I need to lift the block paved manhole cover for the first time.
(1) It is nicely bedded in sand, just like the block paving.
(2) It looks remarkably heavy anyway.
Thjere are two plasitc lift up handles, which have circular holes in them which look as thought you could put a circular bar through both, or attach some kind of lifter.
I have Googled manhole cover lifters, which seem to be at least £38 a day to hire.
Is there a simple, cheap, non-backsmashing way to lift these beasts?
TIA
Dave R
[Who would be in deep sh*t if he could just lift the da*n cover]
I reckon they take about a bag of sand to fill so it probably weighs 25 kgs max. The holes are for your index finger! Anything else is likely to break the plastic. If it's tight, try washing up liquid down the cracks and give each handle a tug. IIRC there should be enough clearance in the fit to lift one end at a time.
I had the same problem. The manhole cover isn't that heavy but the sand down the gaps holds it in like the blocks, as you say. There was 2 of us. Got a hacksaw blade and tried to shift as much sand as possible from the gaps then stuck some thick string on each handle and jigged each side. Think we even used a rubber mallet to help. Once you've got a small amount of movement, you're there.
I had the same problem. The manhole cover isn't that heavy but the sand down the gaps holds it in like the blocks, as you say. There was 2 of us. Got a hacksaw blade and tried to shift as much sand as possible from the gaps then stuck some thick string on each handle and jigged each side. Think we even used a rubber mallet to help. Once you've got a small amount of movement, you're there.
{OE isn't putting in the '>' for some reason)
This seems to be in VERY tight.
No jiggle, minute gap - I can just get a thin bladed knife down.
I now have an engine hoist with an iron bar across inside loops (to make sure the lift is vertical at each key) - it is only a relatively thin iron bar, about 12mm, but it is bending and there is no sign of the manhole cover moving.
I am whacking the top around the edges with the but end of a pickaxe to try and shake it loose but it doesn't seem to want to shift.
I have already managed to break one key on one manhole cover, which I guess means taking all the blocks out and putting them in a new cover, meanwhile using something more brutal to remove the original one.
I will try more cleaning around, and the wshing up liquid, but suggestions of 'thick string and jiggle it' don't at the moment seem to apply to my situation.
Apart from taking out all the blocks and whacking the crap out of it you really need to get out as much sand as possible even if it is only a blade thick gap and tedious work. Try WD-40 rather than washing up liquid down the gap. The lifting tabs on mine were also close to breaking, they're a s**te design. Good Luck.
when eventually you get the cover up, clean the grooves, wet them a little with water put cover on base and apply a very small bead of silicone(black or brown, not white!), the water will make it so itdoesn't stck too fast and the silicone will act as a gasket to stop crap getting in the groove again, works well on mine!
Not so, we had our drive block-paved a couple of months ago, and the bloke left us with two plastic T-shaped gadgets (IIRC - I've already mislaid them!) with which to lift the manhole cover, if and when required. So maybe worth enquiring at your local manhole stockist as to whether they have any of these? Would still require the manual lifting of course, but at least it would present you with two decent handles (for two people).
Also - in desparation, how about just lifting the blocks out of the frame prior to lifting it? Laying them again isn't rocket science, and you could number the blocks with chalk and/or take a digital photo first.
Two tent pegs, the kind that are around 5mm round steel and a foot long...bend them double half way down the shaft to make a handle, either stand over it and use both hands or get someone to give you a lift, total cost 49p.
Well, I have finally discovered how to shift them.
Clear as much sand as possible from inside the groove, then clear some more from outside the plastic frame so it will flex, then get some hefty screwdrivers down the edges to lever up. This movement coupled with the hoist gets everything out eventually.
I even managed to get the cover with one broken lifter out, by putting the hoist on the other lifter then levering like mad at the end with the broken lifter so both ends started to rise. Once the cover had come up a bit then the 'good' end was able to lift clear, and I could hault the whole thing sideways and slide it along the drive. Managed to break the 'good' lifter though.
After a mamoth rodding session (with lots of "I don't remember eating that") the drains are now clear again. I bought myself some new plastic drain rods which I think was a wise investment as my old bamboo ones are well past their "use by" date.
I now, however, have a manhole cover with broken lifters. If I put it straight back, then I will probably never get it out again. Fortunately the plastic lifters are held in with a couple of hex screws so it looks like I can unscrew them, lift them out, and replace them without having to take the blocks out. [We shall see......] All I need now is a supplier for replacement lifters. Something to look forward to tomorrow.
Thanks for all the helpful advice.
Cheers
Dave R [Using Shelagh's PC as mine is at our other house :-) ]
and they do supply spares. I now have to wait to see how long they will take to arrive.
Moral - get the drain covers with the steel key holes in the corners. You may have to pay extra for the key but it is less likely to break if you have trouble getting the cover out.
Someone suggested that they are light and easy to shift - not unlesss you are a gorilla.
The old cast iron ones were much easier to handle.
Well firstly they'd only weigh that much (if they do) when filled with blocks and sand, so the installer would never actually need to lift it like that; and secondly, many people in many jobs need to shift things which weight more than 25 kg! The answer is to have Special Handling Equipment...
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