System for controlling the moisture in the subsurface soil surrounding a building

摘要

Apparatus for controlling the moisture in the ground surrounding a building comprising a circumferential conduit extending around the building approximately ten inches below the ground level and from six to twenty-four inches away from the foundation of the building. The circumferential conduit is composed essentially of porous flexible hose capable of permitting seepage of water from the inside of the hose to the outside thereof through the pores of the hose when water under pressure is fed into the interior of the hose. A supply conduit connects at one end to a water main, and at its other end through an on-off valve, a pair of check valves connected in series, a pressure regulating valve for reducing the pressure from the water main to about 1 to 5 psi, to a terminal conduit for conducting water under 1 to 5 psi into a tee connection in the circumferential conduit. A metering valve is located in the circumferential conduit on each side of the tee and adjacent the tee for controlling the flow of water into each side of the circumferential conduit leading away from the tee. A plurality of vertical hose sections of porous pipe extend downwardly from the circumferential conduit at approximately three feet intervals around the circumference of the circumferential circuit, each vertical hose extending downwardly into the ground from three feet to twenty feet below ground level, the lower end of each vertical hose being closed, the upper end of each vertical hose being open and in communication with the circumferential conduit.