Is it common for soakaways to be located at the base of the gutter pipe
on older properties?

Friend of mine is living in an old house (not sure of the age, early
1900s perhaps?) and the downpipe from the gutter dissapears straight
into the ground.

Anyway, damn thing was bunged up with moss sludge, so dismantled the
pipe and shoved a hose down there, which backflushed the sludge out, but
could only get the hosepipe down about 10" below the ground.

Shoved the end of the my pressure washer down there, felt like I was
hitting stones. Couldn't see a bend in the pipe. But anyway, water seems
to be flowing now, although it didn't drop below the level of whatever
it was the end of my lance was touching, so couldn't see what it was and
as the area is paved, would have to dig it up to see.

So, is this pipe going stright into a soakaway you think?


--
Best Wishes
Simon T

---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
http://www.avg.com

On 26/01/2018 17:03, Simon T wrote:
Is it common for soakaways to be located at the base of the gutter pipe
on older properties?

Friend of mine is living in an old house (not sure of the age, early
1900s perhaps?) and the downpipe from the gutter dissapears straight
into the ground.

Anyway, damn thing was bunged up with moss sludge, so dismantled the
pipe and shoved a hose down there, which backflushed the sludge out, but
could only get the hosepipe down about 10" below the ground.

Shoved the end of the my pressure washer down there, felt like I was
hitting stones. Couldn't see a bend in the pipe. But anyway, water seems
to be flowing now, although it didn't drop below the level of whatever
it was the end of my lance was touching, so couldn't see what it was and
as the area is paved, would have to dig it up to see.

So, is this pipe going stright into a soakaway you think?


It's most likely that it is but it could be going into a main drain if
there is one. A video cam on a flexible probe is the only way to be sure
without digging up.

In article ,
Simon T wrote:
Is it common for soakaways to be located at the base of the gutter pipe
on older properties?

Friend of mine is living in an old house (not sure of the age, early
1900s perhaps?) and the downpipe from the gutter dissapears straight
into the ground.

On my Victorian house - so a bit older - no soakaways. Rain water goes
into the main drainage.

--
*Jokes about German sausage are the wurst.*

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On 26/01/2018 17:03, Simon T wrote:
Is it common for soakaways to be located at the base of the gutter pipe
on older properties?

Friend of mine is living in an old house (not sure of the age, early
1900s perhaps?) and the downpipe from the gutter dissapears straight
into the ground.

Anyway, damn thing was bunged up with moss sludge, so dismantled the
pipe and shoved a hose down there, which backflushed the sludge out, but
could only get the hosepipe down about 10" below the ground.

Shoved the end of the my pressure washer down there, felt like I was
hitting stones. Couldn't see a bend in the pipe. But anyway, water seems
to be flowing now, although it didn't drop below the level of whatever
it was the end of my lance was touching, so couldn't see what it was and
as the area is paved, would have to dig it up to see.

So, is this pipe going stright into a soakaway you think?


Not just older properties. Mine was built in 1987 and is just as you
describe. We are on chalk so drainage has never been a problem

--
Chris B (News)

After serious thinking Dave Plowman (News) wrote :
On my Victorian house - so a bit older - no soakaways. Rain water goes
into the main drainage.

If it goes to main drainage, somewhere near there will be an inspection
cover. Lift the cover and pour water down the the downspout hole.

On 26/01/2018 18:30, Harry Bloomfield wrote:
After serious thinking Dave Plowman (News) wrote :
On my Victorian house - so a bit older - no soakaways. Rain water goes
into the main drainage.

If it goes to main drainage, somewhere near there will be an inspection
cover. Lift the cover and pour water down the the downspout hole.

Not necessarily true: at the front of the houses here the rainwater goes
into the sewer with no inspection chamber. (It's a bugger to work out
when the pipes are blocked/collapsed/off on their hols/...)

--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

On 26/01/18 17:03, Simon T wrote:
Is it common for soakaways to be located at the base of the gutter pipe
on older properties?

I've seen that on a 1930's property and a 1950's one.


Friend of mine is living in an old house (not sure of the age, early
1900s perhaps?) and the downpipe from the gutter dissapears straight
into the ground.

Anyway, damn thing was bunged up with moss sludge, so dismantled the
pipe and shoved a hose down there, which backflushed the sludge out, but
could only get the hosepipe down about 10" below the ground.

Shoved the end of the my pressure washer down there, felt like I was
hitting stones. Couldn't see a bend in the pipe. But anyway, water seems
to be flowing now, although it didn't drop below the level of whatever
it was the end of my lance was touching, so couldn't see what it was and
as the area is paved, would have to dig it up to see.

So, is this pipe going stright into a soakaway you think?

On 26/01/18 17:03, Simon T wrote:
Is it common for soakaways to be located at the base of the gutter pipe
on older properties?

Friend of mine is living in an old house (not sure of the age, early
1900s perhaps?) and the downpipe from the gutter dissapears straight
into the ground.

Anyway, damn thing was bunged up with moss sludge, so dismantled the
pipe and shoved a hose down there, which backflushed the sludge out, but
could only get the hosepipe down about 10" below the ground.

Shoved the end of the my pressure washer down there, felt like I was
hitting stones. Couldn't see a bend in the pipe. But anyway, water seems
to be flowing now, although it didn't drop below the level of whatever
it was the end of my lance was touching, so couldn't see what it was and
as the area is paved, would have to dig it up to see.

So, is this pipe going stright into a soakaway you think?


Or a french dtain


--
Socialism is the philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance and the
gospel of envy.

Its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.

Winston Churchill

In message , Chris Hogg
writes
On Fri, 26 Jan 2018 18:21:28 +0000, Chris B wrote:

On 26/01/2018 17:03, Simon T wrote:
Is it common for soakaways to be located at the base of the gutter pipe
on older properties?

Friend of mine is living in an old house (not sure of the age, early
1900s perhaps?) and the downpipe from the gutter dissapears straight
into the ground.

Anyway, damn thing was bunged up with moss sludge, so dismantled the
pipe and shoved a hose down there, which backflushed the sludge out, but
could only get the hosepipe down about 10" below the ground.

Shoved the end of the my pressure washer down there, felt like I was
hitting stones. Couldn't see a bend in the pipe. But anyway, water seems
to be flowing now, although it didn't drop below the level of whatever
it was the end of my lance was touching, so couldn't see what it was and
as the area is paved, would have to dig it up to see.

So, is this pipe going stright into a soakaway you think?


Not just older properties. Mine was built in 1987 and is just as you
describe. We are on chalk so drainage has never been a problem

Likewise 1960's properties. On our recently inherited bungalow, some
down pipes have a soakaway immediately underneath, others feed into
the mains drainage. But planning permission for a recently installed
conservatory was conditional on rainwater being piped to a soakaway
dug 5 metres away from the foundations.

Often found at 6m:-) Standard pipe length.

We once had a house dating from the Edwardian period. That had a *soft
water well* : big underground brick tank with a nice arched roof.
Rainwater was piped there in 3" salt glaze. Pipes also ran off at high
level to a drain field under the lawn. The house had a small room known
as the *tank room* and I think water was pumped there for use. Mains
water led to the storage tank being removed and a toilet fitted in the
space.

Bad move to discharge water near foundations! My grandfather had a house
built in Cambridgeshire. The builder misread the plans and put the
kitchen sink in the wrong place. To overcome the problem he used a
90deg. bend in the pipework leading to the cess pit.

When we sold the house 50 years later the couple buying knew that there
had been some long standing subsidence and arranged an investigation. An
excavation of the suspect foundation found that grandfather had broken
the pipe at the bend by enthusiastic rodding.
40 plus years of bath and dishwashing water had done the rest.

The geological survey has the area as Greensand which is meaningless to
me. Plenty of nice Chalk as well.


--
Tim Lamb

In article ,
Harry Bloomfield wrote:
After serious thinking Dave Plowman (News) wrote :
On my Victorian house - so a bit older - no soakaways. Rain water goes
into the main drainage.

If it goes to main drainage, somewhere near there will be an inspection
cover. Lift the cover and pour water down the the downspout hole.

On mine you can work it out by looking at the pipe outlets to it.

--
*IS THERE ANOTHER WORD FOR SYNONYM?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

You are lucky to have a soakaway. (No not a Monty Python sketch), we have an
extra downpipe at a right angled corner near a door to stop the water
whizzing over the edge and onto unsuspecting callers at the door. This has
an angled pipe on the end going straight into a flower bed, now the Camilia
in there has gone berserk!

Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Simon T" wrote in message
news
Is it common for soakaways to be located at the base of the gutter pipe on
older properties?

Friend of mine is living in an old house (not sure of the age, early 1900s
perhaps?) and the downpipe from the gutter dissapears straight into the
ground.

Anyway, damn thing was bunged up with moss sludge, so dismantled the pipe
and shoved a hose down there, which backflushed the sludge out, but could
only get the hosepipe down about 10" below the ground.

Shoved the end of the my pressure washer down there, felt like I was
hitting stones. Couldn't see a bend in the pipe. But anyway, water seems
to be flowing now, although it didn't drop below the level of whatever it
was the end of my lance was touching, so couldn't see what it was and as
the area is paved, would have to dig it up to see.

So, is this pipe going stright into a soakaway you think?


--
Best Wishes
Simon T

---
This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.
http://www.avg.com

We had this, also checked all nearby drains for bubbles when flushing - none. We researched soakaways decided ours was not functioning anymore, house 1890, new regulations would put a soak away in middle of main road, and next doors garden. We had had damp ever since lived there but only investigated after flushing the gutters and flooding side of house. Also found the old iron pipe was cemented into the underground pipe as angled too near wall. Quick solution, new Downpipes angled across wall leading to kitchen drain. Took only 2 hours Not economical or point in digging up old soak away pipes.

--
For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy...s-1265382-.htm

On 28/01/2021 21:31, Mario@Luigi wrote:
We had this, also checked all nearby drains for bubbles when flushing -
none. We researched soakaways decided ours was not functioning anymore,
house 1890,Â* new regulations would put a soak away in middle of main
road, and next doors garden. We had had damp ever since lived there but
only investigated after flushing the gutters and flooding side of house.
Also found the old iron pipe was cemented into the underground pipe as
angled too near wall.Â* Quick solution, new Downpipes angled across wall
leading to kitchen drain. Took only 2 hoursÂ* Not economical or point in
digging up old soak away pipes.


I strong recommend you read this before you reply again to to a 3 year
old post:
http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Home_owners_hub

Most of us will have absolutely no idea what you've just 'had'.

On 28/01/2021 21:31, Mario@Luigi wrote:
We had this, also checked all nearby drains for bubbles when flushing -
none. We researched soakaways decided ours was not functioning anymore,
house 1890,Â* new regulations would put a soak away in middle of main
road, and next doors garden. We had had damp ever since lived there but
only investigated after flushing the gutters and flooding side of house.
Also found the old iron pipe was cemented into the underground pipe as
angled too near wall.Â* Quick solution, new Downpipes angled across wall
leading to kitchen drain. Took only 2 hoursÂ* Not economical or point in
digging up old soak away pipes.

shocking ...overloading the sewer ......

I Read the top post of thread I was replying too.. my reply is now in the stack so not sure why you cannot see it as a thread. I could have pasted the whole thing but didnt think needed too. But as its not come through? It was.... €˜is it common for soakaways to be at the base of the gutter pipe in older properties.... I found the post while researching ours and although 3 years old. We had similar issue last week, plus I read all the threads that help our issue last week so perhaps someone else with this issue may want advice this week Thanks for advice Ill pop original post in first next time.

--
For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy...s-1265382-.htm

€˜Shocking overloading the sewer. Reply. We also researched the road where we live. 50% of the houses in our Road now divert their gutters by overground pipes towards the main road. When we have Heavy Downpours the road floods like a river running down the sides towards the business at the bottom of the road. Which gets flooded. Much More Shocking.

--
For full context, visit https://www.homeownershub.com/uk-diy...s-1265382-.htm

On 29 Jan 2021 at 14:00:59 GMT, "Mario & Luigi"
wrote:

€˜Shocking overloading the sewer. Reply. We also researched the road where
we live. 50% of the houses in our Road now divert their gutters by
overground pipes towards the main road. When we have Heavy Downpours the road
floods like a river running down the sides towards the business at the bottom
of the road. Which gets flooded. Much More Shocking.

Of course if *everyone* diverted their surface water to the sewer then it
would probably be the sewer backing up into people's houses and running down
the street.

--
Roger Hayter

On 29/01/2021 14:00, Mario & Luigi wrote:
I Read the top post of thread I was replying too.. my reply is now in
the stack so not sure why you cannot see it as a thread.

That's because you are posting via home owners hub while the rest of us
are using newsreaders with a Usenet feed. Home owners hub promotes posts
from 3 to 15 years ago as if they were posted yesterday. In general,
cannot remember what was posted 3 to 15 years ago and most Usenet users
cannot be bothered to launch yet another program just to visit a web
site that just "steals" posts from the original sources and then
pretends that the "hub" is the source.

See
http://wiki.diyfaq.org.uk/index.php/Home_owners_hub


I could have
pasted the whole thing but didnt think needed too.

The DIY Usenet group has maybe 1000 posts a week. Most subscribers
cannot remember the context of what was posted yesterday let alone 3
years ago in your case, and from up to 15 years ago in most posts that
are dragged out of archives from the hub interface.


--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

In message , Roger Hayter
writes
On 29 Jan 2021 at 14:00:59 GMT, "Mario & Luigi"
wrote:

€˜Shocking overloading the sewer. Reply. We also researched the
road where
we live. 50% of the houses in our Road now divert their gutters by
overground pipes towards the main road. When we have Heavy Downpours the road
floods like a river running down the sides towards the business at the bottom
of the road. Which gets flooded. Much More Shocking.

Of course if *everyone* diverted their surface water to the sewer then it
would probably be the sewer backing up into people's houses and running down
the street.

Nobody has yet mentioned a charge for non metered water returned by the
sewer.


--
Tim Lamb

On 29/01/2021 14:00, Mario & Luigi wrote:
€˜Shocking overloading the sewer.Â* Reply.Â* We also researched the road
where we live.Â* 50% of the houses in our Road now divert their gutters
by overground pipes towards the main road. When we have Heavy Downpours
the road floods like a river running down the sides towards the business
at the bottom of the road. Which gets flooded.Â* Much More Shocking.Â*

totly

On 30/01/2021 13:35, Jimmy Stewart ... wrote:
On 29/01/2021 14:00, Mario & Luigi wrote:
€˜Shocking overloading the sewer.Â* Reply.Â* We also researched the road
where we live.Â* 50% of the houses in our Road now divert their gutters
by overground pipes towards the main road. When we have Heavy
Downpours the road floods like a river running down the sides towards
the business at the bottom of the road. Which gets flooded.Â* Much More
Shocking.Â*

totly

But unless you live somewhere like Worthing, it doesn't get
into the foul drains unless there is a tropical downpour,
when it ends up dumped into the sea via a series of outfalls
that terminate well *above* low tide line.

Southern water have helpfully put up notices advising of
'poor beach conditions' after heavy rain !

On 30/01/2021 14:01, Andrew wrote:
On 30/01/2021 13:35, Jimmy Stewart ... wrote:
On 29/01/2021 14:00, Mario & Luigi wrote:
€˜Shocking overloading the sewer.Â* Reply.Â* We also researched the
road where we live.Â* 50% of the houses in our Road now divert their
gutters by overground pipes towards the main road. When we have Heavy
Downpours the road floods like a river running down the sides towards
the business at the bottom of the road. Which gets flooded.Â* Much
More Shocking.Â*

totly

But unless you live somewhere like Worthing, it doesn't get
into the foul drains unless there is a tropical downpour,
when it ends up dumped into the sea via a series of outfalls
that terminate well *above* low tide line.

Southern water have helpfully put up notices advising of
'poor beach conditions' after heavy rain !

what a load of ****e

soakaways get blocked over time and have to be redug.

Doesnt matter much if rainwater overflows a few times a year.

But it does matter if like ours it goes into the sewer and the sewer overflows.

george

On Saturday, January 30, 2021 at 2:43:03 PM UTC, Jimmy Stewart ... wrote:
On 30/01/2021 14:01, Andrew wrote:
On 30/01/2021 13:35, Jimmy Stewart ... wrote:
On 29/01/2021 14:00, Mario & Luigi wrote:
€˜Shocking overloading the sewer. Reply. We also researched the
road where we live. 50% of the houses in our Road now divert their
gutters by overground pipes towards the main road. When we have Heavy
Downpours the road floods like a river running down the sides towards
the business at the bottom of the road. Which gets flooded. Much
More Shocking.

totly

But unless you live somewhere like Worthing, it doesn't get
into the foul drains unless there is a tropical downpour,
when it ends up dumped into the sea via a series of outfalls
that terminate well *above* low tide line.

Southern water have helpfully put up notices advising of
'poor beach conditions' after heavy rain !

what a load of ****e

"Jimmy Stewart ..." wrote in message
...
On 29/01/2021 14:00, Mario & Luigi wrote:
€˜Shocking overloading the sewer. Reply. We also researched the road
where we live. 50% of the houses in our Road now divert their gutters by
overground pipes towards the main road. When we have Heavy Downpours the
road floods like a river running down the sides towards the business at
the bottom of the road. Which gets flooded. Much More Shocking.

totly

Thought you said you wouldnt be back...

On Sun, 31 Jan 2021 13:01:26 +1100, cantankerous trolling geezer Rodent
Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:


totly

Thought you said you wouldn¢t be back...

Thought you'd swallow your Nembutal finally, you useless trolling senile
pest.

--
Sqwertz to Rodent Speed:
"This is just a hunch, but I'm betting you're kinda an argumentative
asshole.
MID:

On 30/01/2021 14:43, Jimmy Stewart ... wrote:
On 30/01/2021 14:01, Andrew wrote:
On 30/01/2021 13:35, Jimmy Stewart ... wrote:
On 29/01/2021 14:00, Mario & Luigi wrote:
€˜Shocking overloading the sewer.Â* Reply.Â* We also researched the
road where we live.Â* 50% of the houses in our Road now divert their
gutters by overground pipes towards the main road. When we have
Heavy Downpours the road floods like a river running down the sides
towards the business at the bottom of the road. Which gets flooded.
Much More Shocking.Â*

totly

But unless you live somewhere like Worthing, it doesn't get
into the foul drains unless there is a tropical downpour,
when it ends up dumped into the sea via a series of outfalls
that terminate well *above* low tide line.

Southern water have helpfully put up notices advising of
'poor beach conditions' after heavy rain !

what a load of ****e

fact. Along the coast at Brighton, surfers/swimmers created an
action group SAS (Surfers Against Sewage) because they were
getting ill all the time.

Southern Water finally fixed? the problem by using a Tunnel Boring
Machine to make a massive chamber under Brighton promenade which
captures excess sewage/rainwater after heavy rain.
Then they can pump it out and treat it after the storm has passed.

On 31/01/2021 12:39, Andrew wrote:
On 30/01/2021 14:43, Jimmy Stewart ... wrote:
On 30/01/2021 14:01, Andrew wrote:
On 30/01/2021 13:35, Jimmy Stewart ... wrote:
On 29/01/2021 14:00, Mario & Luigi wrote:
€˜Shocking overloading the sewer.Â* Reply.Â* We also researched the
road where we live.Â* 50% of the houses in our Road now divert their
gutters by overground pipes towards the main road. When we have
Heavy Downpours the road floods like a river running down the sides
towards the business at the bottom of the road. Which gets flooded.
Much More Shocking.Â*

totly

But unless you live somewhere like Worthing, it doesn't get
into the foul drains unless there is a tropical downpour,
when it ends up dumped into the sea via a series of outfalls
that terminate well *above* low tide line.

Southern water have helpfully put up notices advising of
'poor beach conditions' after heavy rain !

what a load of ****e

fact. Along the coast at Brighton, surfers/swimmers created an
action group SAS (Surfers Against Sewage) because they were
getting ill all the time.

Southern Water finally fixed? the problem by using a Tunnel Boring
Machine to make a massive chamber under Brighton promenade which
captures excess sewage/rainwater after heavy rain.
Then they can pump it out and treat it after the storm has passed.

It must be big. The quantities involved can be massive. I remember
reading about when United Utilities tried to charge Peel Holdings for
rainwater drainage from the Trafford Centre (until Peel pointed out that
their run-off went into the Manchester Ship Canal ... that they owned).
The figure for the Trafford Centre and its car parks was 10 tonnes per
second!

On 31/01/2021 17:43, Steve Walker wrote:
On 31/01/2021 12:39, Andrew wrote:
On 30/01/2021 14:43, Jimmy Stewart ... wrote:
On 30/01/2021 14:01, Andrew wrote:
On 30/01/2021 13:35, Jimmy Stewart ... wrote:
On 29/01/2021 14:00, Mario & Luigi wrote:
€˜Shocking overloading the sewer.Â* Reply.Â* We also researched the
road where we live.Â* 50% of the houses in our Road now divert
their gutters by overground pipes towards the main road. When we
have Heavy Downpours the road floods like a river running down the
sides towards the business at the bottom of the road. Which gets
flooded. Much More Shocking.Â*

totly

But unless you live somewhere like Worthing, it doesn't get
into the foul drains unless there is a tropical downpour,
when it ends up dumped into the sea via a series of outfalls
that terminate well *above* low tide line.

Southern water have helpfully put up notices advising of
'poor beach conditions' after heavy rain !

what a load of ****e

fact. Along the coast at Brighton, surfers/swimmers created an
action group SAS (Surfers Against Sewage) because they were
getting ill all the time.

Southern Water finally fixed? the problem by using a Tunnel Boring
Machine to make a massive chamber under Brighton promenade which
captures excess sewage/rainwater after heavy rain.
Then they can pump it out and treat it after the storm has passed.

It must be big. The quantities involved can be massive. I remember
reading about when United Utilities tried to charge Peel Holdings for
rainwater drainage from the Trafford Centre (until Peel pointed out that
their run-off went into the Manchester Ship Canal ... that they owned).
The figure for the Trafford Centre and its car parks was 10 tonnes per
second!


https://able.co.uk/media/2014/02/suc...n-brighton.pdf

On 02/02/2021 16:48, Andrew wrote:
On 31/01/2021 17:43, Steve Walker wrote:
On 31/01/2021 12:39, Andrew wrote:
On 30/01/2021 14:43, Jimmy Stewart ... wrote:
On 30/01/2021 14:01, Andrew wrote:
On 30/01/2021 13:35, Jimmy Stewart ... wrote:
On 29/01/2021 14:00, Mario & Luigi wrote:
€˜Shocking overloading the sewer.Â* Reply.Â* We also researched the
road where we live.Â* 50% of the houses in our Road now divert
their gutters by overground pipes towards the main road. When we
have Heavy Downpours the road floods like a river running down
the sides towards the business at the bottom of the road. Which
gets flooded. Much More Shocking.Â*

totly

But unless you live somewhere like Worthing, it doesn't get
into the foul drains unless there is a tropical downpour,
when it ends up dumped into the sea via a series of outfalls
that terminate well *above* low tide line.

Southern water have helpfully put up notices advising of
'poor beach conditions' after heavy rain !

what a load of ****e

fact. Along the coast at Brighton, surfers/swimmers created an
action group SAS (Surfers Against Sewage) because they were
getting ill all the time.

Southern Water finally fixed? the problem by using a Tunnel Boring
Machine to make a massive chamber under Brighton promenade which
captures excess sewage/rainwater after heavy rain.
Then they can pump it out and treat it after the storm has passed.

It must be big. The quantities involved can be massive. I remember
reading about when United Utilities tried to charge Peel Holdings for
rainwater drainage from the Trafford Centre (until Peel pointed out
that their run-off went into the Manchester Ship Canal ... that they
owned). The figure for the Trafford Centre and its car parks was 10
tonnes per second!


https://able.co.uk/media/2014/02/suc...n-brighton.pdf

5km of 6m diameter - yup, that's pretty big.