drainage

[steve@sarah]

Finally moved into our property after 10 years ownership and have embarked on a major renovation project.

Having worked as a property renovator in UK for 40 years I am intending to do the works myself, and find that old stone buildings in France are the same as old stone buildings in the UK from a builders point of view.

However our first project is the installation of a new drainage system via a micro station and I am having trouble finding out where to install a grease trap in the system. Some sources state that all grey water should be directed through the grease trap, others that only the kitchen waste. the former would involve installing what is effectively separate systems to each bathroom whereas the latter would be a simple installation outside the kitchen. Also as I have quite a large quantity of UK 110mm brown drainage pipe and fittings left over from various projects in UK I would like to use this up in France but all drainage seems to be grey here although I have found 110mm brown pipe for sale here from a large internet seller. Is there a mandatory colour for foul drainage or is grey just what they use, no one seems able to tell me I just get the usual shrug.

[Patf]

I think you need to get in touch with your local Service Public d'Assainisement Non-Collectif. - SPANC.

Someone at your Mairie will tell you where they are. They will advise on questions like that, and they have to check the work at different stages anyway, and sign it off.

I may be wrong, but I also think not all microstations are approved, only certain ones. They're usually very helpful, but there are regulations which vary from place to place.

[Gyn_Paul]

Unless your microstation was bought here in France it is unlikely to carry a 'NF' symbol, and thus if it isn't Normes Francais, then getting it approved may well be your biggest headache.

I'll bet it has CE on it though. Honestly you wouldn't think France was part of the EU sometimes!

[steve@sarah]

Hi, yes I know about the French attitude to micro stations, I have had a devis for one produced in France, with the correct 'NF' markings. I can't see any way round using one as we are on solid blue clay, about 30cm under the topsoil. This would make a fosse touts eaux difficult and as costly as the micro station.

My real question is about the grease trap position and pipe colour. I have a lot of 110m uk brown pipe and fittings which I would obviously like to use up: it wont cost me anything, the pipe is bigger with much more sweeping bends.

Our current drainage system [installed by the previous owner 15 years ago when the house was "renovated"] comprises of no fewer than 5 knuckle elbows from the toilet into a pre existing concrete inspection chamber - just a box with a pipe in and pipe out [no central trough] this runs across the garden in concrete pipe to another similar box to change direction and theoretically emptied into a roadside ditch. Lovely. No fosse at all.

The concrete pipe was installed in the distant past for grey water, when we asked him, the previous owner said 'I just found a pipe and connected to it.' I don't know how he ever thought this would function. Mind you, it was totally blocked with tree roots and s**t, so had never emptied into the ditch.

This all seemed to work until we were here full time - then oh the joys of digging out a totally blocked drain!

[Gyn_Paul]

Fat trap:

You don't say how far the micro is from the house. I can't remember exactly what the distance is (someone on here is bound to know: I think it's 5 metres but not certain): if not far you don't strictly need one. If the distance from the kitchen is such that the hot water holding the fat in suspension, cools to allow it to solidify, then you definitely need one. Thus it makes sense to sight it as near as you can to where the pipe exits the building. I don't believe it makes a hap'orth of difference if it is exclusively kitchen, or other grey outlets as well - just no WC's.

As to pipe itself, well 110 is certainly sold in builder's merchants, (as is 150) so it must be acceptable for bigger installations anyway. As for the rubber gaskets - I'm assuming it's Marley we're discussing here (SO much easier than bloody gluing every damned joint) don't know if they would be an issue.... colour?... brown dye in the plastic rather than grey? Can't imagine that would be a problem, but this is France, don't forget.

paul