Bad smell, help! - Drainage

Foul and surface water, private drains and public sewers, land drains and soakaways, filter drains and any other ways of getting rid of water.
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Facilities Man
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon May 17, 2010 5:12 pm
Location: London

Post: # 48878Post Facilities Man

Hi everyone,

I've been working in this office for over 2 years now and we have had a bad drain smell ever since I started here.

the smell kicked up every time we switched the under floor AC on. after a while we found Manhole covers.

I have had a company in to jet and CCTV and try and find the other covers, we found 5 of them but some are still missing in action!

The clever people that designed the fitout put some carpet tiles on some of the raised floor areas and some toung n goove wooden flooring on the other parts, so not all the raised floor is available to track the covers.

I've tried loads of different thigs to stop the smell, plastic bags over the lids, air fresheners, taping around the edge of the lids, the lot.

does anyone have any ideas or seen this before or can help please get in touch.

It is finally driving me to drink!!

Thanks
AJ

flowjoe
Posts: 1136
Joined: Sun May 08, 2005 9:25 am
Location: North West

Post: # 48880Post flowjoe

You will need to locate all the covers you can and then survey all incoming branch lines to find the rest of the chambers, then you need to lift each cover and grease the frames which should make them air-tight.

That`s assuming the system is venting through the covers and not through a disused floor gully or branch line.

Alternatively find the last chamber before the system hits the sewer and see if there is an interceptor trap with a missing cover on the rodding eye which may be allowing sewer gas through into the system

Not what you wanted to hear but i hope this helps.
http://draindomain.com

Many paths can lead to riches, few in sunlight, some in ditches

Suggers
Posts: 934
Joined: Tue Nov 01, 2005 10:57 pm
Location: Buckinghamshire
Contact:

Post: # 48988Post Suggers

I don't know if you've frightened facilitys-man, but you've frightened me - "find the last chamber before the system hits the sewer" - the title of my next album.
Joe has to write a book.
:)
"Meet the new boss - same as the old boss - We all get fooled again"

seanandruby
Site Admin
Posts: 4713
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2006 11:01 am
Location: eastbourne

Post: # 49007Post seanandruby

Can you find out the original builder, and ask them for their as built drawings to locate manholes, pop ups, gullies etc? Is the system venting, toilets water in the pan to low when you flush the toilet? No water trap will allow the smells to come up there. There should be airtight chambers inside the manholes and double seal manhole covers on manholes/inspection chambers. If a line was made redundant it should of been capped off/ filled with grout.
sean

Dave_L
Site Admin
Posts: 4732
Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2006 8:47 pm
Location: Somerset
Contact:

Post: # 49011Post Dave_L

Suggers wrote:I don't know if you've frightened facilitys-man, but you've frightened me - "find the last chamber before the system hits the sewer" - the title of my next album.
Joe has to write a book.
:)
Last seen venturing under the floorboards!!!!
RW Gale Ltd - Civils & Surfacing Contractors based in Somerset

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