Groundwork & Foundations

External pipeworks drainage and gully repair/replacement

Anonymous user 03/03/2024 - 3.46 PM

I am looking for a bit of advice about how to deal with repairing/replacing a gully/underground pipework that has become damaged over time. There is a man hole on the property and at present there are 3 pipes flowing into the gully. One from the kitchen and I think the other 2 carry greywater. I live in London where I think that the soil has significant clay content and there is a good deal of expansion/shrinkage. There are also some cracks in various walls so I don't know if the condition of the pipework may have caused this. I have been offered 2 conflicting ways of dealing with the issue and I am looking for some guidance about the pros and cons of each: - On person has told me that the best way to deal with fractures and cracks in the underground pipework is to run a liner between the underground Y section (which I have been told connects to the gully, the manhole and a redundant pipe. There has to be some excavation in order to replace the gully which is incredibly close to the house; - Someone else has said that the gully is currently too close to the house and it makes no sense to excavate to replace it in the same position. They have suggested that it would be best to create a cement plug to the existing gully and re-route all 3 pipes currently feeding into the gully towards the rear of the house where it is a short distance to the manhole. This pipe can then be connected underground (requiring some excavation) to the manhole. - I would like to know if anyone sees any particular issues or benefits with either approach. Also, my understanding is that with the liner I will then have to flush this every few years so there will be ongoing maintenance in a way that would not be required if the drainage systems included only plastic pipe (i.e. if the second option was followed) It was suggested that cementing the existing damaged gully (I.e. if I followed the 2nd option) could lead to blockages from tissues. If you have any other thoughts about the best way to go about dealing with the damaged gully/damaged/fractured pipework would love to know.