Gully Inside Utility Room

[imroberts]

I've just bought a house which I'm in the process of renovating.

Inside the utility room there are two waste pipes which discharge into what used to be an outside gully before the house was extended. Now the gully is completely open and was simply boxed in at the side of a cupboard.

I want to know what I can do with this.

My thoughts were around the lines of installing a stub stack, either sealed but with an access cap in case of blockages, or with an AAV if this was required. However I'm not 100% sure what is sensible to do, and also how I would actually go about it as the opening into the trap appears to be an odd size and measures around 14cm internal.

Can anyone tell me what should have been done so this wasn't left open into the room? Most houses on the street have been extended in the same way so I'm guessing everyone in the street has had something similar done. I just need to know what would be best.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Either a stub stack as you suggest, or fit a sealed cover to the gulley. If it is a old salt glazed gulley, it will probably have to be dug out and changed to plastic anyway, so choice is yours from thereon.

 

[imroberts]

Thanks for the reply. It sounds like I'm thinking along the right lines at least!

The problem I'm having is envisaging how I install a stub stack to the existing gulley, as the gully appears to have an inside diameter around 14cm.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Ideally I would suggest you excavate and remove the existing gulley, then connect to the existing drain with a suitable coupling to change to plastic drain. From there you can either fit a plastic gulley, (wastes can be connected to the bosses on the sides), and fit a screwed down lid instead of the grating, or a stub stack. Make good floor as necessary.

Alternatively you could obtain a piece of aluminium or stainless steel plate the appropriate size to fit in place of the grid, cut a 110mm hole in the top and fit a short piece of pipe into that. (Make sure pipe is secured to prevent it falling in!) Connect wastes and make good around the base, but ensure access is available to clear the gulley pot should need arise. (Fit a screw cap or removeable AAV!) Not the ideal solution but if you're not confident to excavate/replace then maybe offers an answer.

Sink gulleys often bung up with fat/soap/waste food which decomposes into a black stinking mess, blocking the gulley over time.