Soil pipe venting in roof space

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gianni

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Hi all - possibly buying a mid-tce house and have just received surveyors report and am interested in getting opinions on the questions below:

The vendor has done a loft conversion and placed a bathroom in the space. But the survey has shown that the soil vent pipe for this addition terminates in the roof space. The surveyor has suggested that this pipe should be continued through the roof and vented outside - I, as a layman, would have thought so too.

My questions therefore are how much would this cost me to do ? Is it a big job to go through the roof ? Does it reek of shoddiness that this wasn't done in the first place ?

Also my surveyor stated that he could not locate the cold water tank and that I should investigate it further. My second question is how can a surveyor not locate the cold water tank ?? Was he looking in the wardrobes or under the beds ?? :D But seriously, I'm sure this 'unable to locate tank' is industry speak for something else but I don't know what. I have tried to contact the surveyor but he's unavailable at the moment...meanwhile I sit here scratching my head !! :confused:

All replies are appreciated :)
 
The vent pipe should definitely vent to the atmosphere outside the house. I don't know why it was not done during the installation of the bathroom, possibly an oversight. I don't think it necessarily 'reeks' of shoddiness, but it would lead to a distinctly unpleasant odour and I'm surprised if you could not get a smell in the attic all the time. It's not that big a job to go through the roof, it would just be a single tile space, but it would be all the decorative touches that would be required to hide the piping that would be more costly.

I think you have more of a problem with the shoddiness of the surveyor than anything else (there may well be a vent pipe to the roof, the odour should be quite noticable otherwise). Never heard of a house not having a water tank. Is it an old house - in some instance, in old houses where the attic space is used the water tank can be outside.

Just a qick question, when you say the roof space, is that in the attic itself, or in the space between the cieling in the attic and the roof?
 
thanks for the reply Scorer.

First off in relation to the vent pipe issue:

there may well be a vent pipe to the roof, the odour should be quite noticable otherwise
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the surveyor did report that the smell in the attic roof space was quite bad...so I take their word that the vent pipe doesn't go to the atmosphere. The times that I viewed the property I didn't notice any odour in the attic room.

when you say the roof space, is that in the attic itself, or in the space between the cieling in the attic and the roof?
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I'm probably confusing the issue here with my incorrect terminology...by the roof space I do indeed mean the bit above the ceiling in the attic but below the roof tiles. It's a steep pitched roof so this area is about 4 ft at it's highest point


In the case of the water tank - the house is not old (circa 5 years). The quote from the surveyor is "I was unable to locate the cold water storage tank in this dwelling and therefore I recommend that the location of the tank be confirmed and the tank inspected". They can't be seriously suggesting that they, a qualified surveyor, couldn't locate the water tank in a newly built house - so I'm presuming that this statement has some other cryptic meaning that I don't understand ??


:confused:
 
It is most likely located in the "small attic" (area above your ceiling in the converted loft). Because it is difficult to access I suspect your surveyor did not even attempt entry to this area.

If its not there it is located between the vertical studding in the loft room and the eaves.

Run the bath or WHB for a couple of minutes and then listen for the sound of water going into the storage tank
 
Thanks for the response nutty nut.

It is most likely located in the "small attic" (area above your ceiling in the converted loft). Because it is difficult to access I suspect your surveyor did not even attempt entry to this area.
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The surveyor did enter this space since they gave a report on trusses and beams and insulation and underside of roof etc etc...

If its not there it is located between the vertical studding in the loft room and the eaves.
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I'm thinking that this is the only option for it's location...but surely it's a mistake to have a tank that is inaccessible in this fashion ?? Or I am wrong in this assumption ? :confused:

Run the bath or WHB for a couple of minutes and then listen for the sound of water going into the storage tank
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I haven't bought the house yet so I don't really have this option... unless I can secure entry into the house for another inspection...
 
If the system is a closed system running off the mains then there won't be a cold water storage tank? Is this a possiblity in this case? I know these systems are rare in Ireland.
 
If the system is a closed system running off the mains then there won't be a cold water storage tank? Is this a possiblity in this case?
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hmm...that's something to consider... I'll look into that. thanks sonnyikea.
 
sonnyikea said:
If the system is a closed system running off the mains then there won't be a cold water storage tank? Is this a possiblity in this case? I know these systems are rare in Ireland.
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If it is the surveyor should have spotted this - they are rare but not completely alien. I would ask the surveyour did he consider this as a reason. If not send him back and don't let him charge you extra !
 
Just to update on this...

Surveyor did indeed re-investigate and it transpires that the tank is behind the vertical studding. What must the builder have been thinking when they did this ?? :rolleyes: Surveyor was telling me though that such a problem is nothing compared to some of the DIY stuff he had seen in his time... I guess this means that I'll have to install an access hatch in the wall... hmm..I guess I'll have to go hammer shopping this w'end...

Finally on my original 'Soil Pipe Venting' query...I'm still a bit wary about going through the roof with an extension of the pipe... does anyone know if it's feasible to connect a flexible pipe (similar to the ones that would come out of a tumble dryer) and vent it out through the eaves. This means that the pipe would run from the top of the existing soil pipe down to the eaves. Is it possible to vent a pipe in a downward fashion ? Or do odours/gases have to be vented vertically upwards ??

I never did pay attention in science class... :eek:
 
gianni said:
does anyone know if it's feasible to connect a flexible pipe (similar to the ones that would come out of a tumble dryer) and vent it out through the eaves.
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tis feasible , tis more feasible to vent outside on the wall out of the existing waste pipe but as high as possible (right under soffit) and close the vent inside altogether.

1 4in T piece and a 4in bend and a crows nest on top and maybe a smidge of offcut 4 In pipe costing about €15 or so. and an hour (hour and a halfs ) labour as the plumber cuts into the existing soilpipe and installs that lot and blocks the vent.

Mechanical extraction, remember its gas and minorly explosive or inflammable when you buy the fan , thats all.
 
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