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For when your troubles just won't soak away, sort out your drainage issues in here.
By Ianb
#6418
Hi guys,

Possibly a bit of a new/different problem here..

Recently had a blockage in a public toilet in a small hotel I work in, unfortunately the manhole (rectangular access) that needed access was underneath one of these click floors AND partially underneath the toilet.

So toilet was disconnected, floor ripped up and the manhole was still every so slightly underneath a sink unit. I managed to lift it and sort out the blockage (as unpleasant as that was!) however "what to do now" is the issue.

The manhole is one of those inset metal and concrete jobs that you tile inside and even if they were visually acceptable, the size of the manhole is just far too big for the small room that it's in.. and as above, results in more or less the entire room being dismantled just to lift it! I have talked to a few folks that have off the cuff ideas, but no one knows who I could contact etc.

The current idea would be to fit a smaller circular hatch roughly 300mm diameter into the current manhole whereby any blockages could be "jetted", but I have no idea how to do it myself, no idea what to search and no idea who to contact about whether it's even a possible solution.

At this stage it wouldn't matter if the hatch wasn't the most visually pleasing thing, it will just "have to do", purely from a practical > aesthetics point of view now.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance.
User avatar
By REDSAW
#6420
i am more gas than drains but, i would find out who actually owns the drain first before even contemplating messing with it.
Even if its in a property it doesnt make it part of the building.
By Ianb
#6421
Hi there, thanks for the reply.

Apologies if my terminology isn't correct calling it a manhole? Basically it's a junction of about 3 different soil pipes underneath the hatch, this becomes one soil, then travels under the floor to another manhole(?) about 3-4 metres away where there is another junction of a couple soils (including this one)... that then trundles off down a fire escape to a further cover (I assume purely for rodding/inspection purposes), before exiting the building and off into the mains somewhere.

So the hatch in question is 100% the owners issue. The water company didn't even know it existed... purely I assume as it's basically a junction box..

Again, my terminology is probably way off so apologies for confusion.
User avatar
By REDSAW
#6422
seems like it was put there before any alteration to the building then.
it will be just for rodding access so can another manhole serve the purpose albeit a bit further away but easily reached? if so block it off!
if not then change it but you will have to do some surface work and also make sure each branch can accept rods bending.

i would want to know where each run serves though first.

having said that, then its not much of an issue blocking it of then going downstream 3 meters and jetting upstream any blockages. do you think it was laid before anyone heard of jetting?
By Ianb
#6423
It's hard to tell, I'd say probably before jetting, it's an old building and extensions have been made..

I know exactly what's going into the are, one soil is from a service room, the other from one the male toilets, the other from the female toilets.

I suppose you're right in that jetting from the next one downstream and sealing it up could be the better option, I think the whole concept of a new hatch within the hatch is just peace of mind, so that if access was needed it could be gained through the smaller hatch for.jetting rather than rodding... or even using as a guide if rods were used in the downstream hatch.
User avatar
By REDSAW
#6424
thats where i started out- 700 year old inn turned into a 300 bedroom hotel over the years with caves and wells under 3 stories down into the cellars and 5 stories up. needed a map to find where to go, these places are a bloody nightmare :lol:

drop in a 300mm cap and cover it over, be just another bodge added :lol: :lol:
By Ianb
#6433
Wow!! This is certainly no 700 bed, 300yr old place. It was built circa 1850's, but it's a tall townhouse, including the basement there are 7 levels, 5 at the front, 2 at the back.

It's had a big overhaul, so the plumbing is really decent now, but prior to that it was add on after add on after add on. Iirc there was one area where 15mm hot and cold went into one bathroom, then split, and fed a second... then from that secon, it split, fed a 3rd, from that 3rd it split again and fed a 4th... 😑

It is just this one toilet area which is the bane of my existence. I'd rather suggest getting a bigger company in to do as I'm sure they have all the gear and an idea of exactly what to do. I just can't think of who to look for. Most searches return drain cleaners.
User avatar
By REDSAW
#6435
Ianb wrote:
January 9th, 2020, 3:35 pm
Wow!! This is certainly no 700 bed, 300yr old place. It was built circa 1850's, but it's a tall townhouse, including the basement there are 7 levels, 5 at the front, 2 at the back.

It's had a big overhaul, so the plumbing is really decent now, but prior to that it was add on after add on after add on. Iirc there was one area where 15mm hot and cold went into one bathroom, then split, and fed a second... then from that secon, it split, fed a 3rd, from that 3rd it split again and fed a 4th... 😑

It is just this one toilet area which is the bane of my existence. I'd rather suggest getting a bigger company in to do as I'm sure they have all the gear and an idea of exactly what to do. I just can't think of who to look for. Most searches return drain cleaners.
i learnt one thing quite a while back-
take 5 mins looking and another 5 after that, if you have not sussed the entire job out by then- pass on it !!
otherwise it will either take three times longer than the rate you charged or bite you in the donkey later. move onto the next job and it will be an easy earner. i have just done that this afternoon and earnt double on the next job lol

to alter that manhole chamber, you will have to decommision the services requiring it, any pictures?
BTW, can you not put a split lid on it?

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