like blocked gutters. The connection offers an effective mechanism to funnel stormwater from the downpipes into the stormwater system. There are two types of connections as mentioned below.
Gooseneck Connection or the Downpipe Adapter
This is the most common type of connection between downpipes and stormwater. It is referred to as a gooseneck connection because the extending pipe that connects into the downpipe adapter resembles a gooseneck. You can purchase a downpipe adapter from a supplier of soakwell or stormwater products.
Goosenecks and downpipe adapters are affordable to purchase and easy to install. The connection works perfectly in undercover areas such as alfresco or a patio that needs to be kept dry when it is raining. The connection also causes no splashing as long as there is sufficient capacity in the soakwell.
Collar and Grate System
Also referred to as an open grill system, this connection has been used for many years to connect downpipes and stormwater. The connection is popular in areas that receive heavy rainfall and frequent storms. It allows air that may be trapped in the system during a flash downpour to escape. During a heavy storm, the open grate system makes it easy for excess water to overflow. This ensures that the stormwater tank does not get under pressure that can cause problems with paving.
The open grate system is also popular because the system does not protrude from the ground like the gooseneck system. This makes it safe to have on your property. The collar and grate system is a more contemporary approach to stormwater drainage and makes your property look more aesthetically pleasing.
Downpipes should never be connected to your property’s sewerage system. You should also make sure that they do not drain into overflow relief gullies on your property. If not connected properly to the sewerage system they can lead to high risks of sewerage overflow in your property. This is why it is always necessary to hire the best professional plumbers to do the connection for you.
Why Downpipes Need To Be Connected To Stormwater
The downpipes connection ensures that your home does not flood from stormwater. There will be no pooling of water that can damage your lawn, garden, driveway, basement wall, foundation, and floors.
It helps save you both the time and money you would spend performing flood damage repairs. Flood damage to your property may also require you to replace several features.
Have Efficient Stormwater Drainage On Your Property
To ensure that you have a high-quality connection and ensure that stormwater never causes havoc on your property, you should work with the best property inspectors. The building inspection professionals can help to assess your drainage system to ensure that the downpipes are working the right way. During building inspections, inspectors at Jim’s Building Inspections Adelaide, always check that gutters and stormwater management is intact.
Building inspectors give recommendations if you need to replace, repair, or install extra downpipes to ensure that the roof’s stormwater drains away from your property effectively. With regular building inspections, you can be sure that your entire drainage system will be intact at all times. Drainage problems such as flooding and water damage will be a thing of the past on your property.
