Holes in cement around underground drainpipe.

basill

I have a noticed damp area on an exterior wall from ground level to the damp course.   earby there is a drain cover.  On inspection I found there are some gaps in the cement around an incoming pipe and the gutter.  A stick poked into the void comes out with wet mud on it.   
Please could someone advise what mix I can use to fill the void and seal these gaps?  Maybe something supplied in a mastic tube would be convenient.
I would also welcome advice on how to protect the repairs while they dry, the incoming pipe appears to serve more than one property so I may not be able to stop its use completely.

flashg67

you can buy mortar in a gun applied 'tube' from screwfix etc. Keeping it dry is tricky - maybe lay something across the gutter to stop it splashing up?

stuart45

Is that an inspection chamber with a channel at the bottom?
What sort of drain is it?

basill

stuart45 said:

Is that an inspection chamber with a channel at the bottom?
What sort of drain is it?

Yes its an inspection chamber with a channel at the bottom. The incoming  pipe carries water from our kitchen sink and dishwasher.   There are scraps of paper on the sloping walls of the hole that leads me to suspect a toilet from next door also uses this.   Upstream from this is a chamber on the boundary of the back gardens that has a fence built over it so not easy to open :-(

stuart45

You can get 4 inch drain plugs which fit into the pipes to block them off when you work on the chamber.
For repairs cement fondu is a really fast setting cement used for drainage repairs. Surprised you can poke a stick into the benching and get mud, as it should be solid concrete in there.

basill

stuart45 said:

You can get 4 inch drain plugs which fit into the pipes to block them off when you work on the chamber.
For repairs cement fondu is a really fast setting cement used for drainage repairs. Surprised you can poke a stick into the benching and get mud, as it should be solid concrete in there.

Thank you thats very helpful, Ill definitley invest in a plug :-) While looking for fondue in small bags I found this at Screwfix that looks like it would do the trick.

stuart45

That should work. With drains in use you need something fast setting.
Ideally where your pipe comes.into the manhole would be a 3/4 channel (known as a branch bend nowadays)which sends the waste in the direction of the flow rather than at right angles to the channel.

Section62

basill said:

I would also welcome advice on how to protect the repairs while they dry, the incoming pipe appears to serve more than one property so I may not be able to stop its use completely.

If it does then is it a public sewer (and therefore not yours to repair)?

basill

Section62 said:

basill said:

I would also welcome advice on how to protect the repairs while they dry, the incoming pipe appears to serve more than one property so I may not be able to stop its use completely.

If it does then is it a public sewer (and therefore not yours to repair)?

Its in my driveway and the two properties are semi detached... Have to think about that.    Repair does look fairly straight forward with quick cement though..

casper_gutman

If this inspection chamber serves you and your neighbour, and is connected to a public sewer (as opposed to a private system like a septic tank) then in England and Wales the repair responsibility almost certainly lies with the water company. Specifically, the sewerage undertaker is responsible, which in some areas may not be the same entity as the water supply company.

You are not responsible for repairs, and would probably be best advised not to attempt any repair yourself as you could then be liable for any consequences - e.g., if material you were using caused a blockage elsewhere.

If I were you, I would just inform the company and stop worrying about it!