TECHNICAL FEATUES
Are you thinking deeply enough about your inspection chambers?
If you’re working on a below ground drainage project, choosing the perfect inspection chamber might not be something you’ve thought much about. By keeping up to speed with the benefits of more innovative products on the market, you can make a more informed decision and get the right fit for your project. Here, Steve Jeffries, Wavin Product Manager for Foul Water Systems, looks at the advantages of plastic inspection chambers and some regulations in England and Wales to read up on, while offering advice to make things easier.
While they might not always be your first choice, plastic inspection chambers have been used widely across the UK for a number of years. When selecting the right solution for your next project it’s important to understand that they are as robust as their traditional concrete counterparts and offer a number of additional benefits for specifiers, installers, and drainage professionals. They’re durable, lightweight, easy to handle, and improve health and safety standards on site by providing clear access for inspection technology.
Plastic inspection chambers are also great for projects which have tight turnaround times. These ultra-low weight, but dependable
products make installation much safer and more efficient, affording greater flexibility for smaller teams by reducing the need for equipment to help with heavy lifting. Push-fit adapters are available for the majority of pipe types and sizes too, further easing the installation process.
Getting to grips with the regs
As with any product going onto a building site, there are a number of important regulations and some guidance to be aware of. For the drainage and sewer specification and installation process, the primary documents relating to selection and fitting are found in Part H of the
Building Regulations, and in the latest Design and Construction
Guidance (DCG) for England, and Welsh Ministers Standards. These documents state that plastic inspection chambers may be used in both shallow and deep applications and are suitable as a direct alternative or replacement for concrete- based products.
While Part H governs non- adoptable applications for one residence, which are under the ownership of the
18 | February 2022 |
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householder, DCG, and Welsh Ministers Standards are applied to sewers that serve multiple properties. It’s worth noting that these systems will usually be adopted and maintained by the relevant water and sewerage company. This is just guidance though, and is not a legal obligation for these organisations to do so.
Both of these documents state the criteria for whether an inspection chamber should be shallow or deep, and the standard of
performance required for specific
setups – usually
based on a variety of factors,
including practicality and safety. It’s also a
requirement for all inspection chambers to comply with the appropriate British Standards. So, when you’re making your decision, always make sure they’ve got the specific certifications for the project they’re being used in. For those that fall under the jurisdiction of Part H, this means BS EN 13598 Parts 1 & 2 - plastics piping systems for non- pressure underground drainage and sewerage. For those that fall under the DCG or Welsh Ministers Standards, follow BS EN 13598 Part 2.
If you have any trouble in navigating these certifications, your supplier’s technical services
department will be able to advise you. Getting it right every time
To help with choosing the right product for the job, Wavin has developed a simple online Chamber Selector Tool, which can help provide extra piece of mind and speed up the specification process. All you need to do is provide the relevant details (how many properties/units the system will serve, pipework measurements etc.), and it will return a list of suitable products, based on your criteria.
With plastic solutions, specification and installation have all been made much easier – helping to improve efficiencies on site. At a time when project timeframes are getting tighter and there is more pressure to build things right first time, taking more time to consider what inspection chambers you use could make a big difference.
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