Cast drains

[Alison556]

I have no idea if I'm posting in the right bit cos there's not a bit for drains.

I have discovered today that the cast drain for the kitchen/bathroom waste (sinks/shower - not toilet) is fractured - underground. There is like a concrete collar round the pipe at ground level and that's all broken and I can see water peeing out of the pipe through the large hole round it.

Question is - who do you contact to fix drains? Am I likely to have to sell a kidney to pay for the repair and does your buildings insurance cover things like drains?

 

[John D v2.0]

The guys on the plumbing and heating forum may help more, but i think you would need a ground worker or general builder.
It's not terribly technical but it does need to be done correctly. You'd really need building regs approval from the council.
Your normal insurance wouldn't Cove it but you might have specific drain insurance?
Depending on your budget it would be an unwelcome cost but much less than a kidney! They may recommend to replace the whole stack if it's all on show rather than splicing in

 

[Alison556]

I've got emergency cover but I'm guessing this is down to old age (I know that feeling)

All I was doing was prepping for laying artificial turf for the dog - shoulda left it all lol

 

[bobasd]

post acouple of photos one up close an the other well set back. post another one showing from the nearest manhole to the collar - is the CI drain actualy a gulley?

 

[Alison556]

Will do. What's a gulley? The drain runs down the front of the house and my upstairs neighbour's kitchen and bathroom waste goes into it and then my kitchen waste goes into it (my bathroom is off a different waste after it was done up). There's a little sort of inspection bit about 5 feet from the main pipe where you can see the water coming off it - or you would if it wasn't draining direct into the ground

 

[Alison556]

Under that concrete sort of collar, there is a hole - it would appear a large one - who knows where it's going. The water can be see peeing out of the pipe on the broken side of the concrete

The cover at the bottom of the photo is where you can see the water draining

 

[John D v2.0]

You might be in luck if it's a shared drain with next door, all shared underground drainage is the responsibility of the water company since 2011.
Since it's kind of on the line to underground, you might find it's down to them.
Worth a call to them, they'll send someone to look, and even if it's not covered they may give some advice

 

[Alison556]

Does that apply in Scotland as well? It would be a bonus if it was their responsibility as I'm not sure that I'd have much chance of my neighbour coughing up to repair.

It's a block of four flats - each with their own front door - so I assume a maisonette?? That pipe on my side take mine and my neighbour's waste water - then where the wee inspection hole thing is, the pipework goes next door and their waste joins it - they have the big manhole in their garden

I'll call them in the morning

 

[John D v2.0]

Not sure re Scotland, i only know about England really

 

[Ian H]

What John said, if they won’t repair it you could dig down and expose it. It’s not a big or difficult job to do.

 

[Alison556]

Ahh well, according to Scottish Water, because it's fractured where the drain is still attached to the building, it's mine and my neighbour's responsibility.

Better get the shovel out and start digging

 

[Alison556]

It's fixed! My neighbour's builder son came and fixed it. I can't say it was a hole - there was just no drain! It was like a concrete elbow and it was just disintegrated so all the water had just been ****ing into the garden. Hopefully no more.

 

[bobasd]

what did he do to fix it an did he do anything to the white PVC waste pipe?

what was needed was a gulley was one installed? google pics of gulleys.

 

[Alison556]

He haunched it??? Seems to be fine and no, he didn't touch the white pvc - that's the replacement drain outlet from my bathroom - the one that the plumber told me that he needed a trench dug for it and I just looked at him and asked why he was telling me - I wasn't digging a trench!!

I looked at gulleys - I've never seen anything like that up here in Scotland

 

[Alastairreid]

The vents on the wall next to the pipes! they are to vent the sub floor void, i would unblock them if i were you.