Soil Downpipe Blocked? Or waste chamber?

[Skyhigh]

No joy. Worked out which way the flow was by feeling the direction of the outlet from the house and tried plunging and also worm screw but no joy.

What's usually the distance between two inspection chambers?

Or (looking at the picture below) is it more likely that the waste just joins up straight to the 'main drain' under the street?



Red Square = inspection chamber
Blue = assumption of rest of the pipe is.
Red Arrow = direction of flow.

Just called a plumber, the words "excavation", "digging it out", "very expensive" were all mentioned


Cheers,


* Yes that is a smiley face in my back garden. For a laugh I mowed it in, after the grass got fairly long.....about the same time Google Maps took their photos..!

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

There's no rule of thumb on distance between chambers, but maximum IIRC is 100m. I'd start by asking to check neighbours gardens for chambers, lift any covers you find and see if you can work out whats going on from there. (Never assume anything with drains! )

No need to worry about excavation at this stage, you need to establish where the blockage is and whats causing it first. A CCTV survey once its cleared will tell you if there's a defect in the pipework. Could simply be a build up of wipes or similar, once shifted it might be that thats problem solved! (Until some muppet flushes a load more down the pipe.... ) Unlikely a drain of that age would have collapsed, if its due to poor workmanship then ask Barratt what are they going to do about it I'm sure they wont value bad publicity!

It could go straight out to the road, or bend 90degrees out to the road between your neighbours and their next door. (Is that a concrete cover in their driveway? If so, there should be a chamber at the rear where the direction changes going out to the front. Also looks like another in the front garden of the house on the corner, worth checking these.)

I cant see any ironwork in the roadway to suggest position of the main or indicate where your sewer may connect to the main. Gulley gratings are clearly visible, just no manhole covers!

 

[HERTS P&D]

Now you know what way the water is flowing, what you need is to go to neighbours on either side and check which one is clear and rod up stream.

Don't use the screw attachment to your rods, they normally get caught.

Turn all rods clockwise unless you have pro rods which need a spanner to fit together.

So check neighbours and report back.

At worst you could call someone out who does a fixed price jetting, for 1 hour. That's what I do, it keeps the customers mind at rest.

Andy

 

[Skyhigh]

After lifting a load of inspection covers this morning - looks like its a problem with the main drain.
Got to say - I love new estates, lots of inspection chambers!


Big Squares = Big concrete inspection chambers (4 to 6 foot drop)
Small Squares = Small Osram plastic inspection covers (1-2 feet drop).

Red = Submerged (channels are submerged in effluent)
Blue = Free flowing or dry. Working fine.

Arrows highlight the 'direction' of the drains.





Number 1 - chamber at back of my house, 4-6 inch deep full of effluent.
Number 2 - neighbours concrete inspection chamber, about 4 foot deep in effluent. Takes in waste from front of other houses (to left, small red squares) - which are all backed up - and also from up their driveway.
Seems to let out toward the street.

Just to the right of it, the small inspection chamber is also backed up and points toward the street.

Drains at the end of the street and in-front of my house are all fine and free flowing.

So I'm guessing that the blockage is round abouts where the red ???? is.

So, time to call Yorkshire Water - as its affecting quite a few houses and it could be a main drain problem.

 

[Skyhigh]

Complete farce :-/

Council say its Yorkshire Water.
Yorkshire Water say they're only responsible for surface water on the estate - not the sewers.
Council confirms its a 'private issue'.

Have to wait for a callback on Monday from council environmental - so they can come out and charge us to determine which houses are responsible for the costs for a *private* company to come out and fix it.
Council don't "fix" drains. :-/

Long way around the houses, but at least if the council determine which properties are 'responsible' for the maintenance costs - then at least I can prove the cost is to be shared.

Nothings simple :-/

 

[Nige F]

If you can live with it until October - Then the local Water co. has to adopt all those drains up until then it`ll be an unequal £ share Google Private sewers - I had that grief @ my last house

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I am wondering why Yorkshire Water are saying its not their responsibility! If the properties are 4 years old I would have expected the main sewers to have been adopted under a section 104 agreement by now. (See here: http://www.yorkshirewater.com/extra...rvices/sewerage-services/sewer-adoptions.aspx )

If YW haven't adopted the sewers (and its seems strange they've adopted the storm drains and not the foul), then i'd be asking why not! A developer of Barratts nature should arrange adoption as a matter of course. It also seems very odd there are no manholes in the highway...

Until the location and cause of the blockage is found, then the cost of sorting it out is unknown. I'd be checking your insurance cover should worst happen, and I strongly advise the ownership of the sewers is ascertained, even with the proposed adoption of private sewers in October, if there is an outstanding problem it may be some sewers are still remain private responsibility after this takeover....