Cracked Gully and possible drain pipe blocked

[SALL2009]

I bought a house and I have been struggling with a water leak form the start. The timber floor in one lounge used to get wet. On investigation I have narrowed it down to the rain water gully in front on the house. I have been digging all Sunday, on the side of the house to find the pipe and to find where it is leaking from. But no luck, I keep finding the water but no pipe. So the water is travelling good 4 meters from the source of the leak.

When I put water in the gully with a hose pipe, the water level starts to rise to the top of the gully. Is this normal? The drain pipe being 4-6 inches think, should it not be able to cope with water from a hose pipe?

The house is on a slope, so the gully is on the higher side of the house, so there should be good flow towards the drain.

Now I have noticed a crack on the side wall of the gully itself. But just wondering, could that much water be leaking from a crack, when it would be much faster for the water to go down the drain pipe.

When I say water leaking, we are not talking about, wetness of the soil, when I have dug deep enough the water starts gathering and makes puddles.

I would like some advice on what to do now to find the source of the leak. I have around a meter of concrete left to dig between the gully and the point where I have dug and can see water.

Could the drain pipe be blocked and that’s making the water leak from the crack?

Also the concrete near the gully is very solid and not easy to break. I tried to break it, but only managed 4 inch depth, but still haven’t broken through. Can someone recommend a breaker I could hire for such a job? I was only using a challenge basic chisel drill and that was too slow.

Any advice will be appreciated.

 

[RedHerring2]

Have you tried checking to see if there is a blockage?
Is there a rodding point at the gulley, or can you try rodding it from the IC?
Have you watched from the IC to see if there is any flow?

Is it surface water drain only or waste water? i.e does it go to drain or to a soak away?

All usual hire shops will hirs you a demolition hammer, usually 110V so you'll need the transformer as well.
Expect to pay about £50 for a days hire.

 

[SALL2009]

Thanks for the reply.

The top of the gully was full of mud in the start. I cleaned that bit from the top of the gully and water started to go through. I am not sure if there is also a blockage further down past the bend.

No Roding point at the gully and I don't know where the IC is, can’t see one at our property. Is it not possible to rod from the gully itself?

I am also not sure if it is a soak away or goes to drain. But I did get the main soil stack for the house repaired and the pipe from the stack was going towards the neighbour’s garden. No other pipe is attached to this pipe.

 

[JohnD]

if you want to dig, start at the gulley. See how deep it is and which direction it goes.

Salt-glazed gullies are often cracked, at the trap, or where they joint with the first pipe. This is because houses settle and clay pipe has no give in it.