How to connect to 6" old clay collar? - SOLVED

[Undaunt]

Just one of many resources :

"Interceptor traps, in most cases, were unnecessary and in modern construction they are rarely found."

There is also zero mention of interceptors in Document H (which I have literally read front to back) except for use on drainage mounds and in petrol filling stations etc for oil collection ... and on page 14 where it states "Intercepting traps – These are susceptible to blockage and require frequent maintenance.... ....These should only be used in inspection chambers where maintenance can be carried out from the surface without personnel entry." In our situation - any interceptor would need to be so far underground to be difficult/dangerous/impossible to clean out of the inevitable debris that might accumulate over time. I can't imagine that any pros would outweigh the cons.

 

[Undaunt]

All these traps are best left in the past.

I've seen rats twice in 14 years of doing drains, once in Chester city centre and once behind a kebab shop in Bradford.

They are only a problem if they can escape the drain through a hole or break and then get into your cavity, not worth worrying about.

Thanks Ian - I definitely worry since, once you've had run-ins with rats in your house... you've seen enough to last a lifetime! Once they are in, it is an incredibly expensive, disruptive and emotionally challenging process to evict them. Mice are a complete doddle in comparison... rats get seriously entrenched. Hopefully that was just to do with living in Bath at the time with ridiculous problems (you'd see them all the time... massive things the size of small cats) ...the council wouldn't let residents have wheelie bins because of the aesthetics (!) so the seagulls and vermin had a whale of a time. I haven't seen any in Bristol yet (touch wood!)

Oh gawd... bad times. The smell... the noise... the endless money paid to confident people who turned out to be useless... never again! The pest control companies would turn up, talk to you condescendingly, and charge you an arm and a leg to put down bait (which you could easily do yourself)... then you had the endless flies and rotting corpse smells for months... then they'd be back. I had a CCTV survey which flagged up a disused drain under the kitchen... paid a builder to dig down... he couldn't find it anywhere! (apparently) ..he claimed the video didn't show a disused drain. Who to believe?

I was perplexed and felt completely at the mercy of people who seemed to have less clue about the behaviour of rats than I did. I even considered trying to get someone with a ferret to go under the floorboards & into the walls to kill them! (I was sick of emptying snap traps and finishing them off when it hadn't killed them fully... trying to anticipate their neophobia in placement of traps etc) This is one of many experiences that has taught me that often, you are the person best placed to understand your own home, and do what is best for it (even when it is more awkward or not as 'profitable'!) This time, I'm taking a much more proactive, hands-on role as you can tell & documenting the successes and any mistakes as I go to help anyone else facing similar issues.

And yes, I am hoping that with all new drainage (much better than before) there shouldn't be any breaks or old runs for them to hide in or get through. Still - if installing a rat flap whilst we're doing things, is enough to create more peace of mind.. I might consider it! Of course - it seems plausible that this in itself could be prone to creating blockages.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Interceptors of that type are a Victorian idea, and belong in history. Plenty been removed, and of those still in use, I'd say the majority have the rodding eye stopper missing, so any rat that wants to come through has an easy entrance. More chance of finding a rat in the local take away shop's bin, than in your house sewer.

Modern drainage practices are vastly different to Victorian ideas, the work you have carried out so far is more than adequate. I would even go so far as to say the Building Inspector may refuse to pass the installation of a new interceptor, the main reason they are removed is due to repeat blockages.

Dont waste your time with a rat flap either. If its plastic, rats will chew through it pretty rapidly, and as Ian has said, rats will only be an issue if there is an escape route available to them. Properly designed, maintained and sealed drains offer nothing more than shelter and a possible food source to a rat. They will move on and look for somewhere else with an easy access point. Interestingly, redundant outside WC's are often a favourite exit point for rats, the WC isn't used, so the trap dries out offering a good exit point.

As an aside, I would make sure whatever is covering the chamber is solid, you dont want a surprise cave in if some unsuspecting visitor stands on it!

I will also endeavour to comment on your other post in a moment.

 

[Undaunt]

Interceptors of that type are a Victorian idea, and belong in history.

Glad I'm not alone in thinking that given the research I've done (but obviously without the wisdom of years of experience in this area like you guys seem to have) ...that other guy's post got me a bit worried though! Thankyou for the reassurance.

Interestingly, redundant outside WC's are often a favourite exit point for rats, the WC isn't used, so the trap dries out offering a good exit point.

Good point to make. I was aware of this when I moved into this house - and though I hated going into the outside lean-to toilet - I would do so periodically to flush the toilet to make sure the trap didn't try out, just in case.

As an aside, I would make sure whatever is covering the chamber is solid, you dont want a surprise cave in if some unsuspecting visitor stands on it!

True! Its certainly not solid atm, so will ensure there is something more solid before anyone visits. Currently theres just the two of us that have been working on it & a few stray cats we have been feeding (who seem light enough not to dislodge anything!)