ScoobyWon't

This probably isn't what most of you are expecting from the thread title.

I've recently viewed a property which the girlfriend and myself think meets our requirements. However, I have a question regarding the extension that the current owner erected himself. all work completed has been passed by the building inspector.

At the rear of the kitchen, he has extended straight out towards the rear fence. This does not seem out of the ordinary, however, when being shown around, he pointed out what looks like a hatch in the floor of this extension.

He told me that this hatch is over a man-hole and requires access to be possible to the drain below, which pre-extension, would have been outside. He stated that this man-hole cover cannot be permanently sealed.

Does anyone know of any building regulations which support this?

Are there any preventative steps which can be taken to form a seal which would prevent anything coming up the man-hole?

Cheers

Tidgy

is it a combined sewer or just form your own property?

tbh im surprsied he didnt get it relocated outside the footprint of the building. that might be an option, and then just seal up that one with gas membrane and a biscuit slab cover

Steve vRS

Don't think I'd like loads of other people's turds flowing under my living room, only separated by a loose fitting bit of metal.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Nice choice of words for the thread title

Butty

iTrader: (2)

If the house was built pre 1937 and the drains are shared with neighbours then they may be "section 24" systems that the council maintain. If so then they would have insisted that the manhole remained for access in case of a blockage.

Alternatively the drains may be post 1937 and classed as privately shared, in which case the house deeds will mention some sort of clause that no manhole can be removed/covered up.

I can't see anything in the building regs (part H) dealing with this issue as the assumption is that each building has its own private sewers.

Hopefully the building inspector has checked that the manhole cover is a gas tight type before signing the extension off...

Butty

iTrader: (2)

If the house was built pre 1937 and the drains are shared with neighbours then they may be "section 24" systems that the council maintain. If so then they would have insisted that the manhole remained for access in case of a blockage.

Alternatively the drains may be post 1937 and classed as privately shared, in which case the house deeds will mention some sort of clause that no manhole can be removed/covered up.

I can't see anything in the building regs (part H) dealing with this issue as the assumption is that each building has its own private sewers.

Hopefully the building inspector has checked that the manhole cover is a gas tight type before signing the extension off...

Scooby Soon!

as far as I know the man hole has to be sealed with a sealed man hole cover that bolts down I am just doing the same thing although I am moving my manhole.

StickyMicky

Imagine the ming when dynorod has to start pumping crap from your room because of a leakage

ScoobyWon't

The girlfriend is asking about having a second viewing at the place, so I'll try and find out more. If it is a case of being able to relocate it, then I will look in to that option, as I'd like to also put a conservatory on the place.

scooby L

I'd ask for it to be sealed with a bolted cover.... nothing against that in the regs... the water authority have the right to access that cover whenever they want..hence why it cannot be "capped".... Some people cap it anyway... the chances of anyone needing to get in there are pretty remote now.... and they can jet from either side if necessary.. Either way I'd want something a bit more air tight than a standard cover.

scooby L

Find out if it's an adopted sewer, and whether it's foul or storm

If it's adopted then that's why you cannot cap it (not officially anyway) and it will be expensive to re-route.

If it's private then it will be shallow and much cheaper to divert...plus also your responsibility...so if you did cap it and then got a blockage...it may back up somewhere else.

Aaron1978

iTrader: (12)

You need to question when this Inspector passed it. I can't believe that NHBC passed it to be honest, it'd have to be a very unusual set of circumstances to allow a manhole under an extension. They certainly wouldn't if it has more than that property's waste flowing through.It could just be taking rainwater. How new is the house?

Aaron

ScoobyWon't

The extension is 3 years old, while the rest of the house I would estimate to be 1960s or older.

StickyMicky

Have you checked just in case it houses Bin Laden, or maybe some dead bodys

john_s

iTrader: (1)

Assuming the extension was passed by Building Control, the manhole should be correctly constructed, as drains are one of the items the building inspector look at.

If the cover is directly on the manhole, it should be a double seal cover to keep it gas-tight. It is possible to get manhole covers that can be screwed down to ensure the seal holds.

Another possibility could be that the floor is a suspended floor and the hatch you mention is just an access hatch to a ventilated void under the floor with a manhole in the void.

Either way, it could be that when the seller says it can't be permanently sealed, he mean "it needs to be kept available for access", rather than "it's not sealed so as to be gas tight".

Leslie

I would certainly explore all the regulations etc which apply before I bought the place.

Les

mattstant

It would be extremely expensive to relocate inlvolving diging up probably the intire floor and some tunnel trough external walls.
All that has beeen said already is quite true apart from adopted sewers are rarley wthin the boundaries of private dwellings.

If a fairly simple rodding eye or divertion were possible it is highly unlikley that this would not have already been done