Frequently Asked Questions

Inspection Chambers

Key:  Show Answer   Hide Answer Select a different category

What depth can a shallow inspection chamber be installed to?

600mm maximum, comprising of a Hunter chamber base (DS71) and two raising pieces (DS72) plus cover & frame (DS39) or (DS69) round top or DS 68 square top.(raising pieces can be cut to suit depth).

What is a deep inspection chamber?

From April 2002 Building Control officers can accept deeper non-man entry inspection chambers to be used on drains and sewers for the first time. The deeper pre-formed plastic inspection chambers will be 450mm diameter but the opening must be restricted to a maximum of 350mm diameter to help prevent people falling down them. This will allows them to be used at depths up to three metres for foul or surface water drainage.

What type of cover and frame should be used?

All 450mm diameter chambers should be capped with a cover, such as Hunter's DS62 (round) or DS65 (square) versions for use in pedestrian access areas or driveways or a Grade B cover for areas accessible to vehicular traffic. Hunter's DS65 is sized at 580mm square frame and is designed to accept slab or block paviors.

Do I need socket seals to connect pipework to chambers?

Hunter chamber bases are supplied with ring seal sockets on all inlets and outlets, so no additional seals are required. DS66 base is supplied with blanking plugs to all side sockets, DS50 base is supplied with 3 plugged sockets that can be removed if required and re-sited to close off unused sockets. Inspection chambers are designed for use with either 160mm or 110mm PVCu drainage pipes. However, Hunter also offers chamber adaptors to enable the use of DN150 or DN100 clayware pipes with pre-formed plastic chambers.

What is the pipework configuration of Hunter's 160mm unequal chamber base?

Hunter's 160mm x 110mm inspection chamber base (DS66) has a 160mm main channel with two 160mm side channels set at 90degrees and two 110mm side channels set at 45degrees.

The chamber comprises a polypropylene base and separate 450mm diameter polypropylene raising pieces and requires a rubber seal (DS67) to be used between the base and the first riser only. Riser to riser connection are an interference fit, so require no seal. 

What depth can an inspection chamber be installed to?

Approved Document H of the Building Regulations, April 2002, allows Hunter's 110mm (DS50) and 160mm (DS66) chamber bases to be used with risers to a greater depth than previously allowed. Pre-formed 450mm diameter chamber bases and risers with 450mm diameter covers can be used up to 1.2m in depth. Up to this depth, they will officially be known as shallow inspection chambers.