Conservatory / Drain Woes

[dylan_diy]

Hello, I am after some advice, hopefully you'll be able to help?

We had a conservatory built by a reputable local company about 18 months ago. They handled the entire construction, base, walls, windows and the roof etc - the ground works included removal of the existing patio.

We have recently discovered an issue with our drain outlet from the kitchen sink. The outlet used to pass out of the house via pipe and into a gully (which was kind of covered up by the old patio we used to have before the conservatory). It turns out that the original gully used was not a sealed one and now we are having issues with it getting blocked up and as we now have a conservatory with a concrete base we have no real way of accessing it to clear it properly - Dynorod were able to clear it on this occassion but they had to use a camera to get the jetwash into the right place. So in effect we have an open type gully that is now covered by 12" of concrete base.

My issue is with the company who built the conservatory. As I see it when they did the original survey they should have picked up that the gully was of the wrong type and replaced it for one that is suitable for that type of application (sealed one). The company are denying that it is there issue and are unwilling to put right - unless we pay for it ofcourse!

I would like some advice as to if I have any right to expect them to put this right at their cost and who I can speak to in order for them to be forced to fit the bill - buildings inspector???

Any advice gratefully received and if you need anymore info please ask

 

[noseall]

building control will not be of any use in this case.

connies are b'regs exempt. this tends to make upvc installers ignorant of reg's, and correct building standards.

did you as the customer, specify a preference to any particular drainage design alterations?

did you sign an agreement with the connie (upvc) installers?

 

[IJWS15]

To paraphrase what you said. . .

You had a cowboy build you a patio, must have been a cowboy because he buried the open gully that serves your kitchen drain.

You then ask a company to build you a conservatory where the patio was and they do so.

Did you tell the conservatory contractor about the drain or did you assume that they would identify that it needed corrective work? Did they list this work on their quote - if not it is likely that they did not spot that it was necessary. Could they reasonably be expected to know what your patio builder had buried/ - did you pay them to dig trial holes?

 

[elephant]

Do I understand correctly that the original gully was under the old patio and inaccesible and is now under the new one and still inaccessible, or was it under the patio but accessible via a manhole cover?