House Purchase - Drainage Inspection

[thias]

We're in the process of purchasing a house. It's approx 170 years old 4 bedroom detached. We've had a RICS Building Survey carried out by a local independent surveyor who called out some movement down one side of the building, which we had already noticed. The surveyor believed this to be historical, but recommended a CCTV drainage inspection to rule out anything more sinister, just in case.
With the vendor's permission, we instructed a local drainage company to carry out a CCTV inspection, apparently the house actually has two drainage systems, the original, which is in need of replacing and a second, more recent system which services an extended part of the building, which is also the same area as the movement has been found. When the company came to inspect the more recent system they were unable to as apparently one of the drainage junctions has been fitted the wrong way around so their cameras couldn't be guided through the pipes correctly. They've offered to excavate the junction, flip it around, make right the area and complete the inspection, for a cost of course, which I'm willing the foot, however the vendors are reluctant to have this carried out until the purchase is completed.

1. Has anyone else heard of a CCTV inspection not being possible because of a junction being the wrong way around?
   
2. Is there any other way we can inspect the drains? I guess something else must have been used prior to the invention of CCTV inspections?
   
3. Am I right to insist on this before proceeding with the purchase given the potential impact of the structural movement in the same area?

Thanks!

 

[HERTS P&D]

Get a quote from the drainage company for complete new drain runs and then take that off the asking price.

Andy

 

[^woody^]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a drain, any drain has two ends, and if a camera does not fit in one end ......

 

[HERTS P&D]

Woody, the other end would normally end up in the centre of the road. So no access.

Andy

 

[^woody^]

Lol. Just exploring the possibilities.

But if it's a junction there are, two potential access points other than the one in the road.

The other issue is whether these are private or part public drains.

 

[wessex101]

Personally I prefer a good old fashioned drain test. A camera survey is all well and good for finding mis-alignment, collapse, tree roots etc. but it cannot tell you if the drain is leaking. And with a potential subsidence issue I just want to know if the drain is leaking, you could buy the kit and do it yourself for around £50 or a plumber/groundworker could do it in under an hour.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

1. Has anyone else heard of a CCTV inspection not being possible because of a junction being the wrong way around?

Thanks!

Not heard of it, but entirely possible as the camera wont be able to turn back on itself. Has to beg the question though, if the crew installing the new drainage cannot get a fundamental thing such as a junction in the correct orientation, what else have they got wrong...? I'd be looking at a smoke test possibly now, check for any breaches in the system.

I see utter ballsups on a daily basis now thanks to social media, amazing what some seem to think will work....