How on earth do i remove this man hole/inspection cover

[Paulboy]

We have this cover on a path on our allotments

It is rather old and we want to see how deep is , but cant seem to get it off

Tried crowbar, but no joy....
Its cast iron with concrete inserts, built on a brick base and is over 50 years old i reckon

Edit:

have sent pic of to san gobain pipelines who reckon it was made 1940/50's and could weigh around 60/70 kg, with a concrete infill

They stated it would need a complete new unit to take surface water.

Do you think it would be possible to knock out the concrete infill?

 

[jeds]

You need a cover lifter - available from any hire shop. If the cover is really on the puller can just pull up the surrounding ground or destroy the cover itself so be prepared to make good if you pursue it.

 

[peterperfection]

Dig around it- and see if the surround has a collar a little way down.
If so- lever it up with a BIG bar.
Then turn it over and knock the lid out .

 

[ivixor]

You could also excavate a bit around and drag/pry the whole cover and frame off the brick inspection chamber it's probably cemented onto.

 

[fmck]

I once used a steel beam with slings and a trolley jack. It lifted the whole cover including the road surface road it. Released, pat down with my foot and walk off hoping no one was watching.

 

[Paulboy]

Dig around it- and see if the surround has a collar a little way down.
If so- lever it up with a BIG bar.
Then turn it over and knock the lid out .

Can you explain what you mean by collar?

It seems to be cast iron then sits on brick work etc

 

[Nige F]

We have this cover on a path on our allotments

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Have you got a string line on the allotment ? Find a piece of lead somewhere and make a plumbline - put that through the key hole in the lid - that`ll tell you how deep it is , and if there`s any water in it

 

[HERTS P&D]

I can lift that, as i have a lifter.

What you can is hit around the edge with a club hammer and break the rust seal and then try to lift again.

I was working on a job where a farmer came out with a sledge hammer and was hitting the edge of a very larger manhole cover as if his life depended on it, it then just popped off.

Andy

 

[peterperfection]

Dig around it- and see if the surround has a collar a little way down.
If so- lever it up with a BIG bar.
Then turn it over and knock the lid out .

Can you explain what you mean by collar?

It seems to be cast iron then sits on brick work etc

Thats is a collar--it's the bit the rusty lid sits in.

Sometimes- collar is a concrete section that sits on top of the brickwork.
Whatever it is-- just lever it up complete and turn it all over and place a block of wood on the 'lid' and batter it with a big 'Hammerfer'-- it will drop out .

Question is-- WHY do you want to know how DEEP it is ?
If it aint broke- DONT fix it .

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Word of caution, whacking six bells out of it with a sledgehammer may run the risk of cracking the cover and/or frame! Have had cast covers before that have so badly corroded the cover had 'fused' to the frame. One occasion, we were using hydraulic lifters that actually caused the tarmac surface around the frame to begin to lift, no way were that cover and frame being parted!

Had to excavate around the frame and remove the lot, (we had to get access to that chamber on an emergency job), new cover and frame was later fitted and the tarmac reinstated.

If you dig around it to remove the lot be careful not to drop any debris down the hole, may not be easy or advisible to try and get it out again....

 

[Paulboy]

We have this cover on a path on our allotments

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Have you got a string line on the allotment ? Find a piece of lead somewhere and make a plumbline - put that through the key hole in the lid - that`ll tell you how deep it is , and if there`s any water in it

Actually I can use a fishing line n a small weight.
Dropped a small stone and Tbh I don't think the is any water in it. It could be a dud!!

 

[maltaron]

or it could be an effing deep well

 

[Porque223]

It's counterintuitive but sometimes tapping it down all around the circumference with a small hammer loosens it. It sometimes works but I don't know why.