The essential work of repairing manhole covers

Our crews have recently been onsite at a busy business park repairing loose manhole covers and frames. Fortunately our clients knew to act quickly and call us to fix them, but why is it important to do so?

What are manhole covers?

Manhole covers are caps that sit over large openings in the street surface. These openings are large enough to fit a person down and provide an access point to underground chambers that lead to the sewage system or utilities and allow for essential repair work to be carried out to these.

Manhole covers are an essential safety feature to stop debris, or people, from falling into a chamber and are made of strong materials, usually cast iron, galvanised steel or concrete, because they must be very durable to withstand traffic and pedestrians passing over them every day. As a result they are difficult to remove without the right tools.

When do manhole covers need repairing?

As manhole covers have such an important safety function, it’s important to keep them well maintained and repair any damage to prevent injury to a member of the public or your staff, or further damage to the frame and area surrounding the manhole cover.

Repairing a cover

A damaged manhole cover can lead to worse problems if left unrepaired or an inadequate job is done the first time round. Calling out specialists, like the team at Drain and Sewer Services, means we can use our CCTV equipment to fully inspect the manhole chamber, frame and groundworks, identifying any structural issue that may have caused the damage because these will also need sorting out. We use a range of coating techniques, grouts and resins to ensure the fix is done right first time, and because we are NRSWA Street Works accredited, we leave road and pavement surfaces as good as new when we’re done.

Need help with blocked drains or sewers?

At Drain and Sewer Services we’ve been successfully inspecting, unblocking and cleaning drains, culverts and gullies for more than 50 years. Find out how we can help you, by calling 01252 312738 or by emailing info@drainandsewer.co.uk.