CCTV Drain Survey reveals collapsed drain. Help.

luckypotato

There is a public sewer in the property boundary but this was a survey of our private drain which joins it.

I think we have pushed the vendors to their limits. It's actually a vacant property at the moment and has been for six months or so, so I'm unsure of how the drains work currently.

Nevertheless, EachPenny and Davesnave I understand your advice and it's greatly appreciated.

Mojisola

EachPenny wrote: »

That description, plus 1930's house, implies the drain/sewer is constructed using spigot and collar clay pipes. These were jointed by inserting the spigot of one pipe into the collar of another and then filling the gap with various different materials. If the joint wasn't made properly then the spigot can 'drop' within the collar of the adjacent pipe leading to a 'step' and a place where water can stand. In theory this is a problem because the standing water can allow a build up of solids, but in practice it probably isn't an issue.

That's been our experience.

Our 1930s drains are as described above but a section has sagged a little which means there is always standing water in it. The drains are in a difficult place to deal with and we have managed the problem for 30 years now.

We're very careful about what gets flushed away - not really any different to the septic tank system in our previous house - and check the drain occasionally. If the water seems to be backing up, it gets flushed through with a large binful of water.

RedFraggle

luckypotato wrote: »

There is a public sewer in the property boundary but this was a survey of our private drain which joins it.

I think we have pushed the vendors to their limits. It's actually a vacant property at the moment and has been for six months or so, so I'm unsure of how the drains work currently.

Nevertheless, EachPenny and Davesnave I understand your advice and it's greatly appreciated.

Does it serve only your property? If others run into it (as in our current and previous 30s semi) then it would be the responsibility of the water board.

luckypotato

I now have the DVD - the roots don't look too severe at all to me. They are a very very thin type that are lining a small section of the drain but they in no way inhibit the flow of water and are not blocking anything at all. There is minor cracking here and there but nothing too major.

As for the 'collapsed' part, it doesn't appear collapsed at all - it's almost as though something has slipped a little creating a small puddle of standing water but I think it would shift and not block at all or overflow. I am in no way a professional but a brand new drainage system seem over-egging it a tad to me. We will keep repairs in mind for the future as and when needed.

Thanks for all the responses and we are going to continue with our purchase as is.