How can you find out which other houses share your drains?

[Ginster]

Had a 2nd drain blockage due to "someone" flushing sanitary towels and baby wipes down their toilet. This doesn't come from my property as I would never flush those things but of course I have to deal with the problem (calling dynorod and clearing up loo roll and sewer mess from patio!) so I'm hoping I can find out who shares my drains so I can politely ask them to stop flushing stuff that shouldn't be flushed anyway, even more so in a Victorian property!

If anyone knows please shout, googling hasn't helped so far, next stop will call Southwark Council but from experience calling them I'm not holding my breath! Or would Thames Water know/help does anyone know?

Thanks!

[the-e-dealer]

It will be one of your neighbours left or right.

[computedshorty]

To find who shares your drains, look to gravity the person must be higher than your premises for the efluent to run down your shared pipes, useually houses are built in pairs both using the same pipes. if you are in a block of Flats then upper levels share.

The best way to find out is to look down the inspection hole and see the direction of the flow.

Do you know that shared drains have to be paid for unblocking by all who use them, so you can ask the others to contribute.(6)

[Loz]

Block it. See who complains.

[Ginster]

Thanks e-dealer - I might drop them a note either side. One side do have a baby too which could explain the wipes. Upstairs swear it isn't them (this last happened 2 yrs ago) hence me trying further afield - obviously upstairs are covered by your point on gravity computedshorty.

I'm in a mid-terraced house, I have the ground floor converted flat, no idea where an inspection hole might be, I know it flows from the within my property to the back garden but that's it. Possibly is the neighbours to the right as it comes out of my property that way.

Loz - the only person complaining would be me! Already had to clear a waste-filled patio so I'm not about to block it myself! ;o(

[benmorg]

Ginster Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Thanks e-dealer - I might drop them a note either

> side. One side do have a baby too which could

> explain the wipes. Upstairs swear it isn't them

> (this last happened 2 yrs ago) hence me trying

> further afield - obviously upstairs are covered by

> your point on gravity computedshorty.

> I'm in a mid-terraced house, I have the ground

> floor converted flat, no idea where an inspection

> hole might be, I know it flows from the within my

> property to the back garden but that's it.

> Possibly is the neighbours to the right as it

> comes out of my property that way.

> Loz - the only person complaining would be me!

> Already had to clear a waste-filled patio so I'm

> not about to block it myself! ;o(

Check your drainage search results if you're the owner - there might be plans showing where drains run along the terrace.

[Dodo1]

Ask Plumber will flush dye through toilet (into drains) to see who is connected.

Also rather th\n paying one off fee get an annual policy; eg from Homeserve.

[Ginster]

Dodo1 - luckily I had just updated my Homecare agreement so this was actually covered, most relieved!

Not sure if I can get people to flush die down but think will drop a note to houses either side to politely ask about not flushing items other than loo roll!

[Dodo1]

Homeserve Plumber should do this for you!

[peterstorm1985]

If you're in a terrace and you want to drop notes round, you may want to make it a few more than just the houses immediately either side - sometimes it can be a row of houses all joined into one. We got a leaflet through the door saying that the law is due to change. From 1st October 2011 Thames Water has responsibility for the shared bit of public sewers even on private land so you shouldn't have to pay anything from then onwards. They'll soon track down the culprit.

[Drxyster]

I believe this article may be of interest.

A shift in government policy means that water firms will now be responsible for the repair and maintenance of all private sewers. Previously, the responsibility had fallen to whoever owned the land under which the sewer pipes ran.

While this is welcome news for affected homeowners - potential repairs could run into the hundreds of pounds - it will mean higher bills for everyone: not only will the water firms want to recoup the additional cost of maintaining these pipes, but also the revenue they will lose in selling lucrative sewerage pipe insurance to households.

[KidKruger]

Ginster if you were to block your drain yourself to flush out (pun sort of intended) the culprit, you would just block the channel coming INTO your inspection chamber.

One way would be get 3-4 plastic bags one inside the other, pour quick drying cement in and tie top of bag leaving minimum air in. Then push into inlet channel. Do this in the early hours when least drain action likely.

The channel will back sharpish and may p!ss off a lot of people and is not guaranteed to find nappy fiend.

To remove the dried cement drill it out carefully without hammer-action setting enabled on your drill, taking care not to pierce drain pipes themselves. I'd you damage drains you got yourself a new problem.

[Ginster]

-- moved topic --

[mikeb]

I was told once that the Victorians often had four houses feeding (downhill) into one that then linked to the mains sewers. This was the case for my old house (c.1870 semi) but not for my current place (c.1900 semi) - this shares the sewer just with next door.

Inspection holes should be in the front garden / outside the front of the house - walk down the street and try to find them (sometimes they can be hidden under plants or even concreted over).

I'm presuming KidKruger is taking the p!ss ...

[peterstorm1985]

There can be more than four houses feeding into one sewer, and it's only the sewer pipe that needs to be on the slope not surface ground level so don't be fooled by that. Kidkruger's idea sounds entertaining but illegal - if you intentionally block the flow of sewerage and cause damage on neighbour's land as a consequence you'll be paying for the damage. If any of your neighbours have extensions (or decking) at the rear of the property (inspection holes are often at the back, not front of the house) they may have built over the manhole - bad practice but common.

[Ginster]

Thanks all - will spread the notes a little further than originally planned.

I don't think any pipe-blocking will be going on from my property - too much like hard work as well as probably illegal!

Thanks all.

[red devil]

Put a rat down the manhole and wait for the screams...

[KidKruger]

I'm not recommending blocking drains, just illsutrating one way to do it. I do point out the consequences of doing so in my opening sentence.

Inspection chambers are not always at front of house.

Mine and my neighbours are at the rear of our houses, for the entire block. If you have a small front yard you may find inspection chamber is at the back, often situated to ensure building an extension will be awkward/require the drains to be moved !

[nunhead_man]

From above fairly rate in my experience for pre 1900 houses to have sewer runs at the front - usually had Mr Crapper's santitary products at the back of the house somewhere - and later bathroom additions followed the same line.

You can tell by looking for those vertical fat pipes that end at gutter level - soil stacks they are called and they vent the sewer pipes

[Kalamiphile]

We got a map of our drainage system from the council and were able to identify which boundary the external drain was coming from.

[bonbon1979]

There are such things called CCTV survey on drainage , People who share drainage normally have this carried out at a shared cost and then determin who is causing problem ! , I called a company called 1st drainclear in chislehurst they carried out a CCTV survey for ?120.00 + vat and to clear the blockage they only charged us ?60.00 + vat which was split between 5 houses now when there is a blockage all 5 houses pay a share.

Hope this helps

there phone number is 0208 467 7007

[peterstorm1985]

I notice that bonbon1979's only other post also advertises this company. I smell a rat.

People with shared drainage only very rarely have a CCTV survey done and now that the law has changed and the water company has responsibility for the shared bit of public sewers it would be more sensible to ring Thames water in the first instance. If you only have shared private sewers - which you mostly find on modern estates with private roads etc - then you might want to contact one of the many CCTV companies that exist.

[Salsaboy]

I seem to remember a Rogue Traders programm on BBC1 that featured 1st drainclear, although I may be mistaken. (That bit added to avoid any nasty legal ramifications).

[peterstorm1985]

Salsaboy, I think you are mistaken; the BBC Rogue traders company was 1st Active Drainage Ltd, so 1st Drainclear is probably just one of many perfectly acceptable CCTV companies that you may choose to use if you really need one but it's very unlikely that anyone will. It may be that the change in the law requiring Thames water to take responsibility for the shared part of public sewers has lead to a drop in business for these companies which is why they are resorting to underhand advertising tactics.

[the-e-dealer]

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