I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

Regards

Jonathan

On 17/01/2013 15:20, Jonathan wrote:
I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

I used aluminium square U channel, bolted to the side walls either side
of the doorway, with a hole from front to rear, near the top. Matching
holes in the flood board allowed me quickly to drop the board (cut from
an old scaffolding board) into the channels and hold it in place with
metal pegs. I used rubber seals along the bottom and sides of the board
to make it reasonably water tight. That produced a quick to deploy first
line of defence, which could be backed up with sand bags behind the
board as time permitted.

As floods can happen at night, when most of us are asleep, I also fitted
a float switch outside, linked to an under dome bell, in order to give
enough warning to get up and put the boards in place.

Colin Bignell

On Jan 17, 3:22*pm, Huge wrote:
On 2013-01-17, Jonathan wrote:

I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

http://www.mtmc.co.uk/product.aspx?P...rce=googlebase

--
Today is Boomtime, the 17th day of Chaos in the YOLD 3179
* * *Don't do business with Churchill Insurance - they're slime.

Thanks, they look the business

Jonathan

On Jan 17, 3:43*pm, Nightjar
wrote:
On 17/01/2013 15:20, Jonathan wrote:

I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

I used aluminium square U channel, bolted to the side walls either side
of the doorway, with a hole from front to rear, near the top. Matching
holes in the flood board allowed me quickly to drop the board (cut from
an old scaffolding board) into the channels and hold it in place with
metal pegs. I used rubber seals along the bottom and sides of the board
to make it reasonably water tight. That produced a quick to deploy first
line of defence, which could be backed up with sand bags behind the
board as time permitted.

As floods can happen at night, when most of us are asleep, I also fitted
a float switch outside, linked to an under dome bell, in order to give
enough warning to get up and put the boards in place.

Colin Bignell

I don't have enough depth of brick to attach the channels to,
otherwise sounds great. We get about four hours warning from the
environment agency.

Jonathan

On 17/01/2013 15:46, Jonathan wrote:
On Jan 17, 3:43 pm, Nightjar
wrote:
On 17/01/2013 15:20, Jonathan wrote:

I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

I used aluminium square U channel, bolted to the side walls either side
of the doorway, with a hole from front to rear, near the top. Matching
holes in the flood board allowed me quickly to drop the board (cut from
an old scaffolding board) into the channels and hold it in place with
metal pegs. I used rubber seals along the bottom and sides of the board
to make it reasonably water tight. That produced a quick to deploy first
line of defence, which could be backed up with sand bags behind the
board as time permitted.

As floods can happen at night, when most of us are asleep, I also fitted
a float switch outside, linked to an under dome bell, in order to give
enough warning to get up and put the boards in place.

Colin Bignell

I don't have enough depth of brick to attach the channels to,
otherwise sounds great. We get about four hours warning from the
environment agency.

Jonathan

We did have 18" thick stone walls. Back when I did that, flood warnings
depended upon the Police coming around with a loudspeaker vehicle and
they didn't always have enough warning to get to everybody.

BTW don't forget that, in most properties, water can get under the floor
through air bricks, so they need protection too.

Colin Bignell

On 17/01/13 15:45, Jonathan wrote:
On Jan 17, 3:22 pm, Huge wrote:


Don't do business with Churchill Insurance - they're slime.

Thanks, they look the business

Jonathan

??? :-)

--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.

On Jan 17, 3:43*pm, Nightjar
wrote:
On 17/01/2013 15:20, Jonathan wrote:

I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

I used aluminium square U channel, bolted to the side walls either side
of the doorway, with a hole from front to rear, near the top. Matching
holes in the flood board allowed me quickly to drop the board (cut from
an old scaffolding board) into the channels and hold it in place with
metal pegs. I used rubber seals along the bottom and sides of the board
to make it reasonably water tight. That produced a quick to deploy first
line of defence, which could be backed up with sand bags behind the
board as time permitted.


A further question - what did you use to glue the rubber strips to the
planks with?

Jonathan

On Thursday, January 17, 2013 3:20:37 PM UTC, Jonathan wrote:
I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very

expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw

into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in

the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external

plywood to create a tight fit as needed.


I think you'll need pumps as well. Ideally a sump with a float switch and pump running off a battery backed-up supply.

Round here (Cambridge) they put the water-tight gates in the boundary walls but then they have to make sure the water does not come in via the rainwater drains.



Robert

On Thursday 17 January 2013 15:22 Huge wrote in uk.d-i-y:

On 2013-01-17, Jonathan wrote:
I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

http://www.mtmc.co.uk/product.aspx?P...rce=googlebase


Screwfix have those:

http://www.screwfix.com/c/screws-nai...ings/cat840134


--
Tim Watts Personal Blog: http://www.dionic.net/tim/

If you are reading this from a web interface eg DIY Banter,
DIY Forum or Google Groups, please be aware this is NOT a forum, and
you are merely using a web portal to a USENET group. Many people block
posters coming from web portals due to perceived SPAM or inaneness.
For a better method of access, please see:

http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php?title=Usenet

"A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject."

On Jan 17, 4:14*pm, Nightjar
wrote:
On 17/01/2013 15:46, Jonathan wrote:









On Jan 17, 3:43 pm, Nightjar
wrote:
On 17/01/2013 15:20, Jonathan wrote:

I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

I used aluminium square U channel, bolted to the side walls either side
of the doorway, with a hole from front to rear, near the top. Matching
holes in the flood board allowed me quickly to drop the board (cut from
an old scaffolding board) into the channels and hold it in place with
metal pegs. I used rubber seals along the bottom and sides of the board
to make it reasonably water tight. That produced a quick to deploy first
line of defence, which could be backed up with sand bags behind the
board as time permitted.

As floods can happen at night, when most of us are asleep, I also fitted
a float switch outside, linked to an under dome bell, in order to give
enough warning to get up and put the boards in place.

Colin Bignell

I don't have enough depth of brick to attach the channels to,
otherwise sounds great. We get about four hours warning from the
environment agency.

Jonathan

We did have 18" thick stone walls. Back when I did that, flood warnings
depended upon the Police coming around with a loudspeaker vehicle and
they didn't always have enough warning to get to everybody.

BTW don't forget that, in most properties, water can get under the floor
through air bricks, so they need protection too.

Colin Bignell

I don't have air bricks but I do have a ground floor shower that water
might come through the drain. I haven't yet found the thing to block
that. Any ideas.

Jonathan

On Jan 17, 4:24*pm, RobertL wrote:
On Thursday, January 17, 2013 3:20:37 PM UTC, Jonathan wrote:
I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very

expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw

into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in

the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external

plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I think you'll need pumps as well. *Ideally a sump with a float switch and pump running off a battery backed-up supply.

Round here (Cambridge) they put the water-tight gates in the boundary walls but then they have to make sure the water does not come in via the rainwater drains.

Robert

Got one last week, thank you.

jonathan

On 17/01/2013 16:19, Jonathan wrote:
On Jan 17, 3:43 pm, Nightjar
wrote:
On 17/01/2013 15:20, Jonathan wrote:

I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

I used aluminium square U channel, bolted to the side walls either side
of the doorway, with a hole from front to rear, near the top. Matching
holes in the flood board allowed me quickly to drop the board (cut from
an old scaffolding board) into the channels and hold it in place with
metal pegs. I used rubber seals along the bottom and sides of the board
to make it reasonably water tight. That produced a quick to deploy first
line of defence, which could be backed up with sand bags behind the
board as time permitted.


A further question - what did you use to glue the rubber strips to the
planks with?

Jonathan

It was self-adhesive and some sort of dense closed cell foam rubber.
Assuming they would have products for making things waterproof, I found
it by browsing around a local yacht chandlers.

Colin Bignell

On 17/01/2013 16:24, RobertL wrote:
On Thursday, January 17, 2013 3:20:37 PM UTC, Jonathan wrote:
I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very

expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw

into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in

the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external

plywood to create a tight fit as needed.


I think you'll need pumps as well. Ideally a sump with a float switch and pump running off a battery backed-up supply.

Round here (Cambridge) they put the water-tight gates in the boundary walls but then they have to make sure the water does not come in via the rainwater drains.


Or the sewers.

No but this intrigues me rather. How are you going to seal them and what
about water under the house itself.
Brian

--
From the Sofa of Brian Gaff Reply address is active
"Jonathan" wrote in message
...
I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

Regards

Jonathan

On 17/01/2013 16:36, Jonathan wrote:
On Jan 17, 4:14 pm, Nightjar
wrote:
On 17/01/2013 15:46, Jonathan wrote:









On Jan 17, 3:43 pm, Nightjar
wrote:
On 17/01/2013 15:20, Jonathan wrote:

I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

I used aluminium square U channel, bolted to the side walls either side
of the doorway, with a hole from front to rear, near the top. Matching
holes in the flood board allowed me quickly to drop the board (cut from
an old scaffolding board) into the channels and hold it in place with
metal pegs. I used rubber seals along the bottom and sides of the board
to make it reasonably water tight. That produced a quick to deploy first
line of defence, which could be backed up with sand bags behind the
board as time permitted.

As floods can happen at night, when most of us are asleep, I also fitted
a float switch outside, linked to an under dome bell, in order to give
enough warning to get up and put the boards in place.

Colin Bignell

I don't have enough depth of brick to attach the channels to,
otherwise sounds great. We get about four hours warning from the
environment agency.

Jonathan

We did have 18" thick stone walls. Back when I did that, flood warnings
depended upon the Police coming around with a loudspeaker vehicle and
they didn't always have enough warning to get to everybody.

BTW don't forget that, in most properties, water can get under the floor
through air bricks, so they need protection too.

Colin Bignell

I don't have air bricks but I do have a ground floor shower that water
might come through the drain. I haven't yet found the thing to block
that. Any ideas.

Jonathan

Balloon filled with water?

On 17/01/2013 16:36, Jonathan wrote:
On Jan 17, 4:14 pm, Nightjar
....
I don't have air bricks but I do have a ground floor shower that water
might come through the drain. I haven't yet found the thing to block
that. Any ideas.

A length of steel pipe, larger ID than the OD of the drain, with a
flange on the bottom and a flexible seal on the flange? The weight of
the pipe should hold it in place while the water simply rises inside it.

Colin Bignell

On 17/01/13 16:19, Jonathan wrote:
On Jan 17, 3:43 pm, Nightjar
wrote:
On 17/01/2013 15:20, Jonathan wrote:

I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

I used aluminium square U channel, bolted to the side walls either side
of the doorway, with a hole from front to rear, near the top. Matching
holes in the flood board allowed me quickly to drop the board (cut from
an old scaffolding board) into the channels and hold it in place with
metal pegs. I used rubber seals along the bottom and sides of the board
to make it reasonably water tight. That produced a quick to deploy first
line of defence, which could be backed up with sand bags behind the
board as time permitted.


A further question - what did you use to glue the rubber strips to the
planks with?

Jonathan

TRADITIONAL evostik or urethane shoe glue works well.


--
Ineptocracy

(in-ep-toc-ra-cy) €“ a system of government where the least capable to
lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the
members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are
rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a
diminishing number of producers.

On Thu, 17 Jan 2013 15:22:01 +0000, Huge wrote:

On 2013-01-17, Jonathan wrote:
I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

http://www.mtmc.co.uk/product.aspx?P...rce=googlebase

THey seem to require the door frame to be removed, though, as they fix
from the other side.



--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
My posts (including this one) are my copyright and if @diy_forums on
Twitter wish to tweet them they can pay me £30 a post
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:14:40 +0000, Nightjar wrote:

BTW don't forget that, in most properties, water can get under the
floor through air bricks, so they need protection too.

Or through the drains. Downstairs loo? Floor drain in the scullary?

TBH fixing to the door frame seems a bit pointless to me. The water will
just find it's way between the frame and the wall. Don't think a tiny
bead of five year old silicon is going to keep it out...

Bits if ali U channel on the outside faces of the wall, solidy fixed and
witha full layer of sealant behind. Don't forget the horizontal at the
bottom of the opening. The board that slide down into this needs a
compliant seal of somesort arranged such that the weight of water
compresses it even harder. If there is a joint between boarsd that will
need a compliant seal as well and again idealy one where the weight of
water makes it seal harder. Not sure how one would arrange that.

Also see what your insurance company has to say about DIY flood gates. In
my view they should support you, as you are trying to reduce the losses
but knowing insurance comapnies if you don't use "approved" kit they'll
use it as hook to hang not paying out on.

--
Cheers
Dave.

On Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:09:33 +0000, Nightjar wrote:

A length of steel pipe, larger ID than the OD of the drain, with a
flange on the bottom and a flexible seal on the flange? The weight of
the pipe should hold it in place while the water simply rises inside
it.

Might depends how much higher up the water is getting into the drains.
Remeber that hefty great cast iron road strength manhole covers can be
tossed aside by flooded drains... See artesian wells, same principle.

You can get one way valves to fit into the waste pipe to reduce the
backflow.

http://www.multifloodsolutions.co.uk...?info_id=93416
http://www.alumascdrainage.co.uk/har...rainage/7/c7.1
http://www.backwater-valves.com/

Just random examples from the first page of google "drain backflow
valve".

--
Cheers
Dave.

On 17/01/2013 20:42, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:09:33 +0000, Nightjar wrote:

A length of steel pipe, larger ID than the OD of the drain, with a
flange on the bottom and a flexible seal on the flange? The weight of
the pipe should hold it in place while the water simply rises inside
it.

Might depends how much higher up the water is getting into the drains.
Remeber that hefty great cast iron road strength manhole covers can be
tossed aside by flooded drains...

Which is why I was thinking of an open topped pipe, rather than trying
to seal the drain. I take your point about how much higher the water is
getting into the drains, but in my house the foul water drain is
connected to an open gulley outside the kitchen, so it wouldn't rise in
the pipe any higher than the water outside.

Colin Bignell

On Thu, 17 Jan 2013 19:36:41 +0000, Huge wrote:

On 2013-01-17, Nightjar wrote:

We did have 18" thick stone walls. Back when I did that, flood warnings
depended upon the Police coming around with a loudspeaker vehicle and
they didn't always have enough warning to get to everybody.

BTW don't forget that, in most properties, water can get under the
floor through air bricks, so they need protection too.

If you have a downstairs toilet, that needs blocking too.

The stress of the impending flood will probably provide sufficient
material to do that.

But yes, it's where you see a lot of the nastier stuff come in.



--
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK: http://www.mirrorservice.org
My posts (including this one) are my copyright and if @diy_forums on
Twitter wish to tweet them they can pay me £30 a post
*lightning surge protection* - a w_tom conductor

On Thu, 17 Jan 2013 07:20:37 -0800 (PST), Jonathan
wrote:

I want to try to make some flood gates for our doors and they are very
expensive to buy. I want to use some sort of fixing that I can screw
into the wooden door frames permanently. These would have a thread in
the centre that I could use to bolt through, I imagine, external
plywood to create a tight fit as needed.

I have never seen anything like that, apart from rawlbolts which are
not designed for wood so far as I know. Does anyone know of such a
thing, or have a better suggestion? Many thanks.

I saw a diy floodgate on a door recently, made from U-channels bolted
to the frame, down which slotted a few horizontal 6x2 timbers. It
would have been trivial to make the gate in one piece, but I suspect
the piecemeal approach was to keep the weight of each part low, in
case the bloke wasn't available and his wife or kids had to do it.
I unrecall the method of tightening them down, but it wouldn't be
difficult to rawlbolt in a tie-down and fasten a ratchet strap.
Inside the door, under a grating, was a sump with a pump in it.

Of course, all this is for nought if the water simply comes in the
underfloor vents, or up through the floor or toilets, so pay attention
to that too.

On Fri, 18 Jan 2013 09:42:22 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon
wrote:

------------8
I saw a diy floodgate on a door recently, made from U-channels bolted
to the frame, down which slotted a few horizontal 6x2 timbers. It
would have been trivial to make the gate in one piece, but I suspect
the piecemeal approach was to keep the weight of each part low, in
case the bloke wasn't available and his wife or kids had to do it.
I unrecall the method of tightening them down, but it wouldn't be
difficult to rawlbolt in a tie-down and fasten a ratchet strap.
Inside the door, under a grating, was a sump with a pump in it.

Of course, all this is for nought if the water simply comes in the
underfloor vents, or up through the floor or toilets, so pay attention
to that too.

Presumably the pump was a manual one - or did he have his own
generator?

In article , Nightjar
writes
On 17/01/2013 20:42, Dave Liquorice wrote:
On Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:09:33 +0000, Nightjar wrote:

A length of steel pipe, larger ID than the OD of the drain, with a
flange on the bottom and a flexible seal on the flange? The weight of
the pipe should hold it in place while the water simply rises inside
it.

Might depends how much higher up the water is getting into the drains.
Remeber that hefty great cast iron road strength manhole covers can be
tossed aside by flooded drains...

Which is why I was thinking of an open topped pipe, rather than trying
to seal the drain. I take your point about how much higher the water is
getting into the drains, but in my house the foul water drain is
connected to an open gulley outside the kitchen, so it wouldn't rise in
the pipe any higher than the water outside.

Yes, that works when there's an equalised static pressure and the water
has found its own level. Consider also the state where moving water has
found its way into the drains and is under high dynamic pressure that
would find it jetting above the level of the pipe and potentially
disrupting the fit and seal.

To cope with those situations, I'd be looking at reverse flow prevention
devices _plus_ the precautions you advise.
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

In article , The Natural Philosopher
writes
On 17/01/13 16:19, Jonathan wrote:

A further question - what did you use to glue the rubber strips to the
planks with?

Jonathan

TRADITIONAL evostik or urethane shoe glue works well.

Considering the consequences of failure, it's got to be mechanical
fixing plus glue.
--
fred
it's a ba-na-na . . . .

On Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:00:45 +0000, Apellation Controlee
wrote:

Inside the door, under a grating, was a sump with a pump in it.

Presumably the pump was a manual one - or did he have his own
generator?

I only saw an electric one in place, but it would have been trivial to
drop a manual one in. When it floods there, the power supply is
intact. The house has a history of flooding, being at the foot of a
hill and dodgy rainwater drains in the road unable to carry it all
away, so the owner was driven to take measures.

On Sat, 19 Jan 2013 11:10:13 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon
wrote:

On Fri, 18 Jan 2013 11:00:45 +0000, Apellation Controlee
wrote:

Inside the door, under a grating, was a sump with a pump in it.

Presumably the pump was a manual one - or did he have his own
generator?

I only saw an electric one in place, but it would have been trivial to
drop a manual one in. When it floods there, the power supply is
intact. The house has a history of flooding, being at the foot of a
hill and dodgy rainwater drains in the road unable to carry it all
away, so the owner was driven to take measures.

I was thinking only that loss of grid power is often a consequence of
area flooding.

On Sat, 19 Jan 2013 22:13:05 +0000, Apellation Controlee
wrote:

Presumably the pump was a manual one - or did he have his own
generator?

I only saw an electric one in place, but it would have been trivial to
drop a manual one in. When it floods there, the power supply is
intact. The house has a history of flooding, being at the foot of a
hill and dodgy rainwater drains in the road unable to carry it all
away, so the owner was driven to take measures.

I was thinking only that loss of grid power is often a consequence of
area flooding.

That particular house suffered from a more localised problem, though.
Quite a decent house, apart from that once-every-few-years little
problem