Manhole for CCTV drain survey

[HERTS P&D]

I found a hidden manhole yesterday for a customer who though they only had one.

Andy

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Its a 1925 built semi. Bathtub and bathroom sink waste goes into hopper which is on the second to last down pipe from the left. The soil stack is on it's own with no other pipes connected to it. The driveway is fully blockpaved so no visisble signs of manhole unbless i try getting them all out which is far bigger job than cutting a hole in soil stack or maybe feeding the camera from opening at top of the soil stack. but then again the camera might follow to the front of the property when fed through instead going to the back near the kitchen where I need to check the drain more specifically.

The Stack will be very likely on a swept or angled connection into the main run, in direction of flow, getting it to turn back on itself will be difficult to say the least, and if you could, there is the risk it would jam in the pipe trying to get it back.

If there is no visible manhole, then either there isn't one, or some clown has covered it up. If you know anyone with a Metal Detector, that's sometimes worth a go, found a few buried covers in the past with that method! Alternatively, going in from the Stack, assess downstream and see if there is a chamber or any other point that looks suitable for access, camera should give you distance, so you know where to start looking.

What exactly is the issue and what are you trying to see with the camera?

 

[Adam78]

The Stack will be very likely on a swept or angled connection into the main run, in direction of flow, getting it to turn back on itself will be difficult to say the least, and if you could, there is the risk it would jam in the pipe trying to get it back.

If there is no visible manhole, then either there isn't one, or some clown has covered it up. If you know anyone with a Metal Detector, that's sometimes worth a go, found a few buried covers in the past with that method! Alternatively, going in from the Stack, assess downstream and see if there is a chamber or any other point that looks suitable for access, camera should give you distance, so you know where to start looking.

What exactly is the issue and what are you trying to see with the camera?

I have kitchen with a concrete floor that is covered in a bitumen layer. Under the sink where I've dug out the concrete which was cracked you can see the ground is really moist and wet - look at the first course of bricks next to the dug out concrete, they are sopping wet. The gully into which the kitchen waste drains into is roughly on the other side around where the concrete is dug out. Want to check if there is a broken drain with the camera.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

The setup you have there isn't going to help the situation, and could even be causing it. To be quite honest I'd remedy that first, see if it makes a difference, and then worry about CCTV surveys.

Get rid of the old Gully, replace with a new, and I'd replace the pipework going away from it for a few feet as well if it looks knackered. Fit something with a wider hopper, and I'd also look at dropping the downpipe in via a back inlet. If you can redirect the downpipe and the wastes, so they discharge cleanly into the Gully, preventing all that splashback, it might go some way to alleviating your internal issue.

I'd also be looking for any old lead water pipes around the vicinity, they could also be leaking and adding to the problem.

 

[Ivor Windybottom]

You should run some water down those waste pipes, see what happens. Also the downpipe when it rains.

Blocked or not, I'd expect a lot of overshoot and splashing from that arrangement.

Would be best to replace it with a new wider gully, and extend the pipes through the grid.

 

[Adam78]

The setup you have there isn't going to help the situation, and could even be causing it. To be quite honest I'd remedy that first, see if it makes a difference, and then worry about CCTV surveys.

Get rid of the old Gully, replace with a new, and I'd replace the pipework going away from it for a few feet as well if it looks knackered. Fit something with a wider hopper, and I'd also look at dropping the downpipe in via a back inlet. If you can redirect the downpipe and the wastes, so they discharge cleanly into the Gully, preventing all that splashback, it might go some way to alleviating your internal issue.

I'd also be looking for any old lead water pipes around the vicinity, they could also be leaking and adding to the problem.

The gulley looks new to me. must have been fitted when the previous owner block paved the drive. I've attached a wider shot of the gulley and when the kitchen tap is running. You can the the water is shooting between the lip of the gulley top and the pipe so as you say water is perhaps going down behind the drain instead of inside it.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Whole thing is an unsanitary mess, pipes need extending to discharge into the Hopper, below the grid, and you'll alleviate all that splashback and staining.