Leaking soil pipe 80ft in the air.........

[arranchallanger]

I live in a 4th floor flat (100 years old) and the soil pipe runs thru the external wall and connects to the waste pipe outside - 80ft up in the air!

The problem is that where the soil pipe connects to the waste pipe the cement/fixing has come loose and is now leaking, onto my neighbour below.

This would be a 2 minute fix apart from the height and have been quoted £800 by a few plumbers etc. They all admit that it would cost nothing to fix but it needs scaffold to reach.

Now the pipe is visible from the bathroom window, is about 4ft away and reachable with a stick, the leak could be fixed if i could get something to it - ie. a cement or sealant.

Does anyone know of something about 4/5ft long that is going to let me inject into the space? If i could manage to get some sort of sealant into this space with some force (not much) i reckon that would sort it - and save me £800.

Any help is much appreciated as i don't have £800.

Thanks, Steve

 

[Gasguru]

Talk to your freeholder - you may find under your lease you are not personally liable.

Since you are leaseholder you don't own the building fabric - the freeholder is responsible for the repair and splitting the cost between each flat.

 

[Agile]

Scottish property law is considerably different and that may not apply up there!

I have always wondered why plumbers give free advice and solicitors dont ???

Tony

 

[arranchallanger]

Unfortunately it is feudal - i am responsible.

Not good.

Steve

 

[Agile]

You mean a Feu Disposition ???

Are you actually paying the Feu Duties ?

Have you actually checked the documentation or taken legal advice?

Tony

 

[ChrisR]

Ever thought of a new weekend pursuit, like abseiling?

 

[arranchallanger]

This is getting complicated - all i know is that according to the a search about everything posted it is

-bloody complicated
-involves land registry searches
-involves solicitors
-cost cash
-takes time

Many of my friends live in flats such as this one (Glasgow is full of them) and they all have to look after the fabric of thier building.

Abseiling could actually be an option but once up on the roof you are over 100ft and i ain`t doing that - plus no kit and no skill.

Just looking for a product/idea that will get the sealant into the gap to reseal. A 5ft long skeleton sealant gun or syringe would be perfect. Or a cement that could run down a pipe and solidify once moved into place.

Ah... if only they sold those kits at Homebase.

Steve

 

[Kes]

Hi,

The only thing I can think of, off hand, is to fiddle out any lose old filling, and then rig up an expanding foam aerosol with a longer length of plastic tube with the end fixed to a 4 ft stick so you can direct the foam into the gap.

It will be messy and undoubtedly a bodge, and if you get the foam into the soil pipe you're worse off than you were before, so just do a little squirt to start with. More is not better here.

Rgds.

 

[Nige F]

Fue Canal

 

[doitall]

Why not absail down the outside

Dont ware a kilt though as you could get arrested.

I went over the edge in a basket, to add a boss for a kitchen sink that got forgotten, save hundreds on scaffolding.

 

[AndersonC]

Do you have window cleaners on these flats? How do they get up to the windows? If you can, use their platforms. Just an idea

Saying that I bet the windows want cleaning anyway if a soil pipe has been leaking down the building

 

[keego]

We done a few boiler swaps in multi storey flats last year & used a firm of absailers to seal around the flue outside, a dam sight cheaper than hiring scaffold & they get to take all the risks.
It might be worth your while looking into it as there will be no plumbing skills involved & it will be within their capability.

 

[arranchallanger]

Hi,

The only thing I can think of, off hand, is to fiddle out any lose old filling, and then rig up an expanding foam aerosol with a longer length of plastic tube with the end fixed to a 4 ft stick so you can direct the foam into the gap.

It will be messy and undoubtedly a bodge, and if you get the foam into the soil pipe you're worse off than you were before, so just do a little squirt to start with. More is not better here.

Rgds.

I can't believe it!!!!!

I was wandering around Homebase and that is EXACTLY the plan i have come up with - right down to the exact length of the stick.

Currently sat in the living room putting this contraption together.

Amazing - will keep you posted. I really need this to work as missing the old porcelain bowl.

If that doesn't work i will have to give the abseilers a go.

Steve

 

[Agile]

Abolition of Feudal Tenure:

Title Burdens - How can they survive?
What is feudal tenure?
Feudal tenure is created by the grant of a
Feu Disposition which establishes the relationship of
Superior and Feuar (A Superior being a person who
grants a Feu Disposition to a Feuer, who is the
owner of the Feu). A Feu Disposition is generally
used because a seller wishes to impose title
burdens.

How will abolition be effected?
By means of the Abolition of Feudal Tenure
(Scotland) Act 2000 (‘the 2000 Act’) as amended
by the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003.
What will the effects be?

The Feudal System will be abolished on the
Appointed Day which is 28th November 2004. All
Superiorities will be extinguished and the status of
Superior will disappear with the result that there
will be a loss of the right to enforce title burdens and
exact feuduty. Feuars will become outright owners
of their land. Importantly, feudal burdens (those
which are created in Feu Dispositions) will disappear
except where they fall within the Exceptions or
those Preserved.


Are you quite sure that the Feu has been abolished on your flat?

Do you know who your Feudal Superior is?

Tony

 

[ChrisR]

For the tube you could use microbore copper - say 8mm. Easy to bend to the shape you want. Sealing it to the tube off the can could be fun.

The "proper" guns are very very much more controllable, perhaps you could borrow someone who has one. LIke this one:
http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?id=90262&ts=60494

If you overdo it you'll have blobs of sticky goo rolling down the outside of the building, extremely difficult to remove.