Waste line?

[2zwudz]

  I am digging the 4' crawl space for our hunting cabin and I have a question about the sewer/septic line exiting the cabin? Does the waste line go under the footing or can it go thru the foundation wall? The septic tank will be located on the sloping side ground in back of the cabin.

Thanks for the help
Mark

[OldDog]

either way

[glenn kangiser]

Depends on the needed slope also.  Otherwise - easiest most logical way.

[OldDog]

don't forget the "Grade"

you can drop it straight down as many times as needed for your slope but anything lateral

has to maintain the proper grade

[Okie_Bob]

I'm curious why you are digging a 4' crawl space? Certainly not required for pier and beam construction, that I know of anyway.
Okie Bob

[ScottA]

If you run it through the wall water could leak around it if not sealed properly.

[PA-Builder]

don't forget the "Grade"

you can drop it straight down as many times as needed for your slope but anything lateral

has to maintain the proper grade

Most codes have no maximum slope ... 45 degrees will work just fine !

[ScottA]

I disagree sewer lines should be sloped 1/8 to 1/4" per foot or be vertical. 45 down is considered vertical by the plumbing code. What happens is the water will outrun the solids and leave them sitting in the pipe. If they sit there long enough to dry out you have the makings of a clog.  Not as big a problem with PVC /ABS pipe as it is with cast iron but it still happens.

[PA-Builder]

... What happens is the water will outrun the solids and leave them sitting in the pipe. ...

Old wives tale that no longer applies to ABS/PVC.

[2zwudz]

  Okie Bob

  I am in west central Illinois and the recommended (code) depth is 36" and my crawl is 36" at the shallowest end and 50" at the deepest end.  The cabin is on a sloping grade.  I probably could have done the step footing but I am new at this and didn't want more headaches. HAHA!!

Mark

[glenn kangiser]

... What happens is the water will outrun the solids and leave them sitting in the pipe. ...

Old wives tale that no longer applies to ABS/PVC.

I dunno, PA.  I can plug both of them too.

[OldDog]

Glenn,

There has to be a correct response to your last comment but I am not going to make it! 

[JRR]

There's little doubt that the smoother bore of plastic pipe, compared to iron and clay pipe, helps "stuff" to move along. 

But!  ... years ago, at a book auction, I bought an old text that was about the derivations of plumbing codes.  (I don't know what I was smoking at the time!).  This thing was printed in the twenties or thirties, I think, and included many old photographs of the old national testing lab set-ups where the recommendation of 1/8"-1/4"  per foot slope was finally determined.  The test piping was adjustable through all slope angles.  They used "artificial feces" (I wonder what poor guy did the research on that one!!) water and other "stuff" ... and let it flow down the piping system while movies and observations were made of each experiment.  Experiments were also made showing the value of proper venting. Clay and iron pipe would have been of little use for these experiments ... so they had a clear glass piping system made (all done with your Grandpa's taxmoney!).  All standard plumbing pipe sizes, including the various tees, wyes, and other fittings were all made of see-thru glass.

I don't remember, but am sure that they considered/compared the flowing action inside the smooth bore glass vs the rougher clay and iron pipe ... and found the results similar.

Hope I find that book lying around someday...

[Okie_Bob]

Mark, I'm still not sure I understand. Yes, minimum code is 36" (to frost depth) but, why dig out the entire area?
I had a very similar situation and just dug down the needed depth all the way around my floor plan, poured concrete in
for a footing and set my concrete blocks on top of that, cutting and mortoring blocks as necessary for level. Underneath
the floor now that it is finished the head room on the shallow end is only about one foot but goes down grade to about five
foot at the other end. No problem. Just never thought about digging out the dirt....seems like a lot of work for nothing. Am I still
missing something?
Okie Bob

[2zwudz]

Bob

If you have one foot of head room under your floor how would you get under there and do any work if you need to?  If its dug out under the entire floor layout it makes it MUCH nicer to work under the floor when needed.  The house I used to live in has a nice deep crawl and I was very thankful every time I went down there to work!!

Mark

[glenn kangiser]

I just re-plumbed a house with about an 18" crawl space- not fun but not too hard - I put some plastic down and rolled in the dirt for the rest.

[OldDog]

Rolling in the dirt helps keep the bugs off

[2zwudz]

Olddog

I wished it was dirt right now.  I have been working on the footings all week after it rained 3" monday!!! What a mess!!  I even had mud in my underwear.  I thought I had a accident in my shorts when I got ready for my shower I looked down and I thought what the *^# did I do. HAHA

Mark

[PA-Builder]

... What happens is the water will outrun the solids and leave them sitting in the pipe. ...

Old wives tale that no longer applies to ABS/PVC.

I dunno, PA.  I can plug both of them too.

Glenn,
I concur with Olddog's response...   

[glenn kangiser]

Glenn,

There has to be a correct response to your last comment but I am not going to make it! 

I don't blame you, OldDog and PA.  I wouldn't touch that one either. 

[glenn kangiser]

Olddog

I wished it was dirt right now.  I have been working on the footings all week after it rained 3" monday!!! What a mess!!  I even had mud in my underwear.  I thought I had a accident in my shorts when I got ready for my shower I looked down and I thought what the *^# did I do. HAHA

Mark

[davidj]

Bob

If you have one foot of head room under your floor how would you get under there and do any work if you need to?  If its dug out under the entire floor layout it makes it MUCH nicer to work under the floor when needed.  The house I used to live in has a nice deep crawl and I was very thankful every time I went down there to work!!

Mark

I couldn't make up my mind about how much to dig out but decided to copy the neighbors and go down about 36" below grade, 18" more than necessary, giving a 48" crawl space.  The whole excavation came to about $500, but given that a lot of it was travel, unloading/loading, checking depth and doing a trench to the well, I'm guessing the extra 18" cost maybe $100 in dirt moving.  Then maybe $250 in concrete and $200 in block (it's 20x30).  The benefit is room for the water tank(s) and cool storage, and of course easy access for plumbing/wiring. Also I'm hoping it stays frost free, being deeper. I haven't even reaped the benefits yet (the floor is going in next Spring) but it's already looking like a good decision.  It also made the block laying more satisfying - it wasn't until the last couple of rows that I felt like I knew what I was doing and had I done the minimum depth I would have still been at the "experimental" stage when finishing.

I'm also glad I went for the same depth everywhere - getting everything level and in the right place was enough of a pain for an amateur (e.g. waiting until dark so my cheapo laser worked and being unable to check diagonals 'cos I'd stupidly piled blocks in the way) without having to deal with multiple levels of footing and making sure footing steps are in the right place.

[2zwudz]

     davidj
It sounds like you are in the exact same situation as I am in.  Did you reinforce any of your block vertically or horizontalily with rebar or the joint wire mesh?

Thanks
Mark

[desdawg]

Glenn,

There has to be a correct response to your last comment but I am not going to make it! 

I don't blame you, OldDog and PA.  I wouldn't touch that one either. 

Where is Stinkerbell when you need her?

[glenn kangiser]