Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Property/DIY

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Flip

Original poster

Do you have a manhole cover inside your house?

13 replies

HerculesMulligan · 15/01/2018 11:37

I do, since we moved recently. We're hoping to deal with it in a few years' time when we renovate the kitchen, but I am a bit perturbed by it so tales of peaceful co-existence (or warnings) would be gratefully received.

OP posts:

Kursk · 15/01/2018 11:40

Used to work for a water company. Check it out because I think it could be illigal.

If it’s a public sewer and you live at the bottom of a hill be then the chances are it will flood occasionally.

MsHomeSlice · 15/01/2018 11:42

i'd be very wary for the same reasons as kursk ....flood water YIKES!!

IamPickleRick · 15/01/2018 11:45

I know a house near us that does, because it used to be my friends house and the man hole was in the drive. They built a whole new house over the drive and the manhole was covered with floor tiles judging by the photos. It’s not been done very well, I’d also check your position because if it ever needs to be cleaned, then it’ll all need to be opened up.

Original poster

HerculesMulligan · 15/01/2018 12:00

We had it checked and reinforced during our first week in the house so it's in good repair. The extension that it's in had building control five years ago, and we had a full house survey and a CCTV drain survey, so I'm not worried about illegality. It has a double-sealed cover which has a cavity where you add the usual floor covering, so clearly it's a reasonably common issue.

OP posts:

OwlBeBack · 15/01/2018 12:03

I do because we extended the house over the drive. I don’t know where the cover leads or what it’s for but it just sits on the garage floor and isn’t any bother.

I’m not sure what we’d have done if it was meant to be a lounge area though.

Sorry for vagueness. Ex-h dealt with all the extension stuff and I was basically told not to worry about it

OwlBeBack · 15/01/2018 12:04

X-post. Sounds like yours is in order. More than mine anyway!

Original poster

HerculesMulligan · 15/01/2018 12:07

Well, it whiffs a bit. I think we might get a new cover and see if that helps. I hate the idea of it but it's otherwise a brilliant house, so we decided to risk it. We're planning to rip the kitchen out in a couple of years which would be a good moment to try to change it, if we can.

OP posts:

Navegante · 15/01/2018 12:13

I rented a house where there was a manhole in the conservatory. We had a Clause in the lease that we had to give access to the water company. Never had any issues with it but we were only there for 2 years.

SpringBlossom2018 · 15/01/2018 12:15

No I dont have one inside the house, I have one just outside though.

It's been pulled up twice since I've lived here. I wouldn't like one inside the house because of floodwater either (also on the bottom of a hill here!).

Ringsender2 · 15/01/2018 12:23

we had one in the utility room and it whiffed. I think that was a combination of whiffs from round the edge of the cover, and also from where the ventilation pipe went came up through the ground and through the flat roof (all inside the airing cupboard). It was a rented house, and would particularly pong in autumn for some reason (atmospherics?)

Mosaic123 · 15/01/2018 12:39

We have one in the garage. We've lived here for 30 years. I think it was useful when we had a sink blockage and it was cleaned through.

Judashascomeintosomemoney · 15/01/2018 12:50

One of my neighbours down the lane has this. Used to be a small cottage but previous owner extended to make it a bigger house and it’s ended up with the manhole in the glass extension bit on the back of the house which, as is the trend, open to the kitchen to create one big room. Sorry to report but a few months ago I drove past and there was a dynorod van there. When I next saw her she told me that the drains had blocked (toilet flushing gurgling up through sink etc) and dynorod had been there for hours trying to clear it. They tried to do it from the next manhole outside but inevitably had to come inside and flush it through from there. Neighbour nearly cried, dynorod were really careful but there was smell and a bit of mess.

PocketCoffeeEspresso · 15/01/2018 12:50

Me too - at one point there was a problem with the drains and they had to pull everything up - made a right mess.

Previous owners of our house had an extension built over a manhole, it's completely sealed up and moved (we have about 4 down our drive/ out the back instead - we get frequent visits as if anyone has a problem at our end of the road they come and have a nosey down all of our drains to see what's going on.

Flip