Terrace downpipe to storm drain, layout.

[Rageyboy91]

Hey guys,

I've brought a house with dodgey drains and I've had drain companies out but they dont seem to have answers. I've been trying to read up on schematics and designs of how downpipes on terrace houses were traditionally built and how they deal with rain water at the front of a 1900 mid terrace property. Does the downpipe at the front take water directly to the storm drain?

My downpipe goes straight into the ground all the houses follow a similar design, there is a drain opening in the road say every 5 houses.

Basically I need to tap into it and I'll trying work out how it works.

The fall off looks wrong from the front of the house directly to the storm drain in the road. But if there was a pipe running parallel to the houses under the driveways, then every 5 houses water is directed to the storm drain, as the road is on a downward incline. This makes sense too me, but I was wondering if this is common on these houses or do these downpipes just go into soakaways under the house, which seems abit dangerous.

Cheers, hope that all makes sense.

 

[catlad]

Very regional that sort of stuff, and sometimes ad hoc depending on how many houses were built at that time. Get digging is my advice.

 

[Rageyboy91]

Very regional that sort of stuff, and sometimes ad hoc depending on how many houses were built at that time. Get digging is my advice.

cheers, annoying though my drive is concrete printed and the porch is extended so the downpipe is actually recessed back. I have no idea why anyone would have extended the front like this its madness. is possible to get ground radar for pipes?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Drain can be Sonar traced, and there are various other methods for locating pipework. Difficult to hazard a guess at any likely arrangement without seeing what you've got, but as said, can vary. My street the downpipes either discharge onto, or run under, the pavement, before the water finds its way into the Road Gullies.

 

[Rageyboy91]

Thanks guys, going too see if the insurance can help, theres a meter wide pebble section under the window, so all the water goes there and was flooding the airbrick, so I've dug it all out for now 150mm below the dpc, seems to have done the trick. But I'm sure it's only amount of time before the front of the house subsides with all that water soaking under the house.

This is how bad it was.

 

[SpecialK]

Do you pay for rainwater drainage on your water bill?
If its a shared drain your water company may fix it for you...

 

[Rageyboy91]

Do you pay for rainwater drainage on your water bill?
If its a shared drain your water company may fix it for you...

Yeah I pay the yearly fee too thames water i shouldn't be though. is there some kind of law that would mean they might fix it? I thought because it was private land it's down to me. I have no idea about the neighbours bill, I think they have the water insurance thing too cover issues etc. But there channel drain is plumbed in but it's a 1 inch pipe, so it cant handle the flow but at least theres something I guess.

 

[SpecialK]

Phone them and ask. My rainwater drains are shared so its the water company's responsibility to sort them.
Hopefully they have a map and can confirm yes or no over the phone

Yeah I pay the yearly fee too thames water i shouldn't be though. is there some kind of law that would mean they might fix it? I thought because it was private land it's down to me. I have no idea about the neighbours bill, I think they have the water insurance thing too cover issues etc. But there channel drain is plumbed in but it's a 1 inch pipe, so it cant handle the flow but at least theres something I guess.