Standing water in soil stack

Alison556 · 26 Feb 2008

Is there meant to be any?

I've posted before about my bloomin drains constantly blocking and I'm fed up getting them unblocked.

Anyway, I've a feeling they're blocked again because when I run the sink in the bathroom, I can hear the gurgling in the shower waste - although no water is actually comiing up. The bathroom sink drain is absolutely stinking as well.

I had a look down the inspection hol for the drain yet again today - normally it's been obvious that it's blocked, but this time, the soil stack is just half full of soapy water.

I'm assuming that there shouldn't be any water lying in the soil stack - I assume that there's a run off to the main drain so that you don't get a build up of water and waste?

Just wanted to check before I phone Scottish Water out - don't want to look like a complete prat if this is normal.

Bahco · 27 Feb 2008

I'm assuming that there shouldn't be any water lying in the soil stack

Not really as gravity should pull it away. Do you have a vented soil stack or an internal one with an AAV.

Alison556 · 27 Feb 2008

Oh 'eck, I don't know. I tried to be clever and search to see what you meant but I couldn't find anything that showed them!

But I'm beginning to wonder if I'm calling it by the right name (it was the drainer that told me it was the soil stack) - it's the pipework that's underground (that the waste from the toilet and sinks goes into). There's a little cast iron cover that I can lift to look down into and it then drains away towards my neighbour's and their waste goes into it and on their path is a large manhole cover that you can see down before it goes out into the street.

Is that a really carp description?>

Bahco · 27 Feb 2008

Sounds like an inspection chamber.

Think you will need to get someone in to unblock it as there should not be any water stuck in it.

Do you have a Drains R Us in your area as they are quite cheap and will inspect and clear for about £40 if a simple blockage.

Alison556 · 27 Feb 2008

There's been dispute in the past as to whether the drains are the responsibility of Scottish Water or the council/owner occupiers. I had Scottish Water out before but it wasn't blocked at that time. They said they'd come out again if it blocked and check and see what was causing the blockage (it's happening all too frequently), so if they've said they'd do that, I'm guessing it's their pipes.

I'll phone them now though since there shouldn't be any water down there - I won't look like a complete wally if it's not blocked!!

Softus · 27 Feb 2008

Alison556 said:
But I'm beginning to wonder if I'm calling it by the right name

You're not. The stack is the vertical pipe, which can't be half full in the way that you're describing.

it's the pipework that's underground (that the waste from the toilet and sinks goes into). There's a little cast iron cover that I can lift to look down into...

Anything like this?

...and it then drains away towards my neighbour's and their waste goes into it and on their path is a large manhole cover that you can see down before it goes out into the street.

If your access point has water lying in it, then either:

1. The downstream inspection chamber is not empty.
2. The pipe between the rodding point and the inspection chamber has an obstruction in it.

Alison556 · 27 Feb 2008

Softus said:
Alison556 said:

But I'm beginning to wonder if I'm calling it by the right name

Click to expand...

You're not. The stack is the vertical pipe, which can't be half full in the way that you're describing.

Sorry

- blame the drainer - t hat's what he told me it was called - is it the soil pipe?

it's the pipework that's underground (that the waste from the toilet and sinks goes into). There's a little cast iron cover that I can lift to look down into...

Click to expand...

Anything like this?

Not really, but I think we're on the same tracks - when I look down what must be the rodding point, it's just a vertical pipe and I can see holes in the side of it where the toilet and sink wastes come out. Can't see the bottom of the pipe cos it's full of water!!

...and it then drains away towards my neighbour's and their waste goes into it and on their path is a large manhole cover that you can see down before it goes out into the street.

Click to expand...

If your access point has water lying in it, then either:

1. The downstream inspection chamber is not empty.
2. The pipe between the rodding point and the inspection chamber has an obstruction in it.

[/quote]

I reckon it's the pipe in between the rodding point and the inspection chamber (now that I know what they're all called). It's blocked there loads of times already. The surveyor reckoned that the pipe was fractured or something because the water is seeping through the foundation of the house (the pipes run parallel with the front wall of the house about 2 feet from the wall), but the last time the Council drainer was out, the plumber informed me that the roofers had dropped loads of bits of broken pipe down the waste pipes when they were doing the roof and blocked all the pipes. I'm beginning to suspect that there is maybe a bit of broken pipe down there and waste is catching on it and blocking. But now that I know that there shouldn't be water in that vertical pipe, then I feel that I can phone and tell them it's blocked again.

JohnD · 27 Feb 2008

it needs digging up and mending, if it's fractured. If you can, demonstrate that it is fractured to whoever seems to be responsible for maintaining it.

That might end up being you.

Your underground dungeon will get very unpleasant if there is a sewage leak near it.

Softus · 27 Feb 2008

Alison556 said:
Sorry - blame the drainer - t hat's what he told me it was called

I'd prefer not to blame anyone.

is it the soil pipe?

The vertical 110mm pipe is the soil stack, the underground 110mm pipe on your property is called the foul waste, or foul drain, or private sewer, and the underground pipe that's not on your property (which can get much bigger than 110mm) is the public sewer.

Can't see the bottom of the pipe cos it's full of water!

There should not be any water anywhere, except in a trap or a gully, if you can see 'water' inside the base of your soil stack then you have a blockage.

I reckon it's the pipe in between the rodding point and the inspection chamber (now that I know what they're all called). It's blocked there loads of times already.

No reckoning is needed. You, or someone, must lift the inspection chamber cover and check that the chamber is empty. Wherever you find 'water', the blockage is downstream of that point.

The surveyor reckoned that the pipe was fractured or something...

More reckoning. I don't call that surveying - more like guessing. He, or someone, should have organised a camera trip along the underground pipe to find out the cause of repeated blockages.

...because the water is seeping through the foundation of the house (the pipes run parallel with the front wall of the house about 2 feet from the wall), but the last time the Council drainer was out, the plumber informed me that the roofers had dropped loads of bits of broken pipe down the waste pipes when they were doing the roof and blocked all the pipes. I'm beginning to suspect that there is maybe a bit of broken pipe down there and waste is catching on it and blocking. But now that I know that there shouldn't be water in that vertical pipe, then I feel that I can phone and tell them it's blocked again.

If you find bits of broken pipe put there by the roofers, then keep them as evidence for sueing the roofers.

Softus · 27 Feb 2008

JohnD said:
Your underground dungeon will get very unpleasant if there is a sewage leak near it.

But if you stay on the trapeze then at last you'll keep your feet dry.

Alison556 · 27 Feb 2008

Thanks guys.

By good luck shall we say, it's not my side of the dungeon that's getting all the yucky mucky water - it's me neighbour. My side is still lovely and dry!

And don't tell everybody about the trapeze! That was meant to be our secret.

I know there's been a lot of reckoning. The surveyor reckoned the pipe was fractured (though that's not what he was under there for, give him his due, he just noticed it in the passing). The drainer reckoned that was a load of rubbish, it was only blocked (Mr X-ray vision that can see through tar paths and brick walls!).

And I've been trying for ages to get somebody to shove a bloomin camera up that pipe but they just don't listen to me - what does a girl know after all? (and don't go answering that thank you very much!).

I'll get on the phone to Scottish Water and tell ya what they say.

Softus · 27 Feb 2008

Good call. Put on a deep voice.

ChrisR · 27 Feb 2008

??

See the rest of that page/site for pics.

JohnD · 27 Feb 2008

it's not a trapeze

it's a love swing.

Alison556 · 27 Feb 2008

Softus said:
Good call. Put on a deep voice.

I'll go and smoke 40 fags before morning - that should help!!

ChrisR - brill site - I hunted high and low and couldn't find anything like what I was looking for - but that's it (although a heck of a lot older version) and according to that there definitely is a fall off, so I shouldn't have soapy suds up me pipe!

And stop telling people about the swing..................

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Standing water in soil stack

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