Waste water

[sandwedge]

I hope someone can guide me. I have three waste water outlets (Bath, basin and kitchen sink) entering a concrete hopper in my 1960's bungalow. This continuously overflows so I plunged my hand down (in a glove) and found a bit of sludge in the bottom but there was not a pipe leading out of the drain to take the water away??? Where should the waste water go? is it a soak-away? What can I do to stop the over flowing?

 

[fatplumber]

Are you sure that you got to the bottom of it? Even if soak away it would still be away from the house and a pipe to it.

 

[sandwedge]

Thanks Fatplumber. The bottom and all four sides seem to be solid. The sides are ceramic and the bottom is hard like concrete, it goes down about 18 inches from the drain cover. Where should the outgoing pipe be positioned? I suppose its possible the bottom has had cement washed into it perhaps?

 

[Agile]

I hope someone can guide me. I have three waste water outlets (Bath, basin and kitchen sink) entering a concrete hopper in my 1960's bungalow. This continuously overflows so I plunged my hand down (in a glove) and found a bit of sludge in the bottom but there was not a pipe leading out of the drain to take the water away??? Where should the waste water go? is it a soak-away? What can I do to stop the over flowing?

Its an overflow hopper !

They were fitted during the 1960s during the copper shortage when Ian Smith declared UDI in Rhodesia and the supplies from landlocked Zambia through Rhodesia were disrupted.

As a result world wide copper prices hit the roof. Plumbers were forced to make substandial savings elsewhere and someone invented the overflow hopper. This had the advantage that it looked fine but did not need connecting to any expensive drainage system or soakaway.

Tony

 

[dextrous]

there should be an opening down there around the perimeter. If not, then as you say, something solid has set, which you may be able to chisel out by using a long bit of metal and a hammer. Be careful, since you don't want to break the pot.

 

[TicklyT]

There's probably a 'U' bend at the bottom of the hopper, and they can hold quite a bit of 'sludge'. They often don't overflow until the whole thing is packed solid.

When you have dug down to the bottom of the sump, expect a hole in the side, sloping upwards. It will probably in the side pointing towards the nearest inspection chamber.

Not the most pleasant job in the world at any time. An old long handled kitchen spoon can be useful if everything hasn't set rock-hard, but I don't think you will want to take back into the kitchen afterwards!

 

[sandwedge]

Thanks everyone. I have found a small outlet hole which has been blocked by concrete. (I had some work done where builders mixed concrete and flushed the residue down there) I will try to unblock it. thanks all once again.