Posted on: January 16, 2020
Replacing Your Drain Manhole Cover
A manhole cover is an essential part of an outdoor drain system as it helps to ensure the safety of people walking over it and falling into it.
It also helps to prevent unwanted debris from entering the drainage system, and also serves to provide access to the drainage system for maintenance personnel as well.
So what is a manhole cover? It is as the name suggests, a cover. It is a plate that can be removed that covers a manhole. Manhole covers typically consist of the cover as well as a frame. This frame is fixed to mortar with a specific height so as to blend in with the surroundings, keeping the manhole cover level with the ground. The cover seats comfortably into the frame and can be removed easily when needed.
Manhole covers are made from the following materials: Galvanised Steel, Cast & Ductile Iron and nowadays, from Plastic as well. They are available in a wide range of dimensions, shapes, sizes and material options depending on the need. If the right manhole is not chosen or if it is not replaced when it is damaged, it could be a potentially dangerous situation.
Why could it be dangerous not to replace a damaged manhole cover?
Most manholes are typically found on roads, pavements, driveways, walkways and other places you would never think to look for them. A crack in any one of these covers can prove to be fatal as it will have an impact on the strength and structural integrity of the cover as a whole.
As such, it is very crucial to report and to replace such damaged manhole covers as fast as humanly possible – because for something to go very wrong, all that needs to happen is that someone steps on a damaged manhole cover and falls into the drainage system – and that is a risk that you cannot afford to take.
Report such instances to the local authorities if the manhole is on public property, or look for a professional manhole cover repair company to replace the manhole, if it is located on your own property. Blocked Drains Reading will be able to guide you in replacing the manhole in the right way.
With time, manhole covers will see a lot of wear and tear, due to the weight of people walking on it, or from the weight of cars, trucks and other vehicular traffic going over the cover (if the manhole is on a road).
This wear and tear usually manifests itself in the form of cracks, which left unchecked can damage the cover and potentially risk the lives of people going over it.
Since the manhole cover and the frame upon which it is installed work together as a unit, it will also have to be replaced to ensure that the new cover sits properly in a frame that is suited to it.
For commercial and residential customers, there is huge benefit in replacing the covers of the manholes present on the property. For one, it reduces the risk of accidents occurring from people falling into the drains, (and potentially the lawsuits and insurance claims from happening as well).
