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These branch connections are clearly below standard. The most distorted pipe serves the wash hand basin and at approximately 3 to 3.5m length, is well over the usual limits. Even if this was not leaking, I would be warning the client that this will be prone to blockages and smells if the water trap is siphoned out. |
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(a) This is not drainage, it’s an art installation. This end of terraced property has been converted into flats many years ago and the small front bedroom was converted into a bathroom but the drainage was around the back. Consequently, the branch connections are very long. The intermediate stack pipe may provide sufficient ventilation to prevent problems but it will be impossible to tell on a survey. |
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(b) This is the rear view of the property shown in (a). Although this looks chaotic it seems to have rodding access at changes of direction and if self-sealing traps are used, daft as it sounds this might actually work well. However, this will be impossible to judge on most standard surveys and because it is very different to the building regulation ‘benchmark’, it creates a ‘trail of suspicion’. I would ask the owner if they had building regulation for the bathroom and associated drainage work (and planning permission for the flat conversion). If not, I would at the very least warn them of performance problems and consider recommending a further investigation by an appropriately qualified person. |
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Here is another bathroom conversion. In this case, I would be concerned about the length of the wastes pipes but also about the position of the top of the SVP, at this distance from the adjacent windows, it should extend at least 900mm above them. This clearly does not. This raises issues about building regulation. More immediately, it may lead to unpleasant smells within the nearby room. |
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Another example of a relatively new WC installation. In this case, rather than taking the SVP all the way above the top of the highest window, the builder used an air admittance valve. Because these are not designed to be used outside (because they might freeze in an open position), I would advise the client that this should be fitted with a conventional vent pipe soon and warn them about the possibility of smells in the meantime. |
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If this soil and vent pipe was better painted, the bulky joints could easily be mistaken for cast iron. Thankfully, the paint had started to peel away in places so I could identify this as asbestos cement. I reported to the client that the pipe is likely to contain asbestos, told her not to disturb the material and if repairs or redecorations were required, a specialist contractor would have to be used. As this was a building survey, I also warned about the higher costs of this specialist work. |
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These bulky wastes (and overflow) are made from lead. Although these are not leaking or blocked, you should advise the client about potential future problems and the restrictions of working on lead. |
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The beautiful blue skies confirm this was not a rainy day. However, the water staining clearly points to a huge gutter leak and the algae growth suggests this has been going on for some time. Not only will the gutters need repairing or replacing, there might be internal damage to resolve. During the inspection, you will need to follow this trail and test internal surfaces with a damp meter from the top to the bottom of this building. |
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Although the calculation of gutter capacity is not usually part of our role, you should try and develop an intuitive ‘feel’ for what is right. In this case, this detached house has been extended, increasing the area of the roof. Additionally, the roof slope only has one downpipe and because this is at one end, it may be difficult to get appropriate falls on the gutter. This may not be a problem, and even if it was, it could be easily solved by fitting ‘deep flow’ gutters, but it should create yet another trail of suspicion. |
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The grey pipe is a rainwater downpipe that serves the flat roof over this outside store (probably an old coal shed). The 1970s built property has a separate surface water drainage system and the white trap and waste pipework is clear evidence someone has previously connected a washing machine to it. This is a typical ‘misconnection’. Connections of waste water pipes to the rain water drainage is acceptable, but only where no other drainage is available. |
