Waste Pipe problem?

Question

Ive just bought a house and picked the keys up on friday.

It wasnt untill saturday afternoon that I noticed a problem.

At the back of the house, the previous owners had a kitchen extension added and the waste pipe from the bathroom upstairs goes through the flat roof and into the kitchen.

On the plans, the drain is located below the extension which is where the waste pipe obviously connects to.

because we are hoping to have a new kitchen installed, we are a little worried about this.

Is having a waste pipe enter a extension / kitchen against any rules?

thanks

The pipe is currently boxed in and Im currently unaware of any joins?

The only drain which I have found is situated at the side of the extension where a down pipe leads to.

This drain was also used by the old kitchen which was originally situated on the side of the house.

Thanks for all your help.

When you say "suitable rodding point" am I looking for some sort of manhole cover?

I dont have a grace period with the property as it was a repossessed house and had been empty for over a year.

Nothing was picked up on the survey?

Answer 1

Obviously, when the kitchen was added on, there was no place to install the drainlines and waterlines without routing them as was done. This isn't really a big problem unless it will interfere with your kichen make-over.
All the previous answers referring to rodding aren't in line with reality- no one would want a cleanout ( the proper terminology for a rodding point or place to go in to unstop the drain) sticking out of a boxed in area, as it wouldn't look good.
Generally, if the line were to stop up, the plumber would have to pull up the toilet in the bath upstairs to facilitate getting the drain cleared, or possibly have to approach the problem by going upstream to the stoppage from an accessible location close to where the pipe enters the main drainline.
By your description of the circumstances, I don't feel any codes were violated- sometimes you have to do what you have to do to get the plumbing in there.
If you're doing a make-over it may be possible to re-route the piping to a more desirable location, if you're seeking to remove the boxed in area for esthetics.
I wouldn't be overly concerned with the situation.

Answer 2

The camera will locate the problem and then he must dig up that area to repair the pipe. Depending on the location of the problem this can be costly. You may want to weigh your options and if it only happens once in a while you can buy chemicals to put down the pipes every month or so to break up the waste. If you do go ahead and get it fixed make sure that a clean out is installed at that location just in case you need to snake it out again. Remember this is a repair and most plumbers do not warranty repairs so there is no 100% cure. Good Luck

Answer 3

This should be acceptable provided that the pipework allows for proper ventilation of the drainage system and that adequate provision is made for access in the event of a blockage. There is no way of telling whether the drain under the extension has been properly installed but this should have been covered by regular inspections during construction under Building Regulations rules. Your new plans for the extension may be subject to Planning or Building Regulations so you may need to make some alterations to this arrangement anyway. You can check with your Local Council whether it was approved by visiting the Planning Department at your local Council Offices. They may make a small charge for the search.

Answer 4

It's not against regulations if there is a manhole or rodding point outside the extension. It isn't a big job to re-route the pipe outside, average cost is about £400.00

Answer 5

Having a boxed in waste pipe is not a regulations problem in a house.

In fact, most new houes have them internally for frost and physical protection.

So long as you have a inspection/rodding chamber somewhere sensible just outside the building you are OK.

Don't worry about it.

Answer 6

Forget the waste pipe if it has no visible joints, but how are you going to rod out your drains with the roding point covered.
Now that 'is' illegal.

Answer 7

Rodding Point AKA CLEAN OUT Floyd Lover has good answer. Go with his advice.

Answer 8

I think the building regulations are being disregarded.
Although I am a plumber, I cannot give you details over internet. I would suggest that you seek advice from a local plumber, not a handyman.

Answer 9

If it has been in staled correctly when the extention was first built then all should be well
Good luck in your new home

Answer 10

you have grace period for items that needs repair. i would complain about them.