Manhole discovery under the kitchen!

[MH731Z]

My mother in law moved in to a new property and we discovered what appears to be a shared manhole when we lifted the floor!

do we need to contact Thames water and ask them to confirm ownership ? and if they say its their's then what do we do ?

 

[jj4091]

A local plumber onsite would be the best source of advice.

 

[Mottie]

My mate had one like that under the floor in the kitchen extension of a house he bought. When we lifted it, there was a 4ft drop into a very fast flowing sewer!

 

[Murdochcat]

Not allowed now but in the past a very common sight. Now you have found it, it will need to be accessible

If its shared maybe best not to involve Thames Water

 

[MH731Z]

A local plumber onsite would be the best source of advice.

I spoke with a plumber onsite, he said its not something he deals with so I'm looking around for a drainage company

 

[MH731Z]

My mate had one like that under the floor in the kitchen extension of a house he bought. When we lifted it, there was a 4ft drop into a very fast flowing sewer!

wow! we think this is the case here too but I'be being a chicken and refusing to open up the manhole so will try and get someone to do it lol, what did your mate do to solve this ?

 

[MH731Z]

Not allowed now but in the past a very common sight. Now you have found it, it will need to be accessible

If its shared maybe best not to involve Thames Water

would I need to ask them to allow me to relocate it ?

 

[Mottie]

wow! we think this is the case here too but I'be being a chicken and refusing to open up the manhole so will try and get someone to do it lol, what did your mate do to solve this ?

He found he had a false floor built on 1” battens and he found it when taking the floor up to re-jig kitchen. He just replaced it with the same.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

At the absolute bare minimum cowboy least, the lid needs replacing with an air-tight one.

Pop it up and have a look, it looks like a normal inspection chamber, not an opening to another dimension.

Sewers are usually surprisingly clean looking, often just water unless it's backed up. Give the bog upstream a few flushes with a bit of bleach first to avoid any frights.

You never know, it might be disused or your own private pipe.

 

[JBR]

I must say that I'd be interested to know the outcome. On that point, where does it go to?

 

[MH731Z]

so mystery solved for anyone interested, image below

1. turned out to be the waste from the bathtub/shower upstairs 'no waste from neighbours'
2. toilet waste
3. next door neighbour 'goes under his extension!'

we got a builder that will relocate this to be on the side of the property, reconnect the soil pipe and make connections for kitchen etc

 

[MH731Z]

I must say that I'd be interested to know the outcome. On that point, where does it go to?

I posted an update

 

[MH731Z]

At the absolute bare minimum cowboy least, the lid needs replacing with an air-tight one.

Pop it up and have a look, it looks like a normal inspection chamber, not an opening to another dimension.

Sewers are usually surprisingly clean looking, often just water unless it's backed up. Give the bog upstream a few flushes with a bit of bleach first to avoid any frights.

You never know, it might be disused or your own private pipe.

yes it turned out to be private, on that note. although the manhole did not open up an access panel to another dimension lol it was suprisingly full of spiders and cobwebs, I don't even understand how they got there let alone what they are feeding on...

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

Eating the flies, that are eating the poop!

I found a frog in our septic tank, sitting very happily on top of the inlet pipe.