Hi Folks,

Okay, looking to make an extension (up to permitted amount) but the
ground just behind the house also has a drain inspection cover.
What is the situation here regards access to it?
Cheers!

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
wrote:

Hi Folks,

Okay, looking to make an extension (up to permitted amount) but the
ground just behind the house also has a drain inspection cover.
What is the situation here regards access to it?
Cheers!

It depends on a lot of things! It is an inspection *chamber* that you could
climb down into, or just a small rodding eye?

Is it a foul sewer, or just for storm water? How deep is it? What size pipe
is at the bottom? Is it a public sewer, or is it a private one - for which
you are responsible? In which Water Company area do you live?

If it's a public sewer, you'll need to get permission from your water
company to build over it. If they're anything like Severn Trent, you'll have
a hell of a lot of hoops to jump through! I built a detached garage over a
public sewer - and ended up with an inspection chamber inside the garage. If
it's a foul sewer, you won't really want a chamber inside living space -
even with a sealed lid. Imagine what will happen if it blocks, and they have
to take the lid off - and it then overflows! It would be best to try to
divert the whole thing to be *outside* of your extension.

In my case, ST insisted on a before and after CCTV survey - at my expense -
to prove that the building operation hadn't damaged the sewer, and insisted
that the foundations were taken down to invert level (2.2 metres in places)
and bridged over the sewer so as not to place any load on the pipe.

Have fun!
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
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PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

On 4 Sep, 21:34, wrote:
Hi Folks,

Okay, looking to make an extension (up to permitted amount) but the
ground just behind the house also has a drain inspection cover.
What is the situation here regards access to it?
Cheers!

It could be just an access chamber for your own soil drainage. My
extension has a double-seal access chamber in the kitchen floor (will
usually be hidden by breakfast bar or somesuch), into which the
upstairs and downstairs toilets merge. If the sewage system was
backing up, I'd prefer to have to open that chamber than wait for the
downstairs toilet to overflow ! At least with the chamber you stand
more of a chance of clearing the blockage, with access from both
ends. But I don't think I'd want a public sewer chamber in my
kitchen. Its OK for me, but Severn Trent invading my house is another
thing !
I was also building *near* to the public sewer, but not over it. I had
to ensure the foundations were below a line 1 metre away and then 45
degrees upwards from the invert.
Simon.

sm_jamieson wrote:
On 4 Sep, 21:34, wrote:
Hi Folks,

Okay, looking to make an extension (up to permitted amount) but the
ground just behind the house also has a drain inspection cover.
What is the situation here regards access to it?
Cheers!

It could be just an access chamber for your own soil drainage. My
extension has a double-seal access chamber in the kitchen floor (will
usually be hidden by breakfast bar or somesuch), into which the
upstairs and downstairs toilets merge. If the sewage system was
backing up, I'd prefer to have to open that chamber than wait for the
downstairs toilet to overflow ! At least with the chamber you stand
more of a chance of clearing the blockage, with access from both
ends. But I don't think I'd want a public sewer chamber in my
kitchen. Its OK for me, but Severn Trent invading my house is another
thing !
I was also building *near* to the public sewer, but not over it. I had
to ensure the foundations were below a line 1 metre away and then 45
degrees upwards from the invert.
Simon.

I had an inspection cover in my garage at one house I owned. The sewer
served my house and 2 or three others before flowing via other
properties to the public main.
When I was on holiday there was a blockage upstream that was cleared but
evidently reblocked downstream from my locked garage. Result, a very
smelly garage.
I imagine you would need permission to vary the drainage system or
access to it. Depending on what it serves might be worth contemplating
moving the run.

On 5 Sep, 13:24, Invisible Man wrote:
sm_jamieson wrote:
On 4 Sep, 21:34, wrote:
Hi Folks,

Okay, looking to make an extension (up to permitted amount) but the
ground just behind the house also has a drain inspection cover.
What is the situation here regards access to it?
Cheers!

It could be just an access chamber for your own soil drainage. My
extension has a double-seal access chamber in the kitchen floor (will
usually be hidden by breakfast bar or somesuch), into which the
upstairs and downstairs toilets merge. If the sewage system was
backing up, I'd prefer to have to open that chamber than wait for the
downstairs toilet to overflow ! At least with the chamber you stand
more of a chance of clearing the blockage, with access from both
ends. But I don't think I'd want a public sewer chamber in my
kitchen. Its OK for me, but Severn Trent invading my house is another
thing !
I was also building *near* to the public sewer, but not over it. I had
to ensure the foundations were below a line 1 metre away and then 45
degrees upwards from the invert.
Simon.

I had an inspection cover in my garage at one house I owned. The sewer
served my house and 2 or three others before flowing via other
properties to the public main.
When I was on holiday there was a blockage upstream that was cleared but
evidently reblocked downstream from my locked garage. Result, a very
smelly garage.
I imagine you would need permission to vary the drainage system or
access to it. Depending on what it serves might be worth contemplating
moving the run.

In extreme cases you can re-route the public sewer (under the watchful
eyes of the water authority), but is v. expensive and you can't expect
other people to stop using their toilets ! I had a scarey sheet from
Severn Trent telling me about all of this.
Simon.

wrote in message
...
Hi Folks,

Okay, looking to make an extension (up to permitted amount) but the
ground just behind the house also has a drain inspection cover.
What is the situation here regards access to it?
Cheers!
Friends had a extention done and builders had to move both a foul water and
storm water drain that would have had inspection covers in their new kitchen
if left. I think both drains were "theirs" rather than public so moving
inspection covers meant lots of trenches, patio and path dug up, more pipe
and inspection covers appearing in their patio.

Neighbour in my last house built a glass lean to type conservatory thing
(!!) across his patio (had brick dwarf walls + double glazed so not really a
green house) and just lino'ed across the sewer cover. Found out to his cost
that cast iron sewer covers lift up when sewers block due to someone lobbing
a large nappy down the drain. Sewerage got into his house as well as once
conservatory was full started flowing in through the connecting door. My
drain cover lifted as well but luckily for me just flowed into neighbours
garden mingling with all the liquid coming out of his conservatory doors.
Nice.....

On 5 Sep, 16:42, "Ian_m" wrote:
wrote in message

... Hi Folks,

Okay, looking to make an extension (up to permitted amount) but the
ground just behind the house also has a drain inspection cover.
What is the situation here regards access to it?
Cheers!

Friends had a extention done and builders had to move both a foul water and
storm water drain that would have had inspection covers in their new kitchen
if left. I think both drains were "theirs" rather than public so moving
inspection covers meant lots of trenches, patio and path dug up, more pipe
and inspection covers appearing in their patio.

Neighbour in my last house built a glass lean to type conservatory thing
(!!) across his patio (had brick dwarf walls + double glazed so not really a
green house) and just lino'ed across the sewer cover. Found out to his cost
that cast iron sewer covers lift up when sewers block due to someone lobbing
a large nappy down the drain. Sewerage got into his house as well as once
conservatory was full started flowing in through the connecting door. My
drain cover lifted as well but luckily for me just flowed into neighbours
garden mingling with all the liquid coming out of his conservatory doors.
Nice.....

Yeh, inside should always be double-seal and screwed down !
Simon.

Ian_m wrote:
wrote in message
...
Hi Folks,

Okay, looking to make an extension (up to permitted amount) but the
ground just behind the house also has a drain inspection cover.
What is the situation here regards access to it?
Cheers!
Friends had a extention done and builders had to move both a foul water
and storm water drain that would have had inspection covers in their new
kitchen if left. I think both drains were "theirs" rather than public so
moving inspection covers meant lots of trenches, patio and path dug up,
more pipe and inspection covers appearing in their patio.

Neighbour in my last house built a glass lean to type conservatory thing
(!!) across his patio (had brick dwarf walls + double glazed so not
really a green house) and just lino'ed across the sewer cover. Found out
to his cost that cast iron sewer covers lift up when sewers block due to
someone lobbing a large nappy down the drain. Sewerage got into his
house as well as once conservatory was full started flowing in through
the connecting door. My drain cover lifted as well but luckily for me
just flowed into neighbours garden mingling with all the liquid coming
out of his conservatory doors. Nice.....



Exactamundo.

You CAN leave drains inside under stuff, but as above, it has its drawbacks.


accept that some extensions need extensive groundwork, and leave it at
at that. I dont thinbk new drains are the most expensive part of an
extension: you generally have a digger in anyway to do the foundations..

First step is to trace whats going on, second is to plan where the new
should go..taking the opportunity to extend in case you ever want a bog
or bathroom somewhere else, then gird thy loins, grease the digger, and
get pipe laying.

I rather enjoy that...

I'll open it up and see what water is going in it. It's one of these
covers with concrete layed into it so don't know how easy it will be
to lift.

If it's like the front drain cover it will be shared with neighbours
and since the property is relatively new I assume I'm responsible for
it, not the water board.

I'm quite happy to keep it in the same place I was more concerned
about the council planning guy seeing it and refusing the extension or
requiring me to bend over backwards over it.

Cheers all for the input.

The Natural Philosopher wrote:
then gird thy loins, grease the digger, and
get pipe laying.

I rather enjoy that...

Which bit; laying the pipe or greasing the digger?
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have you strayed?"

Hugo Nebula wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
then gird thy loins, grease the digger, and get pipe laying.

I rather enjoy that...

Which bit; laying the pipe or greasing the digger?

groundwork in general ;-)

As long as you have machines to help, anyway.