[Photo] 3 Years+ Sewage Smells in the house (man hole to fill)

[freddiemercurystwin]

I think you need to give us all the information if you want better advice ie drain runs, house layout, what's been done etc. Just sticking a new bit of concrete on is probably a waste of effort. The more you put in to these forums the more you get out.

 

[endecotp]

I don't think the builders sealed it off properly

Why don't you try to fix that? It seems more promising than your current plan.

 

[joe-90]

Does your downstairs loo have an air admittance valve inside some boxing? These are well-known for allowing bad air out.

 

[brooky_agb]

I don't think the builders sealed it off properly

Why don't you try to fix that? It seems more promising than your current plan.

Because it's impossible to know where it is. I think it's in the middle of a partition wall now the cctv couldn't go round the corner.

 

[brooky_agb]

Does your downstairs loo have an air admittance valve inside some boxing? These are well-known for allowing bad air out.

No it doesn't have one on the inside but it did when the builders left it. Due to the smells we got the builders back and got them to put the vent outside. STILL smells! They said we don't even need the vent as there is a vent at the other end of the house and most terrace houses have one vent for every two houses.

We have tried everything.

I think the old toilet exit wasn't sealed up right. We don't know where it was (due to partition wall changes) now and all we have to go on is the cctv which uncovered that manhole cover.

Really appreciate your help but I think this is the only thing left to try.

 

[bernardgreen]

Old Victorian school. Do you own the entire school or was is sub divided into two or more properties. ? Do you own the old playground or was that sold for development. If it was divided then chances are the sewer will be serving the other properties. Even if it was only taking surface water from a maybe now dis-used gulley that is located somewhere other than your property then it is a shared sewer and the responsibility is, by law, for the water company to maintain it.

Water companies are naturally very reluctant to accept a sewer is a shared sewer so they are not going to willing say "Oh yes that could be our responsibility, lets look and see if it is shared" Been there with a manhole repair on my property. but as soon as they saw there was a pipe coming from the direction of next door they started work.

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

As previously mentioned unless you provide adequate background information there's little point in us all guessing, in any case you seem dead set on what you want to do anyway as apparently you have tried everything else.

 

[brooky_agb]

There's a lot of info. Sorry if I haven't been very helpful like that. I am dead set on digging it up. I just wanted to know how I can turn a half pipe into a full one (assuming I can get to it).

We do own the whole house and it's got no other properties attached to it. There is a manhole outside which takes the crap away about 1/2 a mile down a field edge to a mini commercial sewerage. We had that CCTV'd too and apparently the run away angle down is very good. Btw the smell isn't from the mini sewage plant. It can stink in the house and not smell outside.

I'll take some more photos and draw the soil pipe layout.

Thanks again.

 

[brooky_agb]

Here are the plans which include the soil pipes. You'll see that the new soil pipe goes immediately out the house. The smells are worst in the utility and downstairs toilet. I think that redundant pipe (green) is to blame. This is why I want to dig up the floor.

 

[bernardgreen]

Repairing that pipe may work for a few years but a run of sewer pipe under a building is best removed.

If you are keen to dig then install a new run outside the house.

Hire a mini digger and it could be done in a day, two at the most. Then fill the old pipe with concrete.

If you are derrmined to solve the problem by digging inside the house then you really must locate the source of the escaping fumes. A smoke test might help to locate the leak.

Bear in mind that fumes can pass along the gap between a sewer pipe and the soil around it and come out of the ground at a weak point ( like the manhole in the cupboard ) that is several yards away from the leak in the pipe. It would be very demoralising and expensive if after all you work the fumes find another weak point to come up into the house.

 

[brooky_agb]

Thanks Bernard. I'd love to do that actually and have our own cess pit rather than being connected to the "Circle Anglia" one (local housing authority).

 

[brooky_agb]

We never had sewage smells before the building work was done. This why I think the green pipe where the old toilet used to be is the culprit. When it's wet and rainy the smell is worse.

 

[kazuya]

We never had sewage smells before the building work was done. This why I think the green pipe where the old toilet used to be is the culprit. When it's wet and rainy the smell is worse.

if that is the case then opening up the manhole and blocking off the redundant pipes should do the trick

 

[brooky_agb]

if that is the case then opening up the manhole and blocking off the redundant pipes should do the trick

You'd think so. Christ I hope so. I might see if I can just seal that part of the pipe rather than trying to fill the manhole. I've got one of those rubber bung things you screw to tighten so maybe use that and backfill with concrete. I suppose it depends what I find digging.

I don't know how accurate the drawing is.

 

[brooky_agb]

I only have a crap little angle grinder.. Hopefully its enough.