Faulty access point

[pcsparky]

Our bungalow (built 1983) that we have owned for 5 years was a self build & I have only just found out that the builder was in fact a plasterer. There are several problems I believe with the drainage so I will split my request for help in to a few topics for clarity if anyone would be so kind as to give their opinion.

Here is a layout of the drainage plan to assist.


This is manhole no. 5 on the above plan. Up until last week I wasn't aware that the waste water from the bathroom shower and sink were being routed into the rainwater gully next to this manhole.
I fitted a strap-on connection to the soil stack and rerouted the water into the drain.

The red arrow shows where the half pipe is not connected properly to the drain so the waste water is disappearing into the ground at the arrow head. It doesn't look like it matches up at the other end either. In fact the other half pipe in black doesn't look like a very good job as well.


Here is another wider angle for the same manhole.


The next manhole, no.6 isn't a brilliant job either. There are gaps between the pipework and the right arrow shows where some roots keep growing. They eventually block up the pipework and I have to remove them (done this twice). I can only presume that they are from ivy that grows along the wall.


This is another wider angle shot


All of our manhole covers are concrete and have lost either one or both of the metal handles. What is the suggested course of action here? I am keen to undertake work myself, I am pretty handy if pointed in the right direction.

Replace the half-pipe, replace the access points or something else?

[lutonlagerlout]

i would just keep an eye on it
removing those ICs and installing new ones would be a can of worms
flowjoe may have some kind of ninja technique for fixing it
cheers LLL

[seanandruby]

Looks like they have used a bit of plastic half pipe. If it is a problem, remove the plastic pipe, clean the m h and pipes. with a jet wash and then a solution of jeyes fluid, then clean again etc: until you can work clean Have the manhole lids up flow and down flow from the one you are working on open for an hour to purge the pipeline and give you a flow of fresh air. Now making sure you have enough depth on the manhole base break out under the half pipe enough to fit a clay ware half pipe, slipper etc: bed it in on a strong cement sand, about 2x1 ratio making sure it is sealed, then make good around benching. Where the ivy is coming through chop out around it making an hole not to big, or small, then repair with stop gap, sika, or similar repair material. You should really dig out the ivy routes and get rid of it as the problem will only get worse. Don't enter a manhole without confined space training. You may need to bung your pipe upstream from where your working, or stop any one using it for a few hours.

[pcsparky]

Thanks seanandruby for the advice. Just some clarification please.

1. Should the sand/cement bed be with sharp sand?

2. When making good any repairs is that with the same sand/cement mixture or something else?

3. I presume stop gap or sika and clayware halfpipe can be sought from builders merchants, would Jewsons, Buildcentre or Travis Perkins likely have such items?

4. I would love to get rid of the ivy but it is the neighbour's and covers the whole of that boundary wall so removing its roots is impossible. I do know that the only reason it seems to have breached inside the manhole is that the half pipes have not been been fitted properly with slight gaps.