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Default Any way to see down a drain to find a broken or fractured pipe?

digital camera with movie function attached to roller skate + drain
rods with a torch? stumped otherwise...

have you considered pit could just be sunk in to water table and
concrete is finally letting it through. may sound ridiculous but I have
seen a building where water table was only 3 ft below surface and
digging foundations for conservatory was enough to reveal it. in this
case you could simply "tank" (waterproof cement) the pit.

ben

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Hugh
 
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"Sue Zooki" wrote in message
...
I have a leak from the main drain from the house, which unfortunately
runs under my garage base. I have a pit, 5'6" deep, in the garage, and
the water is seeping into the pit. Getting the job done is no problem,
but I want, if possible, to find exactly where the break or fracture is
to cut down on guesswork, and the amount of digging of course.

I toyed with the idea of using a webcam on the end of drain rods to take
a look for the break, but as it's at least 20 feet from the manhole, and
the maximum length for a USB 1.1 cable is only around 10 feet, that idea
was kicked into touch. Getting someone in with specialist camera gear is
out of the question due to cost.

Anyone have any other suggestions other than, "Get digging matey"?


Is there any sign of subsidence to the property? Is there a gully taking
surface water to the main sewer? They are prone to breaking ( or the pipe
close by) if there is movement of the building. Any cracks in the relevant
wall? How about the garage? Any cracks which might lead you to think that
the drain is being collapsed?
Both would cause water to leak and run under the garage floor.
Thinking like this might give you a starting point rather than digging up
the whole lot!
Hugh


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OG
 
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"Sue Zooki" wrote in message
...
I have a leak from the main drain from the house, which unfortunately
runs under my garage base. I have a pit, 5'6" deep, in the garage, and
the water is seeping into the pit. Getting the job done is no problem,
but I want, if possible, to find exactly where the break or fracture is
to cut down on guesswork, and the amount of digging of course.

I toyed with the idea of using a webcam on the end of drain rods to take
a look for the break, but as it's at least 20 feet from the manhole, and
the maximum length for a USB 1.1 cable is only around 10 feet, that idea
was kicked into touch. Getting someone in with specialist camera gear is
out of the question due to cost.

Anyone have any other suggestions other than, "Get digging matey"?


Maplins have the following
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...=30489&doy=6m8
£40 B&W cctv that simply plugs into a scart socket (PSU included) Seems to
come with a 20 metre lead.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?...=30499&doy=6m8
£75 DayNight Colour/BW with IR illumination .

Either of which may be of use. Stick one on a little trolly on the end of a
drain-rod and it should allow you the access you need. Even if it doesn't,
it sounds like a fun gadget.


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Hugh
 
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"Sue Zooki" wrote in message
...
I have a leak from the main drain from the house, which unfortunately
runs under my garage base. I have a pit, 5'6" deep, in the garage, and
the water is seeping into the pit. Getting the job done is no problem,
but I want, if possible, to find exactly where the break or fracture is
to cut down on guesswork, and the amount of digging of course.

I toyed with the idea of using a webcam on the end of drain rods to take
a look for the break, but as it's at least 20 feet from the manhole, and
the maximum length for a USB 1.1 cable is only around 10 feet, that idea
was kicked into touch. Getting someone in with specialist camera gear is
out of the question due to cost.

Anyone have any other suggestions other than, "Get digging matey"?


Sounds like you've found the problem.
As I said - the gully or drain that is near the pit - break up the concrete
above it, and dig down and you will possibly find the soil is washed away,
and the gully/pipe broken - replace with a new plastic type, job done!
If the soil is washed away from under the foundations of the house , you
need to shove in a concrete mix (ballast)
Is it a victorian property by any chance? With foundations about 10'' to 1
foot?

Hugh


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Harry Bloomfield
 
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Sue Zooki has brought this to us :
I have a leak from the main drain from the house, which unfortunately
runs under my garage base. I have a pit, 5'6" deep, in the garage, and
the water is seeping into the pit. Getting the job done is no problem,
but I want, if possible, to find exactly where the break or fracture is
to cut down on guesswork, and the amount of digging of course.

I toyed with the idea of using a webcam on the end of drain rods to take
a look for the break, but as it's at least 20 feet from the manhole, and
the maximum length for a USB 1.1 cable is only around 10 feet, that idea
was kicked into touch. Getting someone in with specialist camera gear is
out of the question due to cost.

Anyone have any other suggestions other than, "Get digging matey"?


Aldi and/or Lidl had a IR B/W security camera on offer some while ago
for about £30. They plug into a TV via a SCART socket, quite small, had
built in IR illumination and were designed for outdoor use so fairly
waterproof with a long lead. One of those might be just what you need.

--

Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.org




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Our local drain specialist did the job for us for =A350. Waterproof
camera in a torpedo shaped case on a line with the image on a TV
screen. The line was much like black alkathene water pipe on a roll but
semi rigid and could be poked a long way like a drain rod.
Fascinating viewing with a very clear image of the pipe and it's
contents - bit like one of those coral reef nature films but with bits
of sweet corn, bog roll etc instead of fish. Talk about seeing crap on
the telly! Should have kept the video.
The result was that we found no main drain but a soakaway pit instead,
which accounts for the periodical blockage.

cheers

Jacob

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ben
 
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Sue Zooki wrote:
I have a leak from the main drain from the house, which unfortunately
runs under my garage base. I have a pit, 5'6" deep, in the garage, and
the water is seeping into the pit. Getting the job done is no problem,
but I want, if possible, to find exactly where the break or fracture
is to cut down on guesswork, and the amount of digging of course.

I toyed with the idea of using a webcam on the end of drain rods to
take a look for the break, but as it's at least 20 feet from the
manhole, and the maximum length for a USB 1.1 cable is only around 10
feet, that idea was kicked into touch. Getting someone in with
specialist camera gear is out of the question due to cost.

Anyone have any other suggestions other than, "Get digging matey"?


Yep! a pinhole camera, a led and a mouse/hamster, tie pinhole camera and led
(with long lead), to rodents back and send it on its way. :-)


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Capitol
 
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A few questions to start with!

1) How long has the pit been flooding?
2) Does it only do it after it rains for a few days?
3) How is the pit constructed?(concrete, brick etc)
4) Are you on mains drainage?
5) Have you a leaking watermain?

IME pits always flood due to groundwater unless tanked, it's just a
question of when and how much. I'd look to waterproof the pit before I
even considered doing more than putting a rod down the drain to check if
had been tree rooted. Drains normally(even Victorian) do not have
stagnant water levels in them, the flow is pretty good provided toilet
waste is passing regularly.

Regards
Capitol
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Rick
 
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On Sat, 06 Aug 2005 10:49:29 +0100, Sue Zooki
wrote:

I have a leak from the main drain from the house, which unfortunately
runs under my garage base. I have a pit, 5'6" deep, in the garage, and
the water is seeping into the pit. Getting the job done is no problem,
but I want, if possible, to find exactly where the break or fracture is
to cut down on guesswork, and the amount of digging of course.

I toyed with the idea of using a webcam on the end of drain rods to take
a look for the break, but as it's at least 20 feet from the manhole, and
the maximum length for a USB 1.1 cable is only around 10 feet, that idea
was kicked into touch. Getting someone in with specialist camera gear is
out of the question due to cost.

Anyone have any other suggestions other than, "Get digging matey"?


By the time you have spent 100 quid on the camera, you could have
hired a mini digger (60 quid a day round my way) and dug the whole
pipe out.

I'd guess, based on which bit of the pit gets wet first, and dig by
hand, casue a min digger in the garage in the hands of a dsylexic, is
likley to end in bad problems.

Rick



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andrewpreece
 
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"Rick" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 06 Aug 2005 10:49:29 +0100, Sue Zooki
wrote:

I have a leak from the main drain from the house, which unfortunately
runs under my garage base. I have a pit, 5'6" deep, in the garage, and
the water is seeping into the pit. Getting the job done is no problem,
but I want, if possible, to find exactly where the break or fracture is
to cut down on guesswork, and the amount of digging of course.

I toyed with the idea of using a webcam on the end of drain rods to take
a look for the break, but as it's at least 20 feet from the manhole, and
the maximum length for a USB 1.1 cable is only around 10 feet, that idea
was kicked into touch. Getting someone in with specialist camera gear is
out of the question due to cost.

Anyone have any other suggestions other than, "Get digging matey"?



I found a leak in my 4" ID salt glazed clay sewer pipe the other day, by
indirect
methods. I opened the inspection cover on the pit that the sewer pipe runs
through
as it exits my property, then bunged up the sewer pipe on the house side,
with an
outsize cotton-bud type thing I made from a pole, rags and clingfilm.

I then filled up the sewer by running the outside tap in my gully ( my soil
pipe and
my grey/rainwater all empty into the same pipe ), though if you have
separate
waste systems you'll have to fill the one in question appropriately. I
turned off the tap
when the gully started to fill up.

I was then able to watch the water level in my gully rapidly dropping, down
to a certain
level. That gave me an idea of the size of leak, it gave me its height, and
fortuitously,
since the leak had carved a cubic foot hole away from under the pipe over
the years,
I could actually hear a splashing gurgling sound where the leak was
underground,
though it as to be said the pipe was only a few inches down at that point,
under a thin
layer of cement.

As an aid to hearing the leak, a stick held to the ear and the ground can
help. This technique
is only helpful where there is a void in the ground though, so there is a
free water surface
that can make a splashing sound.

Andy.




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