DRAINAGE ACO CHANNELS

A soak away is a hole in the ground filled with rubble or plastic soak away crates that collects rain water from a roof, patio or drive way and lets it soak slowly into the surrounding soil. It keeps surface water away from your house and off the road, instead of sending it into the drains. 

It works best in free-draining soil. In heavy clay, the water can't soak away fast enough, so test how quickly a hole drains first. See our [underground drainage] range for pipes and fittings. 

Dig a pit at least 5 metres from the house or any road, usually about a metre deep below where the pipe comes in. Line it with geo textile membrane, fill it with soak away crates or clean rubble, run the pipe in, then wrap the membrane over the top and cover it with soil or turf. 

Size depends on the area draining into it and how well your ground drains, so do a simple soak test first. Check Building Regulations if it's taking water from a new extension or driveway. See [underground drainage]. 

Dig a trench a little wider and deeper than the channel, lay a concrete bed, and set the channels on it with a slight fall towards the outlet. Connect the outlet to a soak away or surface water drain, then pack concrete along both sides. The grating should sit just below the surrounding surface. 

Channel drains are ideal across the bottom of a sloping drive or in front of a garage door. See our [ACO drainage channels], including [heavy duty channels] for driveways.