Manhole inside property-

Baggypuss

I have viewed a Victorian 3-bed, 2 storey terraced house. It has a manhole cover in living room near entrance. It's covered by carpet (looked dated) and could not lift carpet due to grippers, so could not view the condition of cover. I was wondering what would you advise? Estate agent suspects carpet not been disturbed for a long time, so property may not have been flooded. Had a tenant there for at least 10 yrs. Is an internal manhole an issue?

Albermarle

Normally you find them where the house has been extended. It used to be allowed to build extensions over an existing manhole cover up to around 25/30 years ago, after which it was not allowed .
Normally they do not cause any problems.

stuart45

An internal manhole isn't a great thing to have. If you are seriously looking at buying the house I'd have the drains checked with a camera and get a estimate for moving it outside. 

Baggypuss

Many thanks for the advice. I've been told by agent that it's normal for properties on same street to have them inside as well another street nearby.

FreeBear

I have a manhole in the kitchen here. It was done in the mid 1970s when an extension was added. The cover is double sealed and very heavy. Needed to lift it a couple of years back (the first time it ever needed to be lifted) to deal with a blockage. To relocate the manhole would be a major undertaking as the drains also run underneath a garage (75-100mm concrete slab).

Baggypuss

I wonder whether any of the properties on the same street have managed to get manhole moved. I have read somewhere that it may or may not be possible to get it moved. 

Bookworm105

Baggypuss said:

I wonder whether any of the properties on the same street have managed to get manhole moved. I have read somewhere that it may or may not be possible to get it moved. 

obviously it is possible to move it, but as others have pointed out, the cost for redirecting the pipe run may be prohibitive.

Albermarle

FreeBear said:

I have a manhole in the kitchen here. It was done in the mid 1970s when an extension was added. The cover is double sealed and very heavy. Needed to lift it a couple of years back (the first time it ever needed to be lifted) to deal with a blockage. To relocate the manhole would be a major undertaking as the drains also run underneath a garage (75-100mm concrete slab).

We have one in a side extension that was built in place of an old garage about 25 years ago.
After the work was finished there was a very faint whiff in the area occasionally. I lifted the carpet and put a plastic sheet over the cover, and relaid the carpet and no issues since.
There is another manhole in the driveway, exactly in line with this one. Not sure why two were ever needed so close together, but if there was a blockage, hopefully it could be cleared from the outside one.

Section62

Albermarle said:

There is another manhole in the driveway, exactly in line with this one. Not sure why two were ever needed so close together, but if there was a blockage, hopefully it could be cleared from the outside one.

The one at the side of the house (typically where side extensions get built) often gives access to the soil stack connection(s) and/or a gulley taking the kitchen sink waste.  The one further down the drive (if there is one) is often an interceptor and/or final chamber before the connection to the main sewer.

If the side one is where the stack/kitchen connects then it can't be (re)moved without making those connections virtually inaccessible if they block.

Albermarle

Section62 said:

Albermarle said:

There is another manhole in the driveway, exactly in line with this one. Not sure why two were ever needed so close together, but if there was a blockage, hopefully it could be cleared from the outside one.

The one at the side of the house (typically where side extensions get built) often gives access to the soil stack connection(s) and/or a gulley taking the kitchen sink waste.  The one further down the drive (if there is one) is often an interceptor and/or final chamber before the connection to the main sewer.

If the side one is where the stack/kitchen connects then it can't be (re)moved without making those connections virtually inaccessible if they block.

Yes the manhole within our house, ( that was outside in the past) is close to where the soil stack comes down.