soil stack question
Discussion
I hope you guys can picture my situation as i don't have photos of it at the moment.
I've recently bought an end terrace victorian house with external cast iron soil pipe. There is sewer fumes entering our upstairs windows and vents from next door's soil pipe which looks like has been smashed and the top of it currently sits under first floor window level. It appears it has been reduced in height to stop fumes entering their own velux window in the attic. Next door's toilet feeds into this pipe and nothing else. I was suprised to find that this pipe actually runs down my property (on my side of party fence). Does this mean i am responsible for the maintenance of the pipe?
I haven't approached next door yet and i doubt they are going to be impressed when i tell them it needs fixing especially with it being cast iron so i was thinking of helping them out if they could help me out a bit.
Now assuming my option is legal i would like to put my toilet into their soil pipe when i redo the layout of my bathroom within the next week or two. Its an easier option than going into my own soil pipe as the new layout means i would have to cross the gutter downpipe and various other bits and bobs and turn a corner before going into my own soil pipe.
If they agree to this i would cover the cost of repair of their stack so they wouldn't be losing out on anything apart from having to share their pipe. Do i need to inform building control of my intentions and can two houses share one soil pipe without affecting anything legally?
If they don't agree to this can i insist on them paying for the repair fully in cast iron to retain the look of the building? how long do i give them after informing them before i get environmental health involved?
I've recently bought an end terrace victorian house with external cast iron soil pipe. There is sewer fumes entering our upstairs windows and vents from next door's soil pipe which looks like has been smashed and the top of it currently sits under first floor window level. It appears it has been reduced in height to stop fumes entering their own velux window in the attic. Next door's toilet feeds into this pipe and nothing else. I was suprised to find that this pipe actually runs down my property (on my side of party fence). Does this mean i am responsible for the maintenance of the pipe?
I haven't approached next door yet and i doubt they are going to be impressed when i tell them it needs fixing especially with it being cast iron so i was thinking of helping them out if they could help me out a bit.
Now assuming my option is legal i would like to put my toilet into their soil pipe when i redo the layout of my bathroom within the next week or two. Its an easier option than going into my own soil pipe as the new layout means i would have to cross the gutter downpipe and various other bits and bobs and turn a corner before going into my own soil pipe.
If they agree to this i would cover the cost of repair of their stack so they wouldn't be losing out on anything apart from having to share their pipe. Do i need to inform building control of my intentions and can two houses share one soil pipe without affecting anything legally?
If they don't agree to this can i insist on them paying for the repair fully in cast iron to retain the look of the building? how long do i give them after informing them before i get environmental health involved?
dazwalsh said:
If they don't agree to this can i insist on them paying for the repair fully in cast iron to retain the look of the building? how long do i give them after informing them before i get environmental health involved?
Unless you are in a conservation area they are quite within their rights to replace it with this.http://www.screwfix.com/p/floplast-soil-pipe-singl...
Why not knock on and have a chat over a brew. People respond so much better to this approach than a letter from a lawyer.
You never know, they might be apologetic and work with you towards a mutually agreeable resolution.
If their concern is soil pipe smells entering their velux then an air admittance valve will solve both of your problems.
One might also argue that as it's attached to your buidling and terminates on your land it is actually your soil pipe that they are tee'd into and it's entirely your responsibility.
Edited by B17NNS on Monday 30th July 18:24
t. Shouldn't be on your property either.B17NNS said:
Why not knock on and have a chat over a brew. People respond so much better to this approach than a letter from a lawyer.
You never know, they might be apologetic and work with you towards a mutually agreeable resolution.
If their concern is soil pipe smells entering their velux then an air admittance valve will solve both of your problems.
One might also argue that as it's attached to your buidling and terminates on your land it is actually your soil pipe that they are tee'd into and it's entirely your responsibility.
well we don't actually get along all that well, its over a right of way dispute where they think they are legally allowed to ride their motorbike up my driveway and through my garden into their back garden just because there used to be a shared external toilet at the back of my garden. I put up locked gates so they have no access anymore. they arent impressed.You never know, they might be apologetic and work with you towards a mutually agreeable resolution.
If their concern is soil pipe smells entering their velux then an air admittance valve will solve both of your problems.
One might also argue that as it's attached to your buidling and terminates on your land it is actually your soil pipe that they are tee'd into and it's entirely your responsibility.
Edited by B17NNS on Monday 30th July 18:24
Thanks for your input guys, i will send them a letter about the regulations and the need to repair it but then offer them my suggestion, and if they refuse that then environmental health involved?
It's attached to your property and presumably enters the ground on your land.
Perhaps I'm being overly simple but I'd therefore assume it's your responsibility.
Why not just replace the damaged section and fit an AAV?
If you want to tee into it at a later date, because of the above I'd imagine you are perfectly entitled to do so. However you should inform your local BCO of your intentions to install or relocate a bathroom.
Perhaps I'm being overly simple but I'd therefore assume it's your responsibility.
Why not just replace the damaged section and fit an AAV?
If you want to tee into it at a later date, because of the above I'd imagine you are perfectly entitled to do so. However you should inform your local BCO of your intentions to install or relocate a bathroom.
Do i really need to inform BCO for changing the layout of a bathroom? its still in the same room just the bath and toilet will be swapping locations.
also how do i go about closing up my existing soil pipe when i do the work, can i reduce the pipe down to ground level and put some form of a cap on it? will it still need to be vented?
also how do i go about closing up my existing soil pipe when i do the work, can i reduce the pipe down to ground level and put some form of a cap on it? will it still need to be vented?
Edited by dazwalsh on Tuesday 31st July 09:50
The vent is to let air in not out. When you flush the loo the water going down can push air ahead of it down the sewer but behind the water air needs to get in otherwise a partial vacuum is produced which inhibits the flow. You can terminate a soil stack inside a building if you fit an air admittance valve which allows air in but keeps the smell in.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/floplast-push-fit-air-ad...
I've seen them used externally where the soil pipe is too near a window to meet building regs.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/floplast-push-fit-air-ad...
I've seen them used externally where the soil pipe is too near a window to meet building regs.
My advice - take advice from local planning. This may help........
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/common...
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/common...
dazwalsh said:
just an update on this one, she is refusing to repair the stack so will next step be environmental health? would they have enough power to ensure a repair or would a solicitor be a better bet?
I think you're ultimately going to lose this one on the ground even if you are legally in the right. Cut your (potential) losses and fit an AAV. Only beneficiaries of this dispute would be m' learned friends 
.A house down the road from us has one fitted to a soil stack wich terminates under a ground floor window (the loo I assume).
Dogwatch said:
I think you're ultimately going to lose this one on the ground even if you are legally in the right. Cut your (potential) losses and fit an AAV. Only beneficiaries of this dispute would be m' learned friends .
A house down the road from us has one fitted to a soil stack wich terminates under a ground floor window (the loo I assume).
This. They cost just a few quid and push fit..A house down the road from us has one fitted to a soil stack wich terminates under a ground floor window (the loo I assume).
Might be 'not acceptable' but I've seen them used and they work. In a case like this I'd give it a whirl. Maybe the regs have changed in recent years, I moved into a newbuild estate briefly about 12 years ago and they used them externally there. Presumably they passed the regs at the time.
If you do it, watch out for the Soil Stack Police
If you do it, watch out for the Soil Stack Police
Edited by rovermorris999 on Friday 17th August 08:03
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