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Just browsing houses, and noticed that one i was interested in appears to have a manhole cover in the kitchen extension floor. Not sure when extension was done, but is this an acceptable thing, or a walk away from it bodge?
Yeah it's inspection chamber lid, is the kitchen an extension? Fairly common to see that when it's been extended over existing drainage runs.
i think the kitchen was where it is but they've added the dining bit on as an extension. Is it a special sort of cover if its used internally, and anything i should ask / be aware of?
My neighbors have one in the kitchen after they went over the drain.
Only 2 houses on that drain us and them not my cup of tea
I'm guessing there's no quick and easy way of knowing if it is just draining from this house of if it's a shared drain? Need to decide tomorrow and put an offer in if it all looks ok!
The wall between the kitchen and the dining area looks like an external wall.
It's not really my thing either. It would make me wonder why they didn't move it.
It's certainly not ideal!
My Dad’s house has a similar thing in his garage extension/workshop. It’s backed up a few times and flooded his workshop with actual shit before. Luckily one time I was away and the other time I had a broken leg so didn’t get involved but put me off anything like this!
There are sealed covers which supposedly prevent that so maybe it’s fine but I’d want some kind of survey or at least explanation or similar to confirm that
The inspection cover is ok if its a proper sealed and secured version, the graphics on the wall however, would put me off my food!
Obviously your solicitor will need to check that you have build-over permission if it's a shared drain, and your surveyor needs to give you a view on what would happen if someone got a turdpedo stuck in a fatberg a bit further down the drain.
But there's nothing to stop you putting an offer in unless you're planning to skimp on your loo diligence.
The inspection cover is ok if its a proper sealed and secured version, the graphics on the wall however, would put me off my food!
But that one, odd-coloured, chair?
That’s for when you’ve got workshop clothes on and come in for curried beans on toast (with sultanas)?
The planning application for the extension should be held by the local authority and may have useful info. Some LAs put them online.
Surely that falls under building control rather than planning?
Sewer network specialist here.
TLDR - I wouldn’t want it.
If the house is otherwise ok then I would check if a build over agreement has been obtained from the local water company. I very much doubt it has been - only exception might be if it was built before 2011 when the water authority wouldn’t have cared and it would only have been down to planning or BR controls.
It’s not a good idea to have a manhole inside. Really bad idea. First you will get odours. Secondly you could get rats (surprisingly not that common). Most importantly the flooding issue is real. I could show you pictures of internal sewer flooding which would make you vomit and if it blocks downstream you will get sewage flooding. It’s an awful thing to happen.
If it’s a shared drain then the water company can come and unblock any problems but bear in mind they have a legal right to access their assets (if it’s shared it’s owned and controlled by them) and just think what would happen if they had to rip the sewer out and replace with new? Sometimes you can use fibreglass liners but not always.
What they should have done is rerouted the sewer around the extension when it was built. This clearly hasn’t happened.
We’re all assuming the lid is there to access the sewers. But it’s just a lid. There’s plenty of other possible explainations as to what could be under there
priest hole
Remotes operated trap door covering shark pit
Labyrinthine basement populated by an interbreeding population of the previous occupant’s now adult feral secret children who are mute, insane and have never seen the sun
wine cooler.
We have something that looks very similar to that in our kitchen. With us it is access to the rainwater cistern. No odours and no chance of overflowing as there is a drain near the top. Can be a bit noisy if it's almost empty and it starts raining but I like it now
‘Loo diligence’ 👍🏼
We built an extension over a shared drain. Had to get a camera survey of it for Scottish Water, who then approved building over it but specified lintels, new access points etc.
When your too tight to pay to have the manhole moved ?/live in englandshire....
We had the same under our extension. We moved the manhole to outside.....
Being in Scotland this wasn't an issue.
Based on the number of times I had to rod the drains due to number 3s love of wipes.......right move !
Saves you digging up the garden and laying a new patio for that ‘Louise’ moment in your life? 🤣
Secondly you could get rats
Friends of mine had this when moving onto what was otherwise their dream home. Big time. In the end drains were rerouted and the one under the dining extension to the kitchen filled with concrete (after routes to it sealed of with metal). It was either that or put up with living side by side with rats. All a bit of a nightmare really. Look into it properly before actually buying. Make an offer conditional on finding out what’s what. In that house it could just be the access to an under floor void rather than drains, don’t guess, find out.
How did the rats lift the man hole ?
Why would they need to?
forget rats, them ninja turtles are a rough lot.
Rafael is a party dude remember!
Also this doom and gloom of digging up and flooding etc... atleast it would get rid of that floor!
Our in laws had a 100k kitchen refurb plus extension built over an access cover. They now have water backing up to the sink plug hole and have to avoid running water for 24hrs to use the washing machine. Obviously there’s a block which can’t be found which is backing things up.
They’ve been told there’s no more options other than to lift the floor and investigate that access cover.
Well if the rats are in the drain and not lifting the man hole ....what's the issue you'd be surprised where you'll find rats near by.....
Surely they are 4 or 5 foot down even
Obviously there’s a block which can’t be found which is backing things up.
So the camera saw nothing and they still have issues ?
That personhole cover is quite far down the list of reasons why I wouldn't put in an offer. 😉 😀
Based on the number of times I had to rod the drains due to number 3s
Now I've heard of number 1s and having a number 2, but what on earth is a number 3?
😳
I'd be more worried about Colin Furze turning up unexpectedly 🤣
How's the rest of the house. Nasty floor, walls and a drain in the dining room aren't very positive
I've found it on Rightmove - does that big area of grass at the side belong to the house?
If it does they could have moved the drains stuck the manhole out there. If not I'd be very concerned about another house being built on that and blocking all your windows.
Buy the house , put a rug over the cover, stop worrying😃
put a rug over the cover,
Could film your own version of Aladdin if the sewer backs up.
I'd be tempted to replace it with a see-through toughened glass panel so you can watch breakfast go by while you tuck into dinner.
I know of a property where the kitchen (original, not an extension) was over a Victorian era drain but with no access/cover. When there was a blockage or air pocket god knows how but the stench drifted up. I would run a mile.
forget rats, them ninja turtles are a rough lot.
Rafael is a party dude remember!
Almost...it was Michaelangelo 😛
We are planning an extension - we have an inspection chamber just outside the existing conservatory, which when the build is complete will be inside the extension - we are planning to move it just outside, however it is not always that easy depending on what you are looking to do. Our existing drains run under the garage and the slab, so moving the inspection chamber means moving the whole run about 4 meters further out and moving 2 existing inspection pits.
I forget how exactly I who I spoke, but I'm pretty certain the relevant water board can tell you if the drain is shared or not. I don't remember paying for this. Ours isn't shared with our neighbours.
Our drains are however both rainwater and grey water, which I'm told is no longer okay, and we need to build a soakaway for the rainwater now as well.
Nightmare when you start getting into this stuff
On the rats point, I cant see the relevance. If the rats are in the sewer, the only way they can get into your house from the drains is via the toilets, which you all have, they can't get through a sealed cover. I will caveat, as we had rats in the garden, and digging them out, I found the nearby inspection chamber had a crack in it (its about 2m deep, right near the cover). So I filled with steel wool and concreted. No more rats. Till maybe they swim up the waste pipe....
I’d be tempted to replace it with a see-through toughened glass panel so you can watch breakfast go by while you tuck into dinner
Beat to it by 30 seconds!!
If they've 'saved money' by not moving the drain what else have they 'saved money' on - other than the crap oven setup!
Is that the microwave sat on top of the 5' high oven unit? and what happened to the other half of the island unit (it's not as if they were short of space) ..... sorry OP
The house looks top be on a new-build estate so plans of drainage routes should be easy to obtain.
If you like the house and there's nothing else in the area which ticks the boxes just put an offer in and do your research after. You're not committed in any way.
There are at least two others in that town I'd look at compared to that beige-fest though.
On the rats point, I cant see the relevance.
Just a thought, but I fail to believe that that cover is 100% soundproof.
Rats can be noisy buggers and have a high pitched squeek that can't penetrate 4' of soil and a concrete salb but could get through a comparatively thin cover.
Lol.
I actually quite like the kitchen ! not sure on the graphics but that is easily sorted. It looks like normally the table will actually be over the inspection pit so if you don't like the look of it it is easily hidden.
Not moving the inspection pit may have been budget, or it may have been a limitation of the plot. I wouldn't even want to get into what a pain in the ass it would be if it was a shared sewer with your neighbours and you wanted to move it. Can you ask them to not flush the toilet for a few days whilst you relocate?!
Presumably you would complete the new drain and then divert the connection reasonably quickly once it was ready to accept passengers?
Perfect opportunity to do something like this...
I wouldn’t even want to get into what a pain in the ass it would be if it was a shared sewer with your neighbours and you wanted to move it. Can you ask them to not flush the toilet for a few days whilst you relocate?!
Sounds like the hard way to do things.
Assuming the inspection covers on a straight bit of pipe Moving the inspection cover can be done entirely non invasive.
The issue comes if as they often are -on a change in direction you can't do much about it without moving lots.
not great 😬 Entire garden seems to be on a slope (though you could build a little jump 😀) and there seems to be some common grassed area next to the house so the neighbourhood kids will be kicking footballs off your wall every day in the summer 😂How’s the rest of the house
We would have this issue if we go more than 4 metres out at the back, it's the same with every house in the row, nobody has taken that jump to go past that point yet, 3 metres is the furthest due to all the issues raised already, especially permission.
If you've got 450k to play with then surely you'd be looking at the towns outside, i lived in Ilchester for a few years and Yeovil was the place you visited on safari 😁
Moving a drain isn't necessarily straightforward if you're limited by the fall in the pipe.
Right it's off the list now then.
Where in Somerset is nice, I don't know the area that well!
Looking in shepton mallet and midsomer norton tomorrow.
midsomer norton tomorrow.
I’d not move there the murder rate is sky high.
Right it’s off the list now then.
Live, laugh, leave.
Where in Somerset is nice, I don’t know the area that well!
Statistically, Sandford is the safest village in the country.
Where in Somerset is nice, I don’t know the area that well!
somewhere near the quantocks.
not bridgewater...
We may as well post the link now - seeing has everyone has image searched it! 🙂
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/96614539#/?channel=RES_BUY
4th 'bedroom' is barely a cupboard.
I'm actually surprised at the price of that. I thought everything down south was sky-high. Properties like that are going for the same, if not more in Derbyshire.
Right it’s off the list now then.
Where in Somerset is nice, I don’t know the area that well!
Looking in shepton mallet and midsomer norton tomorrow.
It really depends where you need to get too, Sherborne was always the nice/posh bit, less house for your money, but the nicest postcodes, if you're looking as high as Shepton then Wells is just across the way, Midsomer is nice, as is Frome.
Again, it's up to where you need to get too, Midsomer and Yeovil are a long way apart, and especially on those roads, there's a lot of nice places inbetween as well!
I’m actually surprised at the price of that. I thought everything down south was sky-high.
You've never been to Yeovil, have you 😂
A friend had one of those in his flat. It had been hidden under laminate flooring. You can guess as to how he discovered it.
You’ve never been to Yeovil, have you 😂
Nope! 🤣
Just pop an offer in now. You have no idea what it is.
Market conditions dictate you need to offer now and think about it later. If you don't you will miss out.
They will know all about whatever is down there and will be in nervous anticipation of a buyer pulling out because of it
When the survey comes back, they have found their next dream home, and you know exactly whats what, chip them down. Before then its just speculation.
Honestly house transactions in England are a nightmare, we should be more Scottish then you know exactly what you are offering on from the outset.
If it is drains or sewer, get it moved.
It might not be drains at all, my sister has a similar access hatch in her downstairs loo, this provides access to the "cellar" - more like an under floor void.
Secondly you could get rats
Rat in Mi Kitchen
Then what are you going to do?
Looking around the outside of the house I can't see a stench pipe anywhere. Certainly none on that back wall next to the grass area which is where you'd expect it to be given the location of the bathrooms.
Kind of suggests the drains run internally anyway.
On the rats point, I cant see the relevance. If the rats are in the sewer, the only way they can get into your house from the drains is via the toilets
So you would think...
We had rats in our cavity walls and loft space, eventually found the ingress point after putting a lump hammer through the plasterboard in the kitchen. Some **** had built our extension over the original, exterior inspection cover, with not only 1, but 2 levels of suspended floor (original house has a 1ft void space running all under the house) Kitchen tiles etc were ripped up in order to discover this. Lifted the inspection cover to find a branch off that was completely exposed to the void under the house, with just the washing machine waste pipe running into it. Rats had chewed this pipe back as well, meaning part of washing machine empty cycle was depositing straight under kitchen. Much remediation work and £000's later, we no longer have a rat problem!
looking at the wider photos. it doesn't really make sense it being an inspection hatch for a sewer. bathrooms are in teh middle of the house, mains sewer would surely be under the road at the front of the house. you can get a map from the water company and its new enough it should be up to date-ish.
I think its a hatch to access the area under that extension as it's likely to have some space where the ground falls away to the side.
If it’s a recent extension details me still be available on the council planning site.
I quite like it. You could have a nice warming barbecue in winter whilst the kids are sledging down the lawn.
The biggest problem is it’s in Yeovil, not the drains.
Mother in law is in West Chinnock, nice but dull village, there’s some nice places around that general area but a lot of building going on in some of the villages making them less twee than they were.
We have this in our house. Due to the litations of the site we had to build over a manhole cover.
Key thing was it is serving our property only. We had to specify a double sealed manhole cover which we set into the concrete slab above the old manhole cover.
If however it is a public sewer then you need permission and have to leave access for them. That lid you are looking at looks easily accessible if required.
I'm lucky that I have a other manhole cover downstream in the driveway so every couple of weeks I lift it and run water through the drain that goes through the internal cover to ensure it is all flowing properly.
If it serves that property only then it shouldn't be a problem as you know what's going into it. If it serves someone else then you have the problem that they may flush nappies etc down the toilet blocking the pipe and you only find out about it when you are ankle deep in sewage.
We were never told as students that we were not on mains sewage, so a house of 5 woman put stuff down the toilet that needed flushing. Only found out when the manhole covered lifted in the garage 3 doors down...
Really really not good! Avoid if its shared - like others have said.
Who does the plot next door belong to ? If its not with the house, it looks like the perfect place for the local kiddies to play football, using the house wall as a goal post 😉
So what's wrong with Yeovil then? Work from home so don't need any specific area.
A friend had one of those in his flat. It had been hidden under laminate flooring. You can guess as to how he discovered it.
We have one in our kitchen, we discovered it when we replaced the flooring just after we bought it and moved in. It's under the extension and in a direct line between the original soil pipe (boxed in inside the extension) and the point where it joins the shared drain across the front of the house.
Next door recently rebuilt their single storey garage to a double storey extension, and the shared drain runs right under that...
Yeah - what's wrong with Yeovil!? Always sounded like a pleasant Somerset market town! 🙂
This estate agents thinks...
[i]Yeovil is a thriving market town surrounded by beautiful countryside offering good shopping, business, cultural and leisure activities including a multi-screen cinema and adjacent ten pin bowling, public swimming pool, Nuffield Health Club, the Octagon theatre along with an excellent range of restaurants and bars. There are excellent transport links as Yeovil is situated within easy reach of the A303. The Dorset coast at West Bay is 20 miles distant.[/i]
Assuming the inspection covers on a straight bit of pipe Moving the inspection cover can be done entirely non invasive.
Normally a manhole is built where there is a bend or where connections come into the line. There not really any reason to build one on a straight line unless it’s a very long run. They are needed on bends and connections as that’s where you get most issues and where a jet hose or rods is needed to be put down.
If it’s in a house it’s probably a junction allowing the kitchen waste to be hooked up to the rest of the system.
it doesn’t really make sense it being an inspection hatch for a sewer. bathrooms are in teh middle of the house, mains sewer would surely be under the road at the front of the house
You can get sewers absolutely anywhere. There’s never a rule where they will be, every house is different.
Water company may have a map but they aren’t usually very detailed at the house level as they only took responsibility of the pipes leading up to individual houses in 2011. Before that they only dealt with the main sewer.
Not moving the inspection pit may have been budget, or it may have been a limitation of the plot.
Not moving it is a bodge. It’s rare to have so little fall that moving it a short distance isn’t possible.
Only 2 houses on that drain us and them not my cup of tea
If it's a shared drain then it probably is (or was) your cup of tea.
Shepton Mallet is good if you want to start all your bike rides with a climb.
Yeah – what’s wrong with Yeovil!? Always sounded like a pleasant Somerset market town! 🙂
it’s not a small market town anymore but a sprawling place with crap traffic and lots of it seems to be on the bones of its arse. Been lots of expansion recently with new estates springing up.
I only go there because the father in law lives there but I find it’s got none of the charm of a village nor the advantages of a city. Horses for courses I’m sure it’s got it’s great parts though.
Almost…it was Michaelangelo 😛
*sings song in heas* balls you're right.
They're fine if done properly, eg sealed, screwed down airtight lid. And, as others say, it has permission if it's a shared sewer build over. Nearly every commercial building of any size has them, due to the fact it isn't possible to get all the chambers outside the footprint of the building.
Normally a manhole is built where there is a bend or where connections come into the line. There not really any reason to build one on a straight line unless it’s a very long run. They are needed on bends and connections as that’s where you get most issues and where a jet hose or rods is needed to be put down
Every house on our row has one in the straight section to allow everyhouse their own rodding access houses.
Much handier to have a hatch than a rodding eye. But yes costs have been cut in new builds and this is less likely.
I have a second in my garden at the change in direction.
My next-door neighbour built their kitchen extension over the shared lateral drain and over the grate that takes their own domestic foul water.
Thankfully, when the extension on my own house was built whoever did it saw fit to move the drains properly.
All this was done before I moved in. The neighbours one was done about 10 years ago. My own extension is probably about 30 years old, I estimate.
Talking to my neighbour, they probably never had planning control sign-off on anything. Some amateurish builder basically just built it, and this was reflected in the shoddy roofing work where the adjacent structure joins to mine. This cost me about £1500 to fix a few years ago when improper construction caused water ingress next door. It really pissed me off.
I doubt they have a build-over agreement either because she (the neighbours) doesn't seem aware of this. If I owned next door I'd be worried about sewer surcharge issues (as mentioned) and the possibility of the utilities having to get access, which could, in the worse case scenario, mean they need to start knocking things down.
Lots of little things to look for when buying a house. Sadly, you don't become aware of them until you've owned a house for a while or working in the trade.
not my cup of tea
Should be ok if you boil the drain water first 😀