House Drain Kinked and too close to surface

[SR71]

I recently unearthed this spectacular piece of plumbing when installing a garden gate.

Can anyone advise what the regulations are with respect to how deep below the surface of the ground this house drain should be? It was about an inch below the surface...

Or point me to a site where I can find the info?

The local buildings inspector has been alerted and I'm now trying to get the builder back (7 years after I moved in) to rectify the matter.

Am I on a hiding to nowhere?

Untitled

• SR71
• 10 Aug 2010
• 1

Untitled

• SR71
• 10 Aug 2010
• 1

 

[HERTS P&D]

OMG....................did they run out of joints?

Andy

 

[picasso]

best of luck getting the builder back after seven years

 

[SR71]

Run out of joints?

Not sure, but they certainly ran out of intelligence.



Even trickier bearing in mind the house was a Westbury house and they were bought out by Persimmon 3 years ago weren't they?

But then, how was I to know???!!!

I'm appealing to their good nature first before I get my neighbour i.e., lawyer involved.

But how deep should the pipe be?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I dont think there's any specified minimum depth for drains, basically depends on the levels on the site, as all pipework needs to be on a fall. However I'd expect a pipe that close to the surface to be protected with concrete.

I doubt the builders would be interested now, the onus would be on you to prove you havent damaged it. I'd repair that section, put some concrete around it for added protection and put it down to experience. Drain laying used to be an art, nowadays anything seems to get passed.....

 

[SR71]

Probably excellent advice.

I always thought proving a negative was tricky....



In this case, though, easy, as this part of the garden was inaccessible. Hence the decision to install the gate to make it accessible whereupon I made the discovery.

Like you say I understand that any drainage component less than 600mm below the surface should be protected by concrete....

 

[Agile]

I expect your lawer neighbour will mutter about the Statute of limitation !

 

[kevplumb]

Drain laying used to be an art, nowadays anything seems to get passed....

i once worked on a site (not gonna say where)

they where using 4"" bt ducting for the underground sewer drains

 

[DeltaT]

I'd not be too worried about your drain Taffy son, what about that TPR valve that's pizzing out!! Have you got an unvented cylinder in your home & are you getting it serviced annually???

Ten minute job to fix that 110mm drain pipe by the way, no big deal!!

 

[SR71]

DeltaT,

Thats interesting...

Last winter, whilst away on holiday, a central heating pipe blew and dumped its contents over the house. The heating had been left on in accordance with the insurance requirement.

By the time we got back and endeavoured to investigate, neither the plumbers who came, nor the heating engineers who came could source the leak. The explanation was that a pipe fitting above where most of the water collected must have let go as the pressure built up, dumped the pressure and then resealed itself.

Implausible I thought but at least 2 people in the trade said they'd heard of it before.

Anyway the insurance company wouldn't pay for any more investigation and we went ahead and redecorated, not really having a clue as to what happened.

The heating engineer (our system is pressurised, and because of the pressure relief pipework, presumably, unvented?) subsequently tested the system up to 3 bar although he could never find where the TPR valve was exiting the house and therefore if any of what appear to be 3 TPR's, were leaking, so I felt he had about as much idea as I did about what happened.

The reason I have never noticed the leak before, is that, like I mentioned, that part of the garden has been inaccessible.

I've always wondered why my system will no longer pressurise above 1 bar....it must be ****ing out one of those valves....

Can I do it myself?

The system has not been being serviced annually as I had no idea it needed to be. Is that a regulation?

Thanks.

 

[SR71]

Agile,

PS: What about the Statute of Repose?

I've nothing to lose by asking them to "do the right thing"...more chance of a **** in the Queens handbag I suppose....

 

[DeltaT]

The system has not been being serviced annually as I had no idea it needed to be. Is that a regulation?

Boiler & un-vented cylinder are the only items that should be serviced annually.

Sounds like you have had a bit of a time of it!!