Interesting pic [1]

[htgeng]

Snapped this pic as sat in traffic... Do these waste pipes defy gravity or are they some sort of vent.
If you drive along the north perimeter of the Congestion zone you may have seen this one before.

 

[Dan Robinson]

They are air admitance/vent pipes - see quite a few of 'em in Camdem council blocks - and they are real barsteward when it comes to unblockng drains.

 

[croydoncorgi]

...to prevent water seals in basins, WCs etc. being drawn by the passage of solids down the 'long drops' outside! ISTR it was LCC regs that required these, maybe as a way of avoiding larger diameter soil stacks on multi-storey blocks.

 

[doitall]

I'm suprised you're old enough to know what they are Dan

Also a barsteward if you want to add another branch higher up the stack as the vent has to be raised as well. Nort an easy job in cast iron and lead pipe.

In fact if you blow the pic up there is another branch just above the flue, under the right conditions it could flood the lower floors.

 

[Dan Robinson]

You see thats what martian time warps do to young minds.

Or was it paying attention?

Can't remember . Now can I get back to my advanced driving course book?

 

[doitall]

Still got the licence then

 

[croydoncorgi]

There IS something a bit odd about the setup.
Doitall is right about the other branch above the flue position without the benefit of any venting and capable of peeing all over the lower floors if the main pipe gets blocked.
But there seem to be further floors higher up. How are their wastes and soils connected? Capable of causing problems from an even greater height???
On a big block like this, I'd expect to see TWO pipes side-by-side most of the way up, with all the vents on one and the wet connections on the other....

 

[doitall]

That is the normal was John, a wet stack and a dry one, with the connection above all the wet ones.

 

[Doctor Drivel]

They are air admitance/vent pipes - see quite a few of 'em in Camdem council blocks - and they are real barsteward when it comes to unblockng drains.

These days those air admittance pipes can be eliminated by using HepVo traps on the basins and sinks. It will make the outside of the building much neater as well. Soil stacks on the outside of buildings look awful.

 

[croydoncorgi]

These days those air admittance pipes can be eliminated by using HepVo traps on the basins and sinks

Yeah - right! Replumb ALL the basins, sinks and WCs in a building with HepVOs and also air-admittance valves where required, so as to get rid of some existing, serviceable pipework on the outside.

Yup - external pipework is UGLY and lots of it is usually uglier - but there's no way on the planet (or at least in UK) it's going to be retofitted out of existence any time soon!

 

[Doctor Drivel]

These days those air admittance pipes can be eliminated by using HepVo traps on the basins and sinks

Yeah - right! Replumb ALL the basins, sinks and WCs in a building with HepVOs and also air-admittance valves where required, so as to get rid of some existing, serviceable pipework on the outside.

Yup - external pipework is UGLY and lots of it is usually uglier - but there's no way on the planet (or at least in UK) it's going to be retofitted out of existence any time soon!

I hope it is.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Tell you what DD, you can come to Camden and swing off the outside of some of the tower blocks removing the waste pipes whilst the local charvers take pot shots at you with BB guns and air rifles.

 

[Dr Drivel]

I hope it is.

So, Doctor, we meet again.

 

[ollski]

Dunno, strangley quite nice picture though.

 

[Terrywookfit]

Has any one ever fitted one of those Horn vented **** pans ??
I used to find loads in old buildings that were damaged but had to replace
with standard pans cos no longer made !!