Repairing broken soak away pipe? Non Stag related

[Davenott]

Can anyone offer some advice on repairing a fractured plastic soil pipe to a soak away in garden (so I can repair it myself, and save some money to put towards my Stag restoration!)

I am trying to earn some brownie points off the wife, so I can spend some time on Stag. I am digging a pond for my kids. I am digging it by hand and this afternoon found an armoured power cable in the ground, under the cable were 2 pieces of broken roof tile, and when I removed these I found a fractured plastic soil pipe!! who ever dug the armoured pipe in, obviously put their spade through the pipe, and couldn't be bothered repairing it. It has some roots growing inside the pipe but nothing too major and they run from where I found the hole in pipe.
How can I repair this? I am wanting ideally to replace just a short section, as 4 foot towards the house it goes under a raised patio.
image.jpgimage.jpg
I did try and Google this first, but haven't found any help for repairing plastic pipes.
Thanks,
Dave. (I've dug out 4 tons, only 6 more tons to go! The hardest part is trying to hide/landscape that much soil into the garden)

[marshman]

Cut out the broken section, get a length of soil pipe cut to fit in the section you have removed. You then need 2 slip couplings, these are like standard straight couplings but have no centre rib so you can slip them all the way over the end of the repair section, then insert the repair section and slide both couplings halfway across the joint. It is quite straight forward, any builders merchant will sell the bits, just makes sure yiu get slip couplings.
Good luck
Roger

[StokeyStag]

Dave,

Call into a plumbers merchants and explain what the problem is, I think that there is a flexi repair or insert that can be used. If all is lost and the soil pipe is 4" or equivalent (110mm ?) then try using one of these http://www.wickes.co.uk/Products/Hea...bing/c/1000458 B&Q et al also sell the same type of product, they're actually meant for connecting toilet pans to soil pipes but should do the job if you're stuck.

Hope this helps.

Mark

PS If you go to the plumbers merchant /DIY shop in the Stag then this will be related !!

[Davenott]

Thanks Roger and Mark.
Just the help I wanted.
Dave,

[Andrew S]

I have used the rubber couplings and they just have large jubilee clips round them and go on easily if you use washing up liquid when fitting. Don't worry, it will be a quick fix and you will have plenty of brownie points and will soon be back on the Stag ��

[Davenott]

I have used the rubber couplings and they just have large jubilee clips round them and go on easily if you use washing up liquid when fitting. Don't worry, it will be a quick fix and you will have plenty of brownie points and will soon be back on the Stag ��

Thanks Andrew.
I think there must be easier ways to earn brownie points than dig a pond! I was going to hire a digger, but have spent the money instead on the Stag. When I found that live cable I was rather pleased I wasn't using the digger, as it wasn't on the house plans and wasn't in an expected place as the shed that the power runs too is in the opposite corner of garden.
Dave.

[stevestag]

Hi Dave
Think yourself lucky you didn't use a digger as it would of gone through the armoured cable easily. I have heard of people get electrocuted doing this. If you it happens you have to stay on the digger because the digger can become live if the broken cable is still touching the bucket and if you hold on to it when you step off as soon as your foot touches the ground that could be it electric shock and driving a stag somewhere up in the sky.
Are you sure you are digging a pond and not a lake sounds a lot of earth to shift
Good luck
Cheers steve

[jleyton]

Hi Dave,

Glad to see you've had a good few suggestions - especially as I'm going to have to dig near a soakaway pipe soon.

I'm a bit concerned to read all the talk about 'brownie' points when we're talking about soil pipes though .

Good luck.

Julian

[Staggard]

Dave, Marshman's it the correct way to do this, looks like its been laid in osmadrain underground they do slip couplers just for this kind of repair. Graham Looking at the piccie again looks like the pipe is split in that case you may have to excavate the pipe back to the first joint cut out the damaged pipe under the patio then you only need one coupler. you can reuse the existing fitting by un clipping the collar you can buy the O ring seal. put a bevel on the pipe and plenty of washing up liquid when you push the pipe in.

[Stagdad]

Dave, Jewsons do the slip couplings for definate, I got 2 this week,cost the job £11 each though!!!!! and that was with a heafty discount,and they wonder why we are getting all our drainage fittings on line nowadays where we can get standard couplings for £1 each.if you have got the time you can make them from the standard ones by dermeling out the centre stops.
cheers Steve

[Davenott]

Hi Dave
Think yourself lucky you didn't use a digger as it would of gone through the armoured cable easily. I have heard of people get electrocuted doing this. If you it happens you have to stay on the digger because the digger can become live if the broken cable is still touching the bucket and if you hold on to it when you step off as soon as your foot touches the ground that could be it electric shock and driving a stag somewhere up in the sky.
Are you sure you are digging a pond and not a lake sounds a lot of earth to shift
Good luck
Cheers steve

There are so many tree roots in the area that I am digging, that I am certain I would have missed the cable if I was using the digger.
The pond is 12ft by 12 ft, which I didn't think sounded that big, but now I think about it, it is the size of my lounge! The volume of soil that comes out, seems to be at least twice the volume of the hole it comes out of though. I'm saving on the cost of a skip [or several] so am having to hide rather a lot of soil. My 7 year old son, looked at it and asked if I could make the pond bigger and asked if it could have a bridge over it! [I think he wants a fishing lake...]
Dave.

[jeffsstag]

make sure you cover pond with mesh to keep kids and animals from falling in.i didn't and the kids found a wild rabbit dead in it.they didn't speak to me for a month for drowning it

[Davenott]

Thanks again everyone. What I thought might take ages, or cost quite a bit, I now know I can do relatively quickly and fairly easy. I have now learnt a new language in plumbing fitments also!

I think I've lost most of my brownie points though; my 2 labradors have been having a field day in the excavations and then come through the catflap [a rather large burgular sized one] and walked through the house, of course its my fault.
I might lighten the mood though when I partly bury the plastic skull I have..
Dave.

[Davenott]

make sure you cover pond with mesh to keep kids and animals from falling in.i didn't and the kids found a wild rabbit dead in it.they didn't speak to me for a month for drowning it

I have a problem with dead rabbits and squirrels at the moment...
IMG_3317.jpg

The problem is my 5 yr old daughter rather likes rabbits, and I am having to quickly clear things up before she sees. This was going great till she checked the photos on my phone... Also my neighbour is a car dealer, and it doesn't look good when my cat lays on the bonnet of his new jaguar, especially when she has her prey. My cat Fluffy only like to sleep on Jaguars [new and classic...] and Stags, so at least she has style.
Dave.

[jeffsstag]

give that cat a medal