• Looking for a smarter way to manage your heating this winter? We’ve been testing the new Aqara Radiator Thermostat W600 to see how quiet, accurate and easy it is to use around the home. Click here read our review.

Blueprints / Mapping - Knowing where things lie

Joined
1 Oct 2011
Messages
178
Reaction score
4
Location
West Midlands
Country
United Kingdom
Hi all,

This is the setup:

Whole driveway.png

A Closer Look at the rear:

Rear Section.jpg

Shared drive. In this neighbourhood - surface water and foul lines combine under the manholes, water have a combined sewer .

This runs down the middle of the driveway to the street sewer.

A) I suspect that a manhole cover is missing. I suspect the previous neighbour (house sold not long ago) used a cowboy builder, and it's been 'disappeared'.

The other houses on the street all have 3 in total. I make only out only two.

Where can I find a blue-print of how the drains/sewers were originally laid when the house was built (1930's)?

Will Thames water have a drain/sewer map of the driveway? Will it be the council - or even a Land Registry Document?

Where can I find a map of how things originally were?

B) MOST IMPORTANT:

If the previous neighbour has used cowboys and they have covered-up/destroyed a manhole that was supposed to be there ( Owned by Thames Water ), who would restore it? What advice can you give me as the best way forward?

This post is intended to generate discussion on this situation, so we might all learn something through our conversation. My thanks to any willing to contribute to the discussion.

SL
 
I doubt very much you’ll find any plans so your best option is to get the drains surveyed as i don’t think TW will do anything without any proof
 
Get a drainage engineer out.

Andy
This, don't bother wasting your energy on anything else you will never be able to rely on it even if you did find something, employ a local drain clearer who can provide you with a CCTV survey and give you a fag packet sketch of the layout. Avoid any of the big national firms.
 
A) I suspect that a manhole cover is missing. I suspect the previous neighbour (house sold not long ago) used a cowboy builder, and it's been 'disappeared'.

If the cover is in place, and a metal cover, a metal detector should be able to track it down. I made a drawing of where all my services were, when they were replaced with new, 40+ years ago.
 
Take a closer look at the nearby properties: chances are the same layout: this should help decide if there is one missing.
 

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Back
Top