In this episode we replace the existing inspection chamber for a new one, only to be told by Severn Trent that we can't do it how we'd like to! Do we change or our plans or take them on?
I have never been comfortable with bends in drains below buildings. I would have mede the pipe below the extension straight and then made changes in direction outside of the extension with the use of a double inspection chamber. A more expensive solution but a much safer outcome. I have done it many times before when all drainage was controlled by the local council. Rtired BCO
Didn’t envy you one bit on that, had similar experience’s over the years. Building inspector’s used to be ex carpenters or brickies years ago so had a lot of site experience, the inspector’s of today are all taught from books not from experience and as you said what makes sense.
That is not true. Soakaways need to be 5 metres away from any building or property boundary, and in most built up areas there is insufficient space to accomodate this, so using the sewer ( if there is no separate surface water system available ), is the only option.
Simple rule, any change of direction in foul run requires an inspection chamber. It would have been simple to remove the old manhole and run the foul straight to a new inspection chamber in the original hole that had been dug.
A couple of years ago Thames Water wanted clay drains replaced with clay, and brick built inspection chambers, Just imagine the ball ache on a job like yours. They now allow plastic provided it is the heavy duty pressure jetable type. If the can jet it without blasting a hole in it they are not worried about the blind bends.
Oh man! What a nightmare that would have been! Thank goodness common sense prevailed l! Hope you're all well, we're all obviously massive fans of yours. Take care.
For give me but u could see the existing manhole was in line with the footing before work started, so y wait until u had nearly all the footings in before u talked to Severn water.y wasn't it thought of before commencing any work
At the end of the day this shouldn't be costing you a penny same as the foundation, down to a bad Architect who should have had all the proposed design layout of new drainage runs on a drawing, then any deviation is chargable. Nothing wrong with RW going into an existing combined system rightly or wrongly its allowed. In my area the manhole base must be bedded on concrete not pea shingle.
Cheers Andy, it's always good to hear from you, someone who knows both what they are talking about and also what and how to do it when it doesn't translate into the real world. Hope you're well mate, take care.
Any change of direction, and/or change of fall requires an inspection chamber. The only exception being a long radius bend ( through roddable ) close to another inspection chamber large enough to gain access to the bend. There is absolutely no way this installation complies with building regs. Why not just put a sealed and tileable cover on the inspection chamber and leave it inside the extension ? There are plenty of properties I have worked on where there was no other choice. Just because the existing drain layout does not comply with modern regs does not mean you can replace it with new works to a substandard old design.
I don't understand why they did not put the chamber in where the first hole was. Then the pipe would be straight and a new pipe could be installed without digging under the extension in the future.
We had a buildover drain issue we needed to resolve. Did all the paperwork with Severn Trent, submitted drain surveys, engineering plans, building control approval on the design. They still said no. They do not budge an inch - so inflexible. Infuriating process.
Looks like a hell of a difficult job, made ten times worse by the weather, as always. I once had to dig down eight feet to build a back drop manhole on a 6" live drain, with 4 foot concrete rings. I was sliding about in wet clay for 3 days, soaked to the skin. Yorkshire Water passed it eventually, and within an hour, the rain stopped and the sun came out. Did the building inspector/Severn Trent Water pass it?
What a shame you come up against armchair experts, the final agreement probably comes from a more experienced person. That’s progress for you. 10/10 for tenacity and doing your best. Regards Mike
God bless to you, I can here the local accent wolves here come across this all the time Severn Trent biggest money scam ever ( they don’t know where half there drains are we pay them ( customers) to find out , got own small building firm ,everyone thinks your a millionaire when the reality is we keep on getting hit , all the best for the future
Why didn't you just knock a hole in the pipe to relive all the water in your hole rather than keep pumping???. also I would have put 2 Chambers in.. 1 in line on the outside then another where u connect to existing... also surly connection inside your footing should have been connected to invert rather than dropping into main sewer......
You can’t rely on local authorities to do or say anything sensible, I spent a lot of time changing bitumen-fibre pipe that they had insisted in changing the old salt glaze for ! For those that missed the bitumen fibre debacle, the inner layer of bitumen degrades and the cloth under it turns backwards like an old sock, causing some horrible messes !
red tape has made a mockery of things now, but having a branch on its back like ur 6" one is bad practice and if ST were to object to anything it would have been this
Thats good. You can start getting it out the ground now if you don't get froze off. If they squinnied about the change of direction, I suppose the only other thing would be 2 ic's. One to get it out the building and go 90 degrees and then one to get back on course. It's all academic now. Like I mentioned before, southern water would have us do all that in clay and probably the Chambers would be 9 inch English garden wall bond, red engineering
Can't catch a break with this job. Remember watching a Gosforth Handyman video doing something similar with his extension, think he replaced all the pipe on the property with plastic. But that's the sort of thing it's easy to justify in nice weather. I'd be interested to hear how they described that "alternative" they proposed that you couldn't make heads nor tails of.
Trying to deal with seven Trent is like banging your head against a brick wall, Once you can get a guy out to have a look common sense kicks in.. my problem went away in five minutes. Cheers Jim in NZ.
I've watched your past videos, I know your doing everything as much as you can by the book. I admire that. Do your self a favour and listen to me. If the rainwater gutters and gullies are connected to the wastewater drain, rainwater could overwhelm the drain and cause flooding... Wastewater pipes should not be connected to the rainwater system! EVER A down pour could end up in the waste water backing up pipes. Please look into this more with your "Inspector". He should have told you to key the new storm water into the peatrap from the house guttering. Also send an inspection camera down that pipe to see where the soak away is, also then access weather the rain on the m² of the new roof isn't going to overwhelm it. And if it is, dig it up and make it bigger to accommodate the new roof size. I've done enough of extensions, soakaways, replaced waste drainage and landscaping to know to tell you. Just hope I'm not too late.
I use to fit out the Jamie Oliver delicatessens in Shell petrol stations and back then he was rumoured to be getting £6000000 a year just for putting his name to them so that's why he probably has that smug grin on his face.
The last extension I did on my old house I didn’t get seven Trent involved Came to selling the house they asked for the build over agreement didn’t have it paid 70 quid for an indemnity policy job done Now in my new house I will be doing the same no way I’m paying them anything
Hello Andrew, that was our argument all along. There's no way that our plan wouldn't work, it's the exact same line as it was before, it just needed common sense to prevail! Thankfully it did in the end! Thank you for watching mate, all the best.
Am all that footpath been dug up as bends are to tight for me never put why top of main pipe moved 5 meters from chamber plus chamber sude set lean mix not on pea single not have go at you ok
Started watching recently at stage 1 of the extension. I can feel your frustration but also applaud your willingness to do things the right way with all the constraints. It's so hard to find good honest builders these days, it's refreshing. Shame you can't film everything when you have to crack on with things. I wonder if you could just get a phone on a tripod and leave it on a time-lapse? Not sure how much more editing work that would be though...
@@mrabuilders6723not like for like as the inspection chamber was there for the change in direction 😂, you’ve removed that and then but an additional angle on top which is a second point for blockage, a complete lack of like for like
Hi, I wanted to turn my garage into 1 bed studio, however my garage is at the front of the property, the only man hole I can see is at the back of the property. The next next door neighbour on the left has man hole in his garden. I rang severn trent and they sent me some forms which i really don't understand. Whats my best bet, try and investigate on my own getting sewer maps or just calling in professional, builder doesn't want to touch the drainage system. I'm in Leicester if you know anyone round here.
That's a bodge your building inspector pass pipes with bends in it all pipes should be straight into manholes or inspection chambers any change of direction should have a inspection chamber or manhole. The last video l see of yours was a retaining wall you had to take down,you hadn't used sulfate resistant cement hadn't liquid DPM the back of the wall no French drain and you ask the question if its your fault. what kind of builder are you of course it's your fault
I fail to see the ownership of the drain. Certainly here in Scotland, if its in your garden its your problem. The way Scottish Water works is that main sewers are in the street, generally, as is the water main. As soon as either goes under a fence or wall and into your garden its yours, Scottish Water don't want to know. On this basis I'd tell ST to get stuffed and crack on.
When I was working, (erecting steel) we were on a job where we had to erect over the old factory. One of our columns inside was right next to the toilets, and of course the soil pipe was in the way. We rigged up a temporary pipe, but it had to be removed when we craned the column through the roof. Having been into the office to ask the ladies not to use the loos, my mate was quite surprised when he heard a loo flush. When a big Richard landed at his feet, he was straight back into the office, asking who it was that had flushed the loo, with what was now the contents of his pocket. All I could do was laugh, and telling him that 5h1t happens.
Would have drilled a small hole in existing drainage system would have saved that hole filling up will water all the time, if your changing existing piping anyways 👍
The behaviour of the water companies beggars belief. I've also seen this type of issue along with a plethora of inexplicable communications. You have just described a drainage layout which any competent person could follow. It's hard to believe anyone disagreeing with the plan. And yet they do. Are they ignorant, stupid or what. Wouldn't it be nice to know what goes on in their little minds... ? Of course what we don't see is their row with the wife; the illness of their elderly parents; shunt at the traffic lights that morning - all the kind of issues that disrupt life and make us all tend to behave unreasonably... That said, these organisations need a system that enables them to stand above the limitations of individual employees. If they don't, we get the ridiculous issues like the one reported by Mr A Builders. Crazy ...
No authority wants bends mid line , they are ok with bends on either side of the plastic m/h . I would have done away with the bend at the existing,then extended the pipe straight out beyond the concrete placed a m/h there and put a 45 either side as they dont like 90 bends. Then placed a manhole were you cut into the existing using bends to align the 2 new manholes. As long as you change direction at a manhole they would be fine . If you ever get down to the existing like this at least put a saw cut into the pipe so the hole does not fill up and save loads of pumping .
Jamie Oliver ? mmmmm . I always make my own , 40 years later still ok . We are rip off Britain . Looks a real messy site . Don’t miss that ? Good to show customers how hard w3 work at their dream . Never a nice job that though ? . Great video and good job . Doing well
Couldn’t you have put in two inspection chambers? Extending the straight line out the building to one, then linked to the second where it would change direction? Direct lines all the time?
Hello Martin. No chance I'm afraid. There just wasn't the room to get the angle to get back to existing and only use 30⁰ bends as per the request of Severn Trent. We way that we did it was the only way it could have been done. Have a great new year mate.
Sometimes it is better to ask for forgiveness than for permission. Have you seen if they will have another look at it as somebody else might see eye to eye with you if they have more experience or seen a similar job 🤔
The issue here would have been that the inspection chamber is there because of the 45° turn, can’t have a change of change in direction with out a chamber
I've got a letter from Severn Trent saying that you can, so who's right? The governing body of the water waste system in this part of the country or some random person wedged into a load of RU-vid comments? Thank you for watching though. All the best.
Doesn't the rain put the anchors on a job even when working in the rain it is slow and as for the brickies these days I swear they have rain drop spotters
When you was going through the options at the beginning the one that you did made perfect sense..I couldn't fathom out why the water board didn't like your plan . Obviously got someone who knows what they're doing.. great job in shit conditions by the way
@@mrabuilders6723 there's also the nightmares of excavating that what other issues can arise. Had one a few years ago that we were digging for the invisible footings and there wasn't one on existing so we had to drop the whole rear wall to part rebuild with footings to allow for it to carry the majority of the existing floor with steels and new build floor also underpin corners to allow load bearing coming down from steel carrying wall plate of roof. Old was on the piss because of subsidence. We ended up replacing half of the existing floors of the house. We later come back after completion to underpin the front side of the House. Sometimes these jobs are head scratching to price. A garage Conversion is quick turnaround without all the stress 😬 all fun and game though keeps the mind active.
@@mrabuilders6723 yeah!!!! It's a nightmare sometimes, the reason is that they dont want drain runs with different spices etc which I understand in some situations but should be reviewed on an individual project basis
I’m with this guy, google silicosis - please wear a mask and use dust suppression when cutting concrete - silicosis is the asbestos of today’s age. Take care of your lungs mate. enjoyed the video as I’ve some drainage work coming up….@@mrabuilders6723
Just about to do something very similar on my extension, thankfully STW happy with my plans. Got a little bit more space to next door which makes life easier. Building inspector coming around Monday to discuss plans before I dig out too much more!
Days like that you realise you are not a Builder but just there to "manage" the expectations of the Client and and the local authorities. Still got there in the end.
Severn Trent and their "building over or adjacent to" I had to take a load of photos to prove to them that they their sewer map was about a hundred years ( the time when my house was built) out of date. Still good to get the letter saying no problem though. Ultimately we didn't build the brick detached workshop anyway but built a wooden structure elsewhere on the property so it was all for nothing.
Great news mate finally got somewere sometimes u just have to do it and then they understand but carnt wait for next vid to finally c u getting out the ground
Just finished our extension in Scotland & the problems caused by drainage/sewers pipes coupled with building on a slope 😂 the guys had to dig 8 foot down to run the pipes - nightmare !! Like a ww2 bomb had gone off and left a crater. Totally worth it with the end result 🎉
Thanks for your videos mate. It brings back memories of my time working in the UK. After I completed my carpentry apprenticeship in Australia, I traveled and lived in Nuneaton from 1980 and worked in Rugby and Leamington Spa. I joined with a brickie and would do extensions same as your current project...although we didn't have the red tape from local councils back then but remember cutting out the clay pipes for new PVC ones.. I also remember re-slating a cottage roof in Leamington Spa only to find out all the rafters were tree branches.... On return to Australia in 1986..the start of the cordless era, I completed the Townsville Breakwater Casino, Mirage Resort, Gold Coast and 80 Defence houses at the Tindal AF base in Katherine NT. Currently have a concrete trucking business.. and interesting to see you use a volumetric concrete truck not an agitator. Looking forward to your stage 4 video..
I have had the opposite issue- Severn Trent have confirmed they are happy but Acivico (the birmingham council building inspection) are being difficult - no reasoning as to what their issue is despite the water company being happy with the works
Thats awkward How are you going to pipe the extension drainage and leave it accesssible for rodding Should bring your new drainage out in to a manhole with Back Inlet Gullies where appropiate and then connect to the new manhole you have created by making an external backdrop manhole if required Sorry to say that all i foresee is issues with the current design, not my first rodeo Best of luck either way and also buy a 6inch stopper next time to plug the pipe , you wont have any worries, just tie a rope around the stopper and pull Regards
Second comment, you shouldn’t be putting storm into foul, that’s the primary cause of all the flooding, the building inspector hasn’t followed legislation but then you didn’t use water suppression for the dust from the cut off saw so is any one following rules 😂
Hello Matt, hope you're well. Could you do me a favour please? Would you mind quoting the legislation that states that under no circumstances can storm water be put into the foul please? The full regulations please, not an edited version that suits. I'll wait here for you but I'm not in a rush, so take your time...
It’s in section H 5 of the building regulation. And governed by the flood and water management act 2010 and prior to that the water act 2003. I have no need to read the documents any further so I’ll let you do that as part of your job, I work for a water company and can tell you that regulation is getting tighter, proposed from the middle of the year. All new developments have to have separate storm and foul drainage to even get planning permission. Land drains, soak aways, water storage crate systems all available. I have also been in groundworks and civils for the last 12 years and never installed a combined sewer regardless of the original, having worked on some grade 2 listed buildings, constructed before 2003 👍🏼 People want water company’s to sort out the flooding but adding additional surface water to foul drainage networks means they don’t stand a chance
Oh I forgot to mention also the water industry act 1999 👍🏼 in relation to the dust suppression, your putting yourself at risk of silicosis, one of the biggest causes of death/lung cancer since asbestos. So might be worth considering that going forward.
Morning Matt. Thank you for this. We both know that building regulations does not state that under no circumstances should you ever put storm into foul. I understand that people may not like it for the exact reasons that you've stated and that's fair enough, but it is not compulsory under the current building regulations. Rules enforced on new build housing estates are not comparable to private home renovations and future rule changes are irrelevant to tasks completed 18 months ago. Everything on this project was completed to all relevant building regulations at the time and in compliance and approval with Severn Trent. You may have a preferred method and have done it differently but to say that what we've done here is totally contrary to building regulations and that the inspectors have gone against that is a falsehood. Thank you for watching and commenting, have a great day.
@@mrabuilders6723 I literally gave you the building regulation 😂😂😂 and water regulations that apply from 1991, 2003 and 1999 👌🏼 but of course rules do not apply. Have a great weekend
Who’s paying for all these delays , stepped footers , camera inspections, extra digging etc . How do you protect yourself from rouge inspectors who refuse to come out in the rain. How many man hours did you budget for site works I’m curious. I’m a QS working for a design build commercial contractor and our civil estimator is in one of the best I’ve known . Our proposals are very thorough with inclusions and exclusions ,weather impacts (hot and cold) . It’s not easy easy telling clients you are experiencing unforeseen conditions . Last summer here in California we lost 7 days for about 500 men due to excessive heat . It’s a risky business for sure.
Hello Jono, hope you're well mate. Yes, building control was happy from day one but they wouldn't be able to sign it off without Severn Trent's approval.
Their reasoning is just that they want to be able to dig up that bend if ever it gets clogged and rodding just won't work. They can't dig it up if there's a house on top!
I feel your pain. we had a similar problem with Southern Water. 3 months to get a build over agreement for 800 mm of pipe. if they sent people out rather then emails to a call centre life would be a lot easier for both sides
Great video as always. I'm holding my breath for this one. Have to replace a collapse drainage as part of the extension. Do you know where can I find the BR doc for that? Thanks.
