Victorian terrace foul layout mystery!

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by cha1n, May 13, 2019.

  1. cha1n

    cha1n Member

    Hey, I'm trying to workout what route my foul pipe takes under my house I'm renovating. Wessex Water have no records for my house but assume it'll be a private foul running under the property from the back to the front (there's no public rear access to the property). There are no manholes anywhere in the garden!

    The I need to make a new connection into the foul for my kitchen wastes as the old owners had everything running into a soakaway. There's a downstairs toilet (old school, outside one) tacked onto the side of the kitchen at the back of the house and that's where the soil pipe for the property enters the ground.

    I'm trying to figure out the easiest way to tap into it. I don't particularly want to smash up the concrete floor around the toilet and soil pipe to gain access if the pipe runs under the kitchen floor and I can just dig down to it. Saying that, I have no experience of doing either so which is the simpler job? The kitchen floor has been removed so it's currently just a soil base to dig. I'm tempted to get a CCTV survey but they are quoting £200!

    *** Edit, I've attached some photos so you can see where they've connected to the soakaway outside and where the soil pipe runs and where the toilet is with relation to it.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: May 13, 2019
  2. Pollowick

    Pollowick Screwfix Select

    Who knows! For £200 you could save yourself a lot of hard work and wasted time. Get it to map all of yours, flow directions and where it connets with neighbours if it does. You should also be able to see any problems or issues.

    Friends lived in a similar age property with limited rear access and all the houses in thee terrace were connected to a common drain at the rear which finally entered a sewer.
     
    KIAB likes this.
  3. cha1n

    cha1n Member

    Thinking about it, I've got a cheap USB camera I'd be willing to send down there. What would be best to attach it to, There will be a few tight 90 degree bends I'd imagine. I know there's sort of coiled spring drain unblockers or actual drain rods. Which would be more suitable to attach a camera to do you think?
     
  4. ecoplumbing

    ecoplumbing Active Member

    Get a few quotes for a cctv survey, £200 is a bit on the steep side. You need a professional with a proper drain camera with a sonde / tracer to locate the drain run. Ask if there's extra cost for the sonde/trace as some companies add this on. The equipment used isn't cheap so that's why you're being quoted £200. Try a genuine local company, I'm sure you'll get it cheaper than that
     
  5. goldenboy

    goldenboy Super Member

    £200 seems a reasonable price to me.
     
  6. ecoplumbing

    ecoplumbing Active Member

    Just realised it's in wessex. Price is probably ok for down there, it's expensive up north though!
     
    goldenboy likes this.
  7. goldenboy

    goldenboy Super Member

    To me if I had a awkward problem on a job to figure out and someone came along to solve it for £200 i would be chuffed!
     
    Squashrobinson and ecoplumbing like this.
  8. CGN

    CGN Screwfix Select

    Dowsing.
     
  9. goldenboy

    goldenboy Super Member

    Different food colouring in a series of currys?
     
  10. Mr Rusty

    Mr Rusty Screwfix Select

    that you can see.......

    Victorian terrace - I very much doubt it runs under the house. I expect it runs across the back of the terrace picking up the neighbours and then a single connection to the main at the end of the run.

    How can I be fairly certain? think about it - A victorian terrace would most likely have had an earth closet when it was built. When main drainage came along they were hardly going to dig up the house foundations to run the pipe under it - so it'll be across the back.

    The good thing is you are only responsible for the bit that goes from you to the shared sewer. After that it's wessex water. The bad news is that you won't be able to build over the shared sewer without a build-over agreement.

    As an aside I had a cracked cast manhole cover on the chamber in our garden where our sewer met the shared sewer across the back of our houses (It was cracked because the landscapers 3T digger went through it when we had the plot cleared.....). I phoned United Utilities and explained (about the crack, not the digger :p:p). I said if it's my responsibility, can you tell me what I need, if it's yours can you come and do it - they sent a man round to look and a few days later shiny new chamber cover at no cost to me. Happy days.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Dismiss Notice