Do I Need Drainage for Inground Trampolines in Ireland?
Inground trampolines are hugely popular but there are a lot of queries about the installation process and whether or not, drainage is required as we will discuss below.
As a general rule you will not require drainage for most inground or flatground trampoline installations. However, if there is excessive rainfall or if the soil type in your garden creates very slow drainage it may be beneficial to install a drainage system.
| When Drainage May Be Required | When Drainage Will Not Be Required |
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if you have heavy, non-porous soil in your garden, for example heavy clay if your garden is close to the water table level, and you have issues with slow-draining water from your garden |
normal loose soil, no excessive pooling of water on surface of soil even after heavy rainfall the water quickly drains away. |
Drainage Solutions for Inground Trampolines
The majority of our customers will not require drainage for their inground or flatground trampoline installation. However, if you are concerned about water filling up in the hole because your soil is quite heavy and non-porous and you have water drainage issues, the suggestions below may be helpful -
1. Soakaway Holes for Inground Trampolines/ French Drain
Digging a small cylindrical shaped hole in the centre of the trampoline pit, will help to draw water out of the hole and down into the ground. This hole can be filled with stones and should measure approximately 60x60x60cm.
How to Dig A Soakaway Hole for Inground Trampoline Drainage
1. Simply dig a soakaway hole in the centre of the pit measuring approx 60x60x60cm.
2. Fill that hole with larger stones and bricks at the bottom, topped by smaller stones at the top.
2. Pump Drainage Options for Inground Trampolines
You can buy different types of water drainage pumps that will empty the water from the hole, either -
(a) Manually-Operated Pumps -
only when it fills up and this will be done by manually operating the drainage pump, or
(b) Automatic Pumps -
an automatic permanent pump will be hard-wired and will drain the water from the hole automatically when it fills up.
3. Proper Permanent Piped Drainage Solution
This will involve running a drainage pipe from the bottom of the trampoline pit to a lower point in your garden, perhaps a storm drain, sewer or ditch.
Although a little work will be involved in digging the trench to allow you to install the drainage pipe, overall this is perhaps the most effective and low-cost solution for drainage isssues.
Its also important to make sure that you have an adequate fall or pitch on the drainage pipe so that the water runs out of the hole and not into it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Inground Trampoline Drainage
1. Do I need a drainage system for an inground trampoline?
Please refer to the table above.
2. Do inground trampolines fill with water?
Typically inground trampolines do not fill with water for the vast majority of homeowners, however if you are having an issue we recommend considering the following solutions -
(a) soakaway holes in the centre of the pit,
(b) manually operated or automatic water pumps to empty the hole,
(c) solid piped drainage system,
(d) regular above ground trampolines as an alternative.
3. How to determine if you will have a water drainage issue before you dig the trampoline pit?
How to Dig A Test Hole for An Inground Trampoline Installation
If you suspect that you might have a water drainage issue, or you're not sure and you just want to ascertain either way then we recommend digging a test hole.
The idea is to dig a 3 ft deep hole in the location where you would install the inground trampoline and to leave it for a few days or a week to see if it fills with water.
If it does in fact fill with water, then it is extremely likely that you will have a drainage issue and we would refer you to the proposed solutions above.
If the hole does not fill with water, then the soil in your garden should be suitable for an inground trampoline installation in the normal way.
To find out more please phone us on 01 960 1641.
See our inground & flatground trampoline installation guides here.