Advice on lifting this slab to see if manhole was covered

[Ivor Windybottom]

If it's your own pipework you can do whatever the heck you like with it, rip it all out and start again if you like, as is often the best way with old houses anyway, as most of it is probably cracked and leaking.

If it serves the neighbourhood you can't do much with it without permission.

If the shared sewer is at the front then you're very fortunate.

Perhaps start from your kitchen and bathroom, work out how they get to that shared sewer.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Anyway I went down a couple of inches and it's solid.

Using a drill? Any metal swarf, on the tip of the drill?

 

[johnny2007]

Keep going, without smashing the hell out of it.
Many layers may have been added in the years.

 

[DaveHhh1]

Using a drill? Any metal swarf, on the tip of the drill?

I didn't use a drill I can give that a try. Hope I don't hit a pipe though. I imagine the drain would be v deep. Thanks

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

There's no evidence of there being a drain there, in fact the evidence says it's NOT there!

This is all just a hunch because two rectangular slabs were included in the crazy paving, you're now tunneling to the centre of the earth to find a pipe that you already know isn't there.

Start with what you DO know, the positions of your kitchen, bathroom and gutter downpipes. Follow those pipes, find out where they go - they will lead you to victory instead of smashing random holes based on an imaginary hunch.

 

[DaveHhh1]

There's no evidence of there being a drain there, in fact the evidence says it's NOT there!

This is all just a hunch because two rectangular slabs were included in the crazy paving, you're now tunneling to the centre of the earth to find a pipe that you already know isn't there.

Start with what you DO know, the positions of your kitchen, bathroom and gutter downpipes. Follow those pipes, find out where they go - they will lead you to victory instead of smashing random holes based on an imaginary hunch.

I think you are spot on in what you say. I do know having opened up my inspection chambers down an alley far from the slabs that the waste runs to the front of the house not to the sewage pipe that runs across the back of my property that is touching the extension from Thames water plans.

I know the neighbour has an inspection chamber in their conservatory and the waste runs to where the Thames water plan shows.

I just wanted to understand if I could add to my extension to the side of would their be more cost of an IC was found and indeed the sewer pipe is sitting touching my foundation and also in the way for the future.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I think you are spot on in what you say. I do know having opened up my inspection chambers down an alley far from the slabs that the waste runs to the front of the house not to the sewage pipe that runs across the back of my property that is touching the extension from Thames water plans.

Might your rain water run to one, and your grey/soil go to the other? One at the front, one at the rear. Ours is separate, two pipes at the rear.

 

[noseall]

I just wanted to understand if I could add to my extension to the side of would their be more cost of an IC was found and indeed the sewer pipe is sitting touching my foundation and also in the way for the future.

How deep (drains) are we talking here?

 

[DaveHhh1]

I have no idea how deep the drains are but my inspection chamber isn't that deep. I was able to get a tape measure down there so it's arms length. Here's a pic of my IC, but it's running away from where the maps say there's a sewage pipe in the back gardens. That's why I thought that slab was weird and wanted to know if it was a covered IC

 

[DaveHhh1]

Just to add to this here is a Thames Water map. The red line indicates there is foul sewer pipe running in the back gardens touching my property. yet where I have added a 'x' is where my Inspection chamber I posted pic above is which runs to the front of the property not to the rear. The 'x' on the right hand is my neighbours in their conservatory - they were reluctant to open it as it was under their rug but I saw it there. I have added a blue 'x' on my property which is a manhole in front garden - which i believe is is not foul sewer I can't get it it open its a bit stuck.

So it seems both my waste and water go to front. I could get a CCTV but its not going to show me where that red line is and why I am not connected to it is beyond me. That's why I thought those slabs could be inspection chambers but actually its not in a line with me neighbour.

Does this make sense or am I confused? Apologies all.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

It's possible that there is a sewer there, it passes through your garden but you don't use it.

As suggested above, it could be for rainwater only and you are using soakaways or are putting the rainwater down the sewer at the front.

Alternatively it may be that one is newer but both are still in use.

I had a water pipe somewhere around where I wanted to build. In the end I just hand-dug a 1m deep trench across the entire area it may have been. It took less than a day and I found it. This may or may not be sensible, mostly depending on your soil type. We have very deep sandy topsoil that's a lot like slicing cake.