Inspection Chambers in Drainage System

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Drainage system is a hygienic and cleansing method to drain the waste materials and dirty water of household and toilets and bathrooms. There are two types of drainage system, one is open drainage system and the other is underground drainage system. Both of the systems have merits and demerits. Open drainage system is easy to handle and blockage can be removed easily. Open drainage system has also some demerits like spread mosquitoes, unpleasant smell and other unhygienic effect. Alternatively, the closed or underground drainage system is good for public health, but the risks of blockage with in the pipes are high. To combat with the risks of blockage, there are two types of tools used to remove the blockage. One is manhole system and the other is inspection chambers. Function of manhole and inspection chamber is quite same, but the methodology is little different. A manhole allows the physical access to the blockage in the underground pipes. While the inspection chambers are small, which allow only cameras and other devices to inspect and test the drainage and flow of water through the pipes. During the process of inspection if any blockage is found, that is removed with the help of machines as the physical access of persons is not possible.

As the total theme of this discussion is about the inspection chambers, therefore we will focus only the performance, success, merits and demerits and types of inspection chambers. There are two basic types of inspection chambers:

Types of Access Chambers:

(1). Access Chamber:

Access Chambers are intended to provide simple access for cursory inspection and access for drain rods or other maintenance equipment. They are not intended to provide access for a maintenance operative and are generally not more than 600mm deep.

(2). Abbreviated IC Inspection Chamber:

Abbreviated IC inspection chamber are larger than access chambers, typically a minimum 450mm diameter. Again, they provide access for maintenance equipment, but tend to have more branches/spurs feeding into them and are often up to 1000mm deep.

Parts of the Access Chamber:

There are three parts of an Access Chamber. Access Chambers all through the world are, in one way or the other, are composed of these three parts.

(1). The Base:

Base is the bottom of the inspection chamber. The based of the inspection chamber designed in a way the bottom of the chamber is few inches lower than the bottom of draining pipes. The fluently flowing water drops into the bottom of the chamber. After filling a specific portion of the chamber, the water starts flowing forward. The bottom of the chamber is so designed for accumulation of particles in the bottom of chamber, thus, allowing the rest of the water flow forward.

(2). The Riser:

The rise of an inspection chamber is the mid section, which starts from above the bottom and below the Top/ Lid of the chamber. The function of the riser is to rise up the blocked water upward and to expose it to the cleaning team. When the riser rises the overflowed water up, the lid of the chamber is then removed to inspect, test and clean the drainage system.

(3). The Cover/Lid:

The cover or the Lid is the upper part of the inspection chamber. The function of the Lid of Cover is to prevent the chamber from outer material. Another function is to prevent from unpleasant smell.

How Deep You Can Install Inspection Chambers:

There are two standard sizes of inspection chambers, 315 mm diameter and 450 mm diameter. The first size can only be installed in the depth of 600 mm, while second size (450mm) can be installed up to the depth of 1200 mm.

Tools Needed For Cleaning a Pipe:

Drain rods fitted with a 100mm diameter rubber plunger
Pair of long rubber gloves
Strong garden spade
Hose
Disinfectant
Watering can

How to Clean a Blocked Drain:

Locate the blockage: Signs of a blocked drain are the failure of WCs and Bath to drain quickly and efficiently or overflow of inspection chamber. The inspection Chamber may be cleaned if the blockage is within the chamber/gully. In case, after inspection, the blockage is in pipes line, then you need rods to shove into the pipes and let the water flow. First of all you need to locate the blockage by inspecting the inspection chamber or gully. Remove the lid /cover of all the chambers. Fist of all you must inspect the chamber which is near to the main drain, septic tank and then the flowing chamber. If the first chamber nearer to the main drain is empty, then you must be sure that the blockage is between the first chamber and the flowing chamber. Second, you should inspect the second nearer chamber to the main drain, if this chamber is also empty, then, proceed in this way. The blockage will surely be between the last inspected empty chamber and the flowing chamber. For example there are 10 total chambers from a bath to the main drain. Five chambers starting from the main drain are empty and the rest of the four chambers are filled. One or more than one chambers among these four chambers are over flowing. It means that the blockage is between the fifth and the sixth chamber (starting from main drain).

Clear the blockage with rods: When the location of blockage is found out, you need rod with plungers at one end to insert into the last empty chamber or the filled chamber. To clear the blockage in a main drain system, insert the rod fitted with the plunger into a chamber at one end of the blocked section; it does not matter which of the 2. If it is the empty chamber, you can see where the mouth of the pipe is, but if you work from the full chamber, you will have to probe with the plunger until you find the mouth.

Adding more rods: Add more rods as necessary to work the plunger along the pipe to the blockage. One thing you should be careful, the rods should be turned clock wise. If you turn the rods anticlockwise the rods may unscrew. Hit the rods against the obstacle and then pull it back. If the obstacle is removed then okay, otherwise, draw out the rod and exchange the plunger for a cork screw attachment. It will break up the blockage of any type.

Water Jet: Water jet sewer cleaning leverages a high-pressure hose with a specialized nozzle on the end. The hose is connected to a machine that pressurizes water, directing it through jets on the nozzle head to thoroughly clean and clear out the pipe. High-pressure water jetting effectively breaks up the debris that may have accumulated in the pipe and flushes it out. Do this process for few minutes, so that debris and leverages may completely be washed out.

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Inspection Chambers in Drainage System

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