Dry Well Installation

If the soil type doesn t perc really well this is what you create.

Dry well installation.

Set the dry well in the hole and slide the port over the pvc pipe. Shovel a 6 inch deep layer of washed inch rounded stone into the hole. This is a great example of how dry wells don t work in areas that have poor percolation. There is no reason why with a little effort you can t install one of these on your own.

A dry well system typically consists of a buried drain tile running from a catch basin at the water source to a collection container some distance away. Place the dry well in the hole making sure the end of the perforated pipe extends into the dry well. In the project shown here a perforated plastic drain tile connects to a dry well fashioned from a plastic trash can that has been drilled. Backfill around the dry well with stone.

A basic system is easy and inexpensive to install. Well if you don t have sand just really great soil percolation. Cover the dry well with soil making sure you don t bury. The idea behind it is good in theory but when put into application it doesn t really work that well.

Essentially a dry well takes the water coming off of your home when it rains and drains it away from your home to a tank and gravel pit that is designed to handle large amounts of water. A dry well provides an excellent means of drainage for both gutters and low points in your yard. The typical dry well installation cost includes materials such as a prefabricated dry well made from plastic or concrete pipe lids fittings drains and rocks as well as labor charges to dig the necessary trenches install the dry well and connect all the pieces. Install a pop up valve into the dry well cover.

Dry well installation basics. Install the dry well photo by ryan benyi. The only thing that s going to fix this is to dig up that dry well. A dry well is an excellent way to divert water runoff from your roof away from your home and yard.

A drywell acts as a holding place for water. The well consists of a 55 gallon plastic drum 35 on craigslist with holes drilled in it. Set the plastic cover onto the dry well and tap it down with a rubber mallet. I opted to run my french drain into a dry well at the end.

Assemble the dry well then use a hammer to knock out all the 1 inch diameter drainage holes and one of the 4 inch ports. It sits on a bed of 3 4 of gravel and is surrounded on its sides by about 6 of gravel. Assuming your soil passed a perc test you ll want to position a dry well or two on storm water s natural drainage path through your yard but keeping a safe. This is just a bog.

Water collects inside the cavity and drains gradually into the soil in the area.