Old pipes??

[junglejim01]

I've dug a hole to install a new inspection chamber for a new soil pipe i'm installing. However there's a couple of mystery pipes which are a bit in the way. One is quite close to the surface (approx 25mm) and very very rusty, the other is much deeper (approx 60mm) and doesn't look rusty so i'm assuming it could be copper or lead (i'll hae a better look in daylight!). My gas supply was recently replaced above ground and my water is a much newer plastic pipe both of which i've located so i'm assuming these are old and redundant.

Before i dare to take a saw to the old ones is there any way i can tell if they're isolated or what they were for?

Thanks

 

[studips]

have you accounted for you electricity supply yet? how old is the house?

 

[r896neo]

Possible old gas or as suggested electricity in a steel conduit??

 

[junglejim01]

thanks for the quick reply with suggestions. The electricity comes in above the front door on the other side of the house. The house is about 150yrs old so lots of time for things to be replaced.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I wouldnt assume anything is dead until its proved. Cutting through a still live service may at best prove expensive, at worst fatal

The rusty pipe could be an old gas service, but they are often 're-used' when a new plastic service is threaded through the old steel pipe. Unsure what you mean by 'the gas supply was recently replaced above ground'? It'll have to run underground from the main to the meter.

Lead water pipes may not feed the property but could still be live, many were capped at the 'house end' and abandoned. May have fed an outside privvy in the garden or a cattle trough in the past.

 

[junglejim01]

Thanks for the replies. I think i've worked some of it out but presents a slight problem, so ideas welcome. I've attached a picture of the hole and pipes:

Main Drain
Copper Water Main
Grey Plastic Pipe (old gas supply) Last year we had a suspected leak and they replaced our supply pipe from the road: The meter is now in a white box at the entrance to our driveway and the pipe runs into the house from there.
Rusty Pipe (don't know what this is?)
Disconnected drainage pipe (terminates and open)

My problem is that i was planning on putting the inspection chamber in the main pit but the water supply runs directly beneath the drain pipe where the base of the chamber needs to go. Any ideas welcome!

My only thought so far is to move the IC further down the drainage pipe but that's going to involve 'lots' more digging and end up in our driveway.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.[/b]

 

[junglejim01]

here's the photo:

Untitled

• junglejim01
• 28 Aug 2011
• 1

 

[junglejim01]

just looking at the IC design again: http://www.wickes.co.uk/drain-chamber-base/invt/435228/ I should be able to position this over the water pipe, just wondering how i'd lay it and if BC would be happy with that? It would still help if i could remove the rusty pipe.

Thanks again.

 

[junglejim01]

another question...

I understand that the minimum depth for soil waste is 600mm does this mean that the soil pipe needs to go this deep when it meets the ground or can i fit a slow bend and run the pipe sloping to the iC?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I would hazard a guess the rusty pipe may be a water supply, a gas pipe would have a threaded joint, not a compression type fitting as appears to be the case. The copper 'pipe' could be an earth rod?

If the invert isn't going to be too deep then you may be able to use the smaller 225mm dia chamber. http://www.wickes.co.uk/shallow-access-chamber-base-drain/invt/432028/ May give you more scope for positioning. Regs allow a bend immediately outside a chamber, this may allow you to reposition the chamber slightly downstream and fit a bend to realign the angle of the new connection.

The depth of the drain will be governed by the invert depth of the existing pipes. A shallow drain can be protected with concrete should need arise.
You need to keep a pretty constant fall on the drain, 1:40 is usual rule of thumb. To steep a gradient, the water can rush off leaving the solids behind, too shallow a fall then the water will slowly drain away, still leaving solids behind as the water doesn't have the momentum to carry them.

 

[junglejim01]

thanks for the reply. I'm pretty sure the copper pipe is the current water supply as the entry point in the house is directly in line about 1m away.
I hadn't looked at the shallow access chamber. Is there a definition of 'shallow' how many risers can i attach to it before i should be using a larger chamber?

Thanks again.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Shallow chambers max depth 600mm. I think any deeper would prove difficult for getting rods 'round' into the pipes.

 

[junglejim01]

Thanks again for your advice. I've been having another look and located both ends of the gas pipe which are totally disconnected. The rusty pipe has a 5mm hole in it and nothing leaking so that must be redundant and the copper water supply is 22mm so good news! I can crack on with the digging.

Like i said before i'm going to be installing a new soil pipe and inspection chamber. I'm very much a novice at this so just taking it slowly but any tips & suggestions on installation and satisfying building control would be very much appreciated, especially any info about required testing?

thanks again.

 

[junglejim01]

1 more question: does the IC need to be a minimum depth?

 

[Blagard]

1 more question: does the IC need to be a minimum depth?

Not really, that question may be more relevant to your choice of I.C.. I have not checked, but some plastic manholes may be limited to how shallow they can be used simply by the way they are made, and the manufacturers installation information.