PIT leaking

[Slogger]

i have a pit i dug 5 years ago in my wooden garage it is 6 feet deep 4 ft wide 10 ft long brick for the first 8 courses then breeze block all double wall concrete base
it fill with water it has from day one and now i am tired of pumping it out what can i do thanks for your help

 

[breezer]

put a pump in with a float switch?

you say it fils up, where does the water come from? has your roof a leak, or is it and the building at the bottom end of a hill, and you have a high water table?

if its high water table i would have thoght you would have to remove the pit fit a pond liner rebuild pit, since if you put liner in pit, water will compress inside space of liner, but if it has a wall then it can not go any further (if you see what i mean)

 

[Slogger]

aye pump is an option i already have a hole i made in one of the corners where i can put a bucket down into and then i place an old telecom manual pump but i was wanting to know if i could screed it and make it water proof or is it too late to do that now the pit is lower than the rest as it on the lowest part of a slight hill and taking it out hmm i dont mind work that might be the way to go as then i could make it a bit better
the liners you mention are they box in shape or just like a large taurpaulin and what make/ material would be the one to go for

 

[TexMex]

Butyl liners are flexible sheets. As Breezer states, these rely on having something firm behind them but since, in your case the water is trying to get in from outside, the liner would need something firm inside it. You could probably get away with constructing a marine ply lining inside reinforced with some 4x2. (on the inner side). You'd need to put in a barrier between the pit wall and the liner and another between the liner and the ply (to prevent tearing of the liner). Expanded polystyrene would do the job.

So the way I would do it would be:

1) Line the pit with polystyrene.
2) drop in the liner sheet.
(may help to fold the corners and then stick down to get it to form the box shape)
3)cut ply sheets to fit along the long walls and stick polystyrene to the backs of them.
4)Lay some polystyrene sheeting on the floor of the pit to cover the liner and place the wall sections in place so their edges are on top of this.
(putting in some temporary braces to hold them in place might be usefull at this stage)
5) Cut ply sections to cover the end walls (and make them a tight fit)
6) Cut 6 lengths of 4x2 (3 for each panel) 8 inches smaller than the width of the panels
7) screw three of the 4x2s to each of the end panels (top middle and bottom) setting them centrally (so the ends are 4" shy of the edge)
Also space the bottom one about 19mm from the bottom edge (to allow for the floor panels later).
8) glue polystyrene sheet to the back of the end panels and push them into place.
9)Cut ply sheets to fit inside the bottom and put in place (sliding the end sections under the 4x2 battons)
10)cut 6 10 foot lengths of 4x2 (3 for each of the long walls) and locate these along the walls.
(These should hold themselves up by being wedged at the ends by the battons you fitted on the end panels)
11)Go round all of the battons and secure to the ply using angle brackets at about 2ft centres.

This has come straight out of my head, so no garantees, but I think it would probably work.

 

[breezer]

i was thinking that the water pressure over time may be too much for timber, which is why ( in an odd way) i suggested rebuilding the pit inside a liner.

specialist liner suppliers will actually "weld" butyl into a box shape for you

 

[TexMex]

I agree, the best solution would be to take out the pit and do it properly. You would also maintain the full width of the pit. (The method I put forward would loose, going on, about foot of it's width), and as I stated, no garantee it would work.

I also agree that the water pressure is going to be quite substantial, hence the inclusion of some rings of 4x2 reinforcement. I've just realised that having only three of them puts them at about 3ft centres (probably much too far apart, 1ft would be more like it).

I still think it would work (with the extra 4x2 reinforcement), and would be easily achieved by the average DIY Joe. But here I stand suitably shot down in flames . One of the chances you take for being innovative.

 

[david and julie]

A boat bilge pump sounds a lot cheaper and easier to me. They are fully automatic and can be left on. They are only 12V or 24V so they are safe.

Obviously if you like work the liners are a better long term option.

 

[Slogger]

aye seems the liner way is the more proffessional of the choices and i guess could be done in a weekend i will prob change the shape when i at it to puttinga step or 2 in as its 6 ft all round ( wasnt thinking how to get out was i )
thanks for he posts