So, new to me house, out in the country (well, small country town). The whole province is maybe 100,000 people – maybe that much. The big town, provincial capital (35 km away) is 20k. Specialisation isn’t greatly a thing here. So, problem, apply base thinking and grunt labour.
One of which was a blocked sewer. Hmm, maybe tree roots have broken the pipe and grown in? Great source of phosphorous and nitrates after all. Hmm, after digging out 3 metres, no, that’s a PVC pipe and if a root got in the whole thing would be bust. Take another look. Ah, the box itself, one of the side seals isn’t sealed. So the crab grass has got in – looking for that same phos and nitrates. To the point that a foot long block of roots was blocking the exit from the box.
Being in rural, without specialisation, none of us knew what it was – including the local builders. So, me, Muggins, did the digging out and also the finding of the roots. Living urban is easier at times – the man who came around would have specialised in drains instead of being a builder of all things.
But, still, there is that male satisfaction of having solved a manly problem, right? It is satisfaction, this feeling, right?
The Box?
HB, I imagine Tim means the septic tank…
It’s always satisfying doing bits of work round the house/ garden. Makes you realise that a lot of it is just using a bit of common sense. Obviously, some things best left to the pros.
One or more pipes might comne along, then there’s a concrete box. With a drop in it – then the sewer pipe comes out from the bottom of that box. Say, pipes from two bathrooms might meet at a box where they then join the main sewer pipe that runs off to the main sewer in the street.
Not a septic tank.
Befriend local farmers, Tim, as they are often more skilled than the local jobbing builder or at least may know who can do the necessary competently. Works in Blighty, but not sure about foreign where said farmer might simply recommend a relative.
How the hell would I know? I can break three fingers with two swings of a hammer.
Probably the inspection chamber, maybe a gully trap.
But, they should have a cover, so lift that lid first, before mucking about with a shovel?
At my old house the first “box” was a foot or two underground, so one had to dig to get to the lid.
Sounds like Tim had a shitty day.
Not a septic tank.
In a village, 35km from the capital of a province of 100,000 souls and with main drains? Gosh! Where’s the sewage works, pumping stations and the rest of the gubbins?
A lesson learned the hard way – when you do something like this, figure it out, and overcome the obstacle by native wit and intelligence – Don’t Tell Anybody. Once word gets out, you’ll become the local expert. And – in this particular case – that’s not a label you want to have. I’ll happily work on our septic system, but have no interest in working on anyone else’s.
I got a sign for my shop that reads ‘ This Welder Does Not Run On Thanks’ and it cut down the requests for free work quite a bit. But it would have been better not to have let the neighbours know in the first place
llater,
llamas
Technically, a drain junction chamber, but usually called inspection chamber, as they have a lid to allow inspection and cleaning. Modern ones are cylindrical pre-formed plastic, traditional ones are hand built from channeling and brickwork.
Tim,
the feeling is satisfaction. Something done to understand and fix immediate problem without calling in paid assistance. Something common to clued tree changers. Probably explains the higher population of the bloody minded or less sheeplike characters (depending on ones degree of snobbery) found outside of towns.
Tim, you are a WARRIOR!
I guess the opportunity cost of fixing it yourself wasn’t too high. The Satisfaction would include a ?20% uplift for the avoided VAT. Though being out in the sticks, maybe VAT compliance isn’t that big a deal.
You have, Tim, come up against the serial incompetence that a feature of the Peninsular. Whilst I was renting the villa I watched the local builder putting one of these things in, as part of rectifying the previous incompetence where rainwater from the roof was running into the swimming pool. I haven’t done one like that for years. We used plastic units the plastic pipes connected to. But I do know how to build a proper one. And no, it isn’t done in concrete apart from the base. It’s done in brick. There’s even a special coursing for the brickwork called “water bond” where the coursing for the outside leaf is half a brick transposed from the inner leaf both vertically & horizontally. So there’s no direct route for water (or other) penetration. And the brickwork’s always done in hard fired engineering not stocks. The one I saw put in by the dago builder was little more than cement rendering of the inside of a hole. I wouldn’t give it five years before root penetration through one of the cracks will inevitably form.
Incidentally, your 3k€ wall repair. You must have some Brit builders down there somewhere. Offer to labour for one of them for a couple of days & he can teach you basic bricklaying. It really isn’t hard. Pallet or two of bricks & some muck & you’re done for a few hundred. And at least you’ll know it’s been done properly. If Churchill could do it, I’m sure you can.
When I first moved to France the guy who owned the building my flat was in was raking out & replacing the pointing. In that part of Flanders, they just trowel the cement in & brush it flat. So having some time on my hands I volunteered to give him a hand. Taught him how to do weather struck, where the pointing’s done at an angle, produces an overhang & projecting lip at every horizontal course for the rain to drip off of, rather than running down the wall. So he now has the only weatherstruck pointed building in the departement. Apparently local builders travel to gaze at it in wonder.
Thanks for the clarification. I have occasional drain issues and never occurred to dig down anywhere . Usually fixed with rods with a rubber disc attachment, but that fell off last time so had to get a pro drain guy to fetch the attachment.
Hallowed Be said:
“I have occasional drain issues …. Usually fixed with rods with a rubber disc attachment, but that fell off last time so had to get a pro drain guy to fetch the attachment.”
When he was retiring , my old sweep told me to always give chimney and drain rods a bit of a clockwise twist as you push or jiggle them, so that you screw the attachment on harder rather than off. Makes the wrists ache, but better than leaving the end bit somewhere inaccessible.