MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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I went to park my car in front of my garage tonight. The drive is an odd shape with a slope towards the garage so it's always a palaver parking up there.
But tonight as I was manoeuvring in there was a loud crack and the sound of glass breaking! Got out and found the inspection cover on the soil drain was broken. I was quite relieved the car hadn't gone through as it's properly broken - some good sized chunks have broken off and it's no longer supported along one long edge.
So where do I get a new one from?
The house, and drains, were built in the 60s so it's an old solid steel type of cover. There are others on the drive but they're all different sizes. I had the drains unblocked earlier this year and dynorod quoted me to replace a cracked cover (elsewhere on the drive). They couldn't replace the cover new-for-new and quoted for a new drain cover and mount - which would mean digging a lot up!
This is what's got me worried. Don't want to spend a fortune.....
As for welding the old lid - it is properly ruined and I doubt a welded solution would be strong enough.
Any ideas?
I work for a utility company. In my experience, you're not going to find a cover of that vintage easily. It will need a new lid and frame.
In my experience, you're not going to find a cover of that vintage easily
Nick one from a neighbour you don't like?
I got a piece of tread plate steel cut to fit at a local engineering place.
Cost about £20 and was a perfect fit.
Was in place for 9 years while I lived in that house and had a car drive over it a few times a day pretty much every day in that time. Never showed any signs of not being perfect for the job.
(Edit: it had a slot cut for lifting it up)
op make sure you retrieve all fragments out of the chamber or you'll be calling Dynorob before long.
Yeah, I know I need to get all the fragments out 🙁
It looks like a couple of large segments and some shrapnel.
Sounds like I'm buggered and it's new frame and lid time if I can't persuade a local engineer to make me a new lid.
... the inspection cover on the soil drain was broken...
... persuade a local engineer to make me a new lid...
If by 'soil drain' you mean the sewer pipe, you'll be wanting an air tight cover, which probably means buying a new one, complete with frame.
Only the frame needs to be dug up - usually only an inch, or so deep.
If your old one has cracked, it was probably cast iron.
Foul drains externally don't have double sealed lids. They are the same as storm covers. In your case I'd hazard a guess at a combined system anyway due to the age of the property. If you go down the steel plate route I'd have a couple of small angles welded in the back to add stregnth to it, any decent fabricator would do this if they knew what it was for.
What material is the drive?
Concrete drive.
I'll try and get some quotes today - tbh I'm just glad the entire thing didn't give and my car wheel disappear down it....
Got a pic ?
It might not just be the cover that has gone. Frame deflection can cause a cover to fail and that might mean the brickwork supporting the frame has failed.
The cover will almost certainly be dutile if its broken like that, no point in welding it.
Either way, this is not a big job so dont worry. Send a pic and I'll be better able to advise.
Steel plate might work, depending on the recess in the frame. ifs its a small recess then the plate may slip under lateral loads... not good.
If it only serves your property it's your problem. There was a change in the regs recently though, so if it serves more than yours it's the sewer Co's problem.