Working on my own drains.

[pren]

Hi all.

We've had a problem with our drains for the past few months. They keep blocking with ..... festive cheer... =P~ Our friendly drain guy has identified the likely area of the blockage, probably a collapse. I'm confident in my abilities to dig up the area and patch in a new piece of pipe.

Just wandering if I need to comply to any building regs or to notify anyone?

I'm expecting to just be replacing a couple of feet of pipe, covering over with whatever came from around the pipe, jointing the patch with rubber jubilee couplers. Does that sound about right?

 

[laird]

I think I'd probably patch with a new piece of pipe with a connector at each end rather than any rubber or jubilee clips.
Don't know about regs tho'.

 

[RogerS]

I'd stump up with a set of drain rods in advance and then rod the pipe in both directions.

How do you know where it has collapsed, though? You'd need long arms to reach in !! :twisted:

 

[Lons]

Hi Laird

No problems with regs in England though not sure about Wales :?

Is the existing pipe clay or plastic?

if clay then you'll need a sizeable hole so you gan get an angle grinder or stilsaw in and you'll find it difficult to cut right through without a 300mm capacity machine.
Plastic is much easier as can be cut with a saw though I still use a grinder for ease.

A good method is to use a "slip collar" which is just a standard straight connector with no internal stop which allows it to be slid on to the pipe and then back over the join. If putting in a new length you'll need 2. here's one with removable stop http://www.screwfix.com/prods/17823/Plu ... upling-110

Horible job - best of luck

cheers

Bob

ps, just seen Rogers' comment about drain rods. You can locate the blockage by rodding and marking the rod then laying out in drain direction on the surface. Usually pretty accurate.

 

[hanser]

I had a problem with an adopted sewer in the lane outside my house. Clay pipe - the Severn Trent appointed contractor squared up the broken ends with the Stihl saw, slipped on a couple of the rubber sleeve connectors, cut a length on new pipe to make good, tightened up the jubilee clips and backfilled - job done.

I've worked on drains on my land before -alterations to accommodate an extension needed regs but a repair - I don't think so.

 

[mbartlett99]

Don't know how accurate your man is but it might be an idea to rent a borescope - have a look down there an see what the nature of the problem is. We've got a house in Savannah, when you get a drain collapse there it always means a tree root and you want to be aware of something like that before you start, unless you like digging ditches of course! Good luck, been there and didn't enjoy it much.

 

[Jacob]

We had a"borescope" - didn't know that was it's name. Camera and light on a drain-rod connected to a TV screen.
Like a sci-fi film - fascinating journey past strange floating objects (huge baked beans, sweet corn etc filling the screen) into deep dung as the drain went into a soakaway and wasn't connected to anything else.

You don't need anybodies permission to repair as long as you aren't changing anything, e.g. re-routing or making new connections.

 

[Mattty]

2 of these in the size to suit your pipe and a piece of matching pipe to repair. This is what the L.A. building inspector specifies in Leeds and i have used on numerous extensions. They are available from every builders merchant.

 

[Jacob]

2 of these in the size to suit your pipe and a piece of matching pipe to repair. This is what the L.A. building inspector specifies in Leeds and i have used on numerous extensions. They are available from every builders merchant.

That's what I used except mine was stepped to join plastic to clay with different external diameters.

 

[Travis]

Sign
On a Plumber's truck:
"We repair what your husband fixed."

Good luck

Travis

 

[pren]

Hey guys, thanks a lot for your help!!

Matty: Those were the couplers I had in mind for the job.

From what I can tell and from what the drain guy was saying, the problem is only about a foot from the edge of the nearest manhole. In this area, the 'grey water' pipe from the bathroom 'Y's into the soil pipe. :?

The pipe is only around 400mm or so below the surface at this point so I'm not expecting to have to dig halfway to china to get to the pipe.

Current plan is to cut the concrete away over the area, expose the pipe and see what I can sees.

Thanks again!