This section is for the fitting of aco channel drain to the front
of garage aspart of a typical block paved driveway construction
project. In order to give comprehensive coverage of the installtion
the section has been split into three separate pages so that you're
not waiting too long for informationto download. This page looks at
the channel system that will be used, and the essential work.

The linear channel chosen for this particular installation is the Aco

drive Drain,which has been specially developed for residential

driveways and patios, with arange of simple, straight forward fittings,

connectors and outlets that make for easy installation for both

Contractors and DIYers.

The linear Channel Units come in 1 metre lengths and each channel is supplied complete with a Grating unit. For this project, the client chose the black plastic grating shown in the photo below in preference to the galvanised steel grating shown opposite. Both types of grating are perfectly capable of withstanding light domestic vehicles; they have a Class A rating but the black plastic gratings have been shown to withstand loads of 30kN, putting them on the verge of being Class B. Choosing which grating to use really is a matter of personal taste.

On the section of channel laid on its side, 4 individual Connection Pieces are shown, along with a Vertical Outlet unit. There is a further Connection Piece on the other channel, showing how they are placed at the end of each length of channel to join adjacent sections.TheVertical Outlet piece is mounted within a movable fitting, so it can be positioned at any point along the channel to suit the drainage fittings that are available. The Vertical Outlet contains aseparate Leaf Guard fitting, which is held in place by a piece of tape during transit. Finally, there are two End Caps that will be fitted to the ends of the channel run once it has been laid. Not shown in this image is the 90° Corner Unit which we will be using on this project.

Underground Drainage The Aco Drive Drain system is a surface drain. It collects water from the surfaceof a pavement and directs it into an underground drain that, in turn, directs itelsewhere, to the main Surface Water sewer a nearby ditch or watercourse,a soakaway or other suitable SUDS system.Consequently,some underground drainage needs to be installed to connect the Aco Drive Drain to the existing drainage system.
	It is good practice to use a fitting referred to as a P-trap to link the AcoDrive Drain to the rest of the drain system. P-traps serve two purposeswhen used on a project such as this: Firstly, they maintain a sump of waterthat acts as a 'trap' and prevents iffy odours emanating from the drainage System. Odours are not always a major problem with Surface water systems,but a P-trap, or some other form of trap, is essential if connecting to a Combined System. The second benefit provided by a P-trap is that it will 'trap' any valuables that may be accidentally dropped into the channel.So, if your wedding ring slips offwhile washing the car, instead of being sluiced down into the bowels of the earthto be lost forever,it should be caught in the trap,from where it can be salvagedwith out too much pain.
As can be seen from the photo below, a plasticware uPVC P-trap has been installed,and is connected to the existing surface Water system via a connecting pipe that links into a newly-installed Access Chamber.Detailed information regarding the installation of the Access Chamber the P-trap all the other bits and pieces of underground drainage are not needed here, but may becovered in a separate page at a later date.For now, it's sufficient to state that the P-trapis positioned in line with the proposed Aco Drive Drain. The actual position of the P-trap,right or left, is not critically important, as the Aco Drive Drain Vertical Outlet unit can be positioned at any point along the channel to suit the P-trap. This givesmore leeway to theinstaller when fitting the drainage, and is one less thing to worry about. However, the levelof the P-trap,that is, its height relative to that of the proposed channel does need to be checked. By measuring on site, or by reading the technical information, it can be determined that the overall height of the Aco Drive Drain is 88mm, which we'll round-up to 90mm for convenience .Once the Vertical outlet unit is in place, thiswill add another 10-15mm or so,as can be seen from the sketch oposite. So, when establishing the P-trap, the top of the P-trap unit MUST be at least 90+15=105mm below the proposed cover level of the channel. This is best checked by measuring and then by positioning a section of channel with Vertical Outlet unit over the top of the P-trap just to double check.The P-trap has been positioned on a bed of concrete to ensure it's held fast when all the work is complete. The channel with the Vertical Outlet unit slid onto it is presented to the P-trap, and held at the required surface level. As can be seen, there is an adequate 'gap' between the top of the P-trap and the base of the Vertical Outlet. This can be measured and a raising piece of suitable length cut from a piece of pipe. Page 4