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For when your troubles just won't soak away, sort out your drainage issues in here.
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By Karlvts
#7662
Hi, wondering if anyone can help me out.. We recently bought a 50s bungalow and its become apparent that the drains are in need of urgent work. As its an old property, there is a single system for foul and surface water. I have attached a diagram which shows manholes and drain sections.

Alterations were made to the property in 2004 when it was converted into a chalet bungalow. During this work, a SVP was installed and routed into FWMH1 (S5). The HUGE problem is it enters FWMH1 against the flow(!!!) so without going into too much detail, ‘bits’ are deposited into the other drains entering FWMH1, where they stay because the surface water running down those drains does not have enough flow to pick up the bits and take them down the main drain… I can’t believe this was signed off by building control! or that the previous owners put up with it!

I have to dig up S6 and S7 between FWMH1 and FWMH2 (highlighted red in the attached) which is going to be replaced with a new 110mm PVC pipe. My first thought was to also dig up around the SVP, and reroute it into the redundant S4, which enters FWMH1 at the correct angle, but thinking more about it, FWMH1 was only ever dealing with surface water from its original install in the 50s, and has a 10cm fall over 6m to FWMH2.

So looking for advice, is rerouting into redundant S4 a good idea? (Highlighted orange in the attached) Would running a new PVC pipe further downstream towards FWMH2 make a lot more sense? (highlighted green in the attached) - I may need to install a new IC for this connection? Any thoughts/advice much appreciated!

KP.
Attachments
drains.jpeg
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User avatar
By REDSAW
#7667
hi
i dont do drainage myself but theres one or two that should be able to advise, when they pop in?
By ALK Plumbing
#7680
There are a number of signs that there might be an issue with the drain.

Blocked sewer line
Mould in the house
sewage smell in the house
slow draining plugs
dark green patches of grass
sunken garden
problems with rodents
and many more

We recently wrote an article on this - https://alkemergencyplumbers.co.uk/blog ... ewer-pipe/

Hope you get some use out of it and it helps.
Any other questions give me a shout :)
ALK
By SimonG
#7682
If its leaving 'bits' then yes definitely worth amending. Although originally building control seem to have had a day off on that one you will need to get them to have a look as any amendments will have to be signed off by them.

Any underground now I just have a quick look then get building control in for them to tell me what they want. As long as you stay inside with them I've never had an issue.
User avatar
By REDSAW
#7683
ALK Plumbing wrote:
April 3rd, 2020, 5:17 pm
There are a number of signs that there might be an issue with the drain.
You offering a link back in return then?
By Karlvts
#7695
SimonG wrote:
April 3rd, 2020, 6:46 pm
If its leaving 'bits' then yes definitely worth amending. Although originally building control seem to have had a day off on that one you will need to get them to have a look as any amendments will have to be signed off by them.

Any underground now I just have a quick look then get building control in for them to tell me what they want. As long as you stay inside with them I've never had an issue.
Thanks for the info, didn't realise I would need BC involved, will contact them tomorrow. Was hoping to start digging soon with all this time at home...
By Karlvts
#7696
ALK Plumbing wrote:
April 3rd, 2020, 5:17 pm
There are a number of signs that there might be an issue with the drain.

Blocked sewer line
Mould in the house
sewage smell in the house
slow draining plugs
dark green patches of grass
sunken garden
problems with rodents
and many more

We recently wrote an article on this - https://alkemergencyplumbers.co.uk/blog ... ewer-pipe/

Hope you get some use out of it and it helps.
Any other questions give me a shout :)
ALK
Had blocked sewers, got rodents, got smells, got mould! Seems like I was right to sort the drainage :)
By SimonG
#7697
Karlvts wrote:
April 5th, 2020, 7:01 pm
SimonG wrote:
April 3rd, 2020, 6:46 pm
If its leaving 'bits' then yes definitely worth amending. Although originally building control seem to have had a day off on that one you will need to get them to have a look as any amendments will have to be signed off by them.

Any underground now I just have a quick look then get building control in for them to tell me what they want. As long as you stay inside with them I've never had an issue.
Thanks for the info, didn't realise I would need BC involved, will contact them tomorrow. Was hoping to start digging soon with all this time at home...
Nothing stopping you digging. Easier for bc to see what you are doing.
User avatar
By Best
#7719
My thoughts are you should pipe from new soil pipe position to nearest manhole (whether that man hole is to remain or be replaced).
Just run the pipe away from wall until you can then run it into man hole at correct angle. Don’t worry about it appearing the pipe is initially going opposite direction to flow of main sewer, because that is irrelevant as long as you allow correct fall and final correct angle to man hole.
Water doesn’t have a direction, just a gravity flow.
The main sewer pipe obviously will need replaced.
If it was mine, I would replace everything possible. Nothing beats new plastic sewer pipes and complete man holes.
Got to check it all with building control and produce plans if any alterations, which is simple.

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