Would appreciate some help.

[Eror404]

Hi guys,

I have had an on going issue with the flat i live in for ages. But i will try and keep it short and sweet, but can go into full if needed.

I live in a basement flat. First month of moving in we had a awful sewage smell. Then one night we found our carpets soaked, and found a man hole cover under our carpet in the living room. We also found one in the bathroom. Neither were sealed properly. Lots of drama and problems, but ultimately landlord threatened us with a law suit ect.

So problem some what solved, forward almost a year later, and the next door neighbour has moved out. Had a few engineers in her flat, and discovered she also had a un-sealed man hole in her living room.

The man hole took her bathroom waste and kitchen waste. All goes into the same point under the living room. But what the engineers have found out, is it runs into my apartment into the man hole in the living room.
(Just so you know its a small apartment and the living room is a kitchen and lounge duo, so the man hole is right next to the kitchen).

I guess the question is, is this aloud? Can my flat take the load of another apartments sewage through my living room and bathroom? Are there any rules or regulations there to prevent this from happening?

Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated. This has been going on far to long, and my landlord has told environmental health that the drainage through my living room was only drainage from my sink and so on, which clearly is not the case.

Thank you for reading, and kind regards!

 

[Ric2013]

Is the inspection chamber cover in your dwelling now properly sealed?

By 'properly', I mean a rubber seal with a purpose-made cover designed to be used internally which bolts down rather than a grease-seal as is more usual in inspection chambers found outside the house.

Are you UK based or US?

 

[Eror404]

Hi Ric,

Thanks for the speedy reply. I contacted the manufacturer of the man hole cover months back, and they confirmed its not double sealed and not for indoor use. However my landlord sent some one over to put a glue like sealant around the outside of the manhole. Once this was done, environmental health came to inspect it, and said it was fine.
I did try to dispute it, however they didnt care much.

I am in the UK.

 

[Eror404]

unfortunately i am struggling putting up images of the drains.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

If it's not a manufacturer designed twin seal man hole it's not right

Only way to do it right is to replace them

 

[Eror404]

My thoughts to. However they refuse to replace the covers, because environmental health thinks its ok apparently.

However i still dont know if its ok for some one elses sewage to flow into my living area. Unfortunately i cant find any information about that, or whether sewage is aloud into a living area (even when seal properly).

 

[chris watkins]

Hi Eror
Have a look at the link below it is the approved document Part H of the Building Reg's check out H1
https://assets.publishing.service.g...achment_data/file/442889/BR_PDF_AD_H_2015.pdf
I asume your flat is apart of conversion ? if so you need to remember the drainage is more than likely existing but the minimum you can expect is that the covers seal the drains off & are screwed down to stop them lifting if there is a blockage.
Refer them to this section
2.54 Inspection chambers and manholes should have removable non-ventilating covers
of durable material (such as cast iron, cast or pressed steel, precast concrete or plastics) and be of suitable strength. Small lightweight access covers should be secured (for example with screws) to deter unauthorised access (for example by children). Inspection chambers and manholes in buildings should have mechanically fixed airtight covers unless the drain itself has watertight access covers. Manholes deeper than 1m should have metal step irons or fixed ladders.

Mastic is not a mechanical fixing !!

 

[chris watkins]

A sewer taking other properties can run through yours on its way out to the street. (& they often do)

 

[ShaunCorbs]

If indoubt get building control out and say your not happy with the covers

 

[Ric2013]

I think once upon a time you were allowed non-mechanically fixed types inside a house, because the sealed type didn't exist, so depends on when the flat was converted or built.

But building control and council responsiblity for rental standards are different departments and a housing officer could require an upgrade from what was there when the house was built in the same way that he or she could accept a house being let that did not comply with the building standards at the time of construction.

Your neighbour's sewage is not running through your living area unless you live in your drains and I so don't actually see a problem with this setup from this point of view. It would be a foolish way to build a new house as, in the event of a blockage, access might be required to your lounge and you could make it awkward, but in the case of an old house you can't really start from scratch.

 

[Eror404]

Thank you for the replies guys,

I did have building control a few months back (sorry i keep calling them environmental health). Building control sent a young lad who had no clue and took a few pictures. And he stated they were fine once the mastic had been placed over the man hole covers. I disputed this, gave them evidence to say otherwise, and paid for a specialist to investigate and say otherwise, however they ignored this.

 

[Eror404]

And just to note, these basement flats were converted. And the building it self is quite old. The basement flats used to be storage, and were converted early 2000 i believe.

 

[Eror404]

.

 

[Eror404]

links should work now
LR after seal
LR before seal 2
LR before seal open

Top picture is the man hole cover at its current state. Mastic over the top. The other two were before it had the mastic over it, and when it flooded the house.

 

[Chalked]

That’s an external drain cover.

 

[chris watkins]

Not double seal type & therefore should not have been used, the mastic is just a bodge.
Trouble is BC would have signed off the development in 2000 so did not pick this up (egg on face) which is why they may not be responding.

See Appendix H1-B page 25, I would be approaching your sewage undertaker and ask for a visit.

The flow rate looks high, unless the drain has just been unblocked.

 

[Eror404]

That’s an external drain cover.

Agreed. And so does the manufacturer. However, Building regulators think its ok to be in side.

 

[Eror404]

Thanks Chalked and Chris.
I was also told that mastic is a mechanical fixing? Ive seen what double sealed mechanical fixed man hole covers look like. But apparently mastic counts? Not sure when the laws changed about the drains ect in doors. There was a point when it was ok, though not sure.

 

[chris watkins]

It is still OK if done correctly, we keep telling you it is just that the wrong product has been used.
When a building is converted to a different use they don't have to re-run all the drainage, private sewers often have to run under buildings to connect to the public one in the road.

 

[Ric2013]

It is still OK if done correctly, we keep telling you it is just that the wrong product has been used.
When a building is converted to a different use they don't have to re-run all the drainage, private sewers often have to run under buildings to connect to the public one in the road.

That said, that is not a very old drain cover: looks like plastic. As you say, BC won't have much to say and there isn't actually much they can do after the work has been completed a year anyway. In any case, the work has been signed off presumably, so whatever the Approved Document says is only a guideline and the BCO's signature over-rides this.

Back to the OP: I'd not want that in a house I owned as I would not want the hassle of having to cut through mastic every time I wanted to inspect the drain, but would be happy to live in house like that, provided the mastic is airtight, which you imply it is. In fairness, it'll probably be almost impossible to remove that lid, so it is most unlikely to come up on its own accord.

I think this is a non-problem.

 

[Eror404]

Thank you for you're replies.

It is a plastic drain cover. I have no clue if the mastic is air tight. I have no clue if the mastic if doing a good enough job. All i can do is hope it was applied properly.
I dont particularly know if the mastic will prevent air or any thing from arising. All i know is sewage from my neighbours bog flows under my dinner table.
But if you guys think its ok, then i guess its ok

 

[chris watkins]

I will repete, if you are unsure ask your local sewage undertaker (normally the same as water) to confirm all is OK.

 

[Darren Jackson]

You accidentally mentioned 'Environmental Health' instead of building control, But maybe it is time to get Environmental Health to have their say. That cover is not approved for internal use and is not secured down or have an approved airtight seal. As for neighbouring waste flowing through your chamber, that is perfectly normal and nothing wrong with that. It is a shared sewer system.

 

[Ric2013]

You could ask if the drain has been pressure tested to prove that the mastic is sealing. It isn't a difficult or a long process, but it would prove the drain was airtight. Although a few pints of hot water down the sink would send up a nasty smell if it isn't airtight, so if you can't smell the drain, it probably is airtight.