Help help help worsley, manchester - An abundance of water under floor!

[dunkmat]

Hi all and thanks for taking the time to read my post!

I live in worsley and used this forum a few times when laying my block paving a few years back! This time I am on here with a problem which I have been trying to solve unsuccesfully for nearly a year.

Last August when I came back from holiday we had a power cut, eventually we found the problem to be that water had got under the floor (we have about an 18" void under a timber floor which is soil underneath) the water had hit an electric junction box and shorted the power.

I hired in pumps and removed the water which looked pretty clear though had an eggy smell.

After that I spoke to UU who sent a guy round and checked it wasnt a leaking mains and he also die tested the external drains but nothing was apparrent.

So I got hold of a Drain CCTV company who surveyed the drain at the side of the house where the foul also fed and again nothing was to be seen execpt a crack near the gully.

We employed a groundworker who came and replaced the cracked gully and made water tight. He was of the opinion it may have sorted it but was confused on the amount of water that was gathering under the house from a small crack.

This wasnt the issue and water still gathers when we have heavy rain.

I have since had a structural engineer out who is unsure and also last week a basement expert who was convined there was foul within the rainwater though was completely bemused on how it would it could get under the floor in such volume. He said maybe an idea was to install a dual pump which although would solve the problem would remove the water. The main problem was we would have to removed internal fixed flooring which is tiled or timber to install and wouldnt solve the smell issue. He was convinced it had foul due to a oily film on the water and the smell.

We are just back from a weekend away and upto 6" of water has gathered over the weekend after heavy rainfall which I have pumped out. It is very clear but very smelly.

I am now at the stage where I have no clue what to do, I have phoned the insurance who cannot assist in anyway as there loss adjuster didnt know what the problem was! Is is worrying me that is could cause health problems to our children and also structural problems to our house.

Now I do not know who to call to try and fix this horrible issue.

Please can anyone assist?

Many Thanks

Ed. removed email address to prevent it falling into the evil clutches of the spam twats



Edited By Tony McC on 1307952166

[seanandruby]

Hi dunk'. you really need to be careful as the smell you describe could be hydrogen sulfide. It has the potential to harm and even kill. You need to hire a gas detector, or higher a contractor who has confined space training. The basement needs to be well ventilated and purged before entry. Once you are sure it is safe to enter then it can be investigated properly. Sounds like the place will need tanking. Please be cautious as it is toxic in about 40 parts per million. Anyone who has been in contact with it shouldn't go in again within 24 hours. I'm not scaremongering, i knew men who have been killed by the gas. It deadens your senses as if you were getting drunk and overwhelms you so that you don't realise you are becoming unconsious. O, and it is explosive. You need specialist contractors. could be there is an old well with stagenent water.

[dunkmat]

Cheers Sean,

I dont suppose you would know of any specialist contractors within the north west area?

[lutonlagerlout]

sounds like s job for flowjoe to me
LLL

[seanandruby]

Not familier with the area but flos' the man. Draindomain.com

[seanandruby]

There is a long list of symptoms that can be associated with H S poisoning you might need to check out :;):

[dunkmat]

Cheers Guys emailed him.

[dunkmat]

Did contact drain domain but no response as yet. Totally convinced there is sewage getting in as the smell has worsened and water is not clean. Also we now have small flies. We have drain tested all the toilets in the house and the water is still clear?

[flowjoe]

Duncan, i sent you an e-mail on Monday and again this morning.

[Edgar]

Worsley is a rather unusual place. It has underground coal mines and canals. Could this be something to do with rising water levels down below? Maybe you should contact the Coal Authority for advice. Google for them to get 'phone numbers etc.

This may be more than an ordinary drainage problem. Take great care as others have said.

I'm no expert in these things but as soon as I saw you were at Worsley I remembered about the early Bridgewater mines and canals.

Good luck.

Edgar