Cracked external drain - need fixing?

[Mikefromlondon]

what one needs to remember is when old clay pipes or joints and gullies are cracked, they may not leak much water when toilets is flushed or sinks waste water passes through them in short bursts each time you use a bath sink etc,, but when it also leads away rain water from your roof drains, then if it rains continually e.g. trickle rain falling all day or night then water will find its way through the crack and get into the surrounding soil and saturate it, you will be amazed how much water can leak through a crack during a long lasting trickle rain, so it is always best to repair any cracked drains.

Secondly during sudden torrential down pour, the main public sewage system can get overwhelmed trying to cope with removing so much rainwater in such a short time during a sudden downpour, and this can give rise to local flooding, rain water collecting up to pavements, or door steps, and this can cause water to back flow from the main public sewage system into your side of the drain pipes and leak profusely through any cracks, this happened to one of my properties and flooded its cellar to ankle deep within an hour of a major downpour, I am glad that i replaced all my old clay drains all the way to the main inspection chamber (MH), the job was carried out in conjunction with BC and approved by them, and was leak tested as well.

 

[ree]

You are missing the point: the ground level is too high, and the gulley has to be lowered, along with the ground level abutting the house.

In pic 1. the water stains can be seen rising up and around the high gulley surround - this bridging will continue until you lower the gulley & the ground levels. If you go to the trouble of lowering the gulley then you might as well repair it.

You can do this diy work, the cost of materials is small, the benefits great. Dont duck & dive, grasping on to weird possibilities that might or might not work for you. Simply do the thing properly the first time.

If you want advice about the interior damp issues then perhaps you will post on the building forum. Good luck.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

For £30-40 worth of parts, change the gulley to a modern 'bottle' type gulley, it can be fitted to sit flush with finished ground level, and the 2 waste pipes connected to the back inlet or altered to discharge below the grid. Stops leaks, splashes and any damp problems relating to the gulley in one swoop.

'A stitch in time saves nine.' A few £ spent wisely now on a proper repair may save you a lot more £ in the long term.