Drain Field Size For 5-Bedroom House

The size of a drain field for a 5-bedroom house will vary depending on a number of factors, including the number of people living in the house, the amount of water used, and the type of soil on the property. However, there are some general guidelines that can be used to estimate the size of the drain field needed.

The first step is to determine the daily water usage for the house. This can be done by averaging the water bills for the past year. Once the daily water usage has been determined, it can be multiplied by a factor of 1.5 to account for peak usage. This will give the peak daily water flow (GPD).

The next step is to determine the soil type on the property. The soil type will affect the rate at which water can infiltrate the soil. Soils that are sandy or gravelly will allow water to infiltrate more quickly than soils that are clayey or silty. The soil type can be determined by conducting a soil test.

Once the daily water usage and soil type have been determined, the size of the drain field can be estimated using the following formula:

``` Drain field size (sq ft) = Peak daily water flow (GPD) ÷ Infiltration rate (GPD/sq ft) ```

The infiltration rate will vary depending on the soil type. The following table provides the infiltration rates for different soil types:

| Soil Type | Infiltration Rate (GPD/sq ft) | |---|---| | Sand | 6 - 12 | | Loamy sand | 3 - 6 | | Sandy loam | 2 - 4 | | Loam | 1 - 2 | | Clay loam | 0.5 - 1 | | Clay | 0.1 - 0.5 |

For example, if the peak daily water flow is 1,000 GPD and the soil type is sandy loam, the size of the drain field would be:

``` Drain field size = 1,000 GPD ÷ 3 GPD/sq ft = 333 sq ft ```

It is important to note that this is just a general guideline. The actual size of the drain field may need to be adjusted based on site-specific conditions.