Rainy season is over for Bay Area people, great time to go check out drains! Has anyone ever had interactions with animals in drains, mostly spiders.

1. Cool sidepipe we checked out. Didn't really go anywhere.


2. Always go right.


3. Drain Bouncer


4. Water was deep enough for us to spot some white bass.


5. Do you guys wear headlamps or bring flashlights when you guys drain? Maybe both?


6. Crushed CMP led to a mini cave.


7. Forgot the skateboards.


8. And we out

how was the air quality in the smaller 30-36in pipes? technically they are a confined space so be mindful

edit: numerics

Posted by RescueMe1060 how was the air quality in the smaller 30-36in pipes? technically they are a confined space so be mindful edit: numerics

We crawled for like half a quarter mile then turned back because we started breathing faster/heavier and sweating. Should I be mindful of oxygen levels or are you referring to stuff like dust particles, mold and stuff like that. Thanks

-Kabes

yeah you need to be mindful of oxygen levels and gas levels. You can suffocate before you know it

Posted by mrpoke yeah you need to be mindful of oxygen levels and gas levels. You can suffocate before you know it

There's gas in storm drains?? I thought that only applied to sewer drains. How can I test for that

Nice

you would need a calibrated gas monitor, you're monitoring for things like H2S and oxygen levels, maybe even Co2. The drain you were in obviously didn't have anything bad in it otherwise they would have recovered your body and you wouldn't be online chatting with us.

yes, you should be mindful of a lot of things if going on a crawl through storm pipes do a little bit more research and it will save your life and your friends lives......just my suggestion

Posted by RescueMe1060 you would need a calibrated gas monitor, you're monitoring for things like H2S and oxygen levels, maybe even Co2. The drain you were in obviously didn't have anything bad in it otherwise they would have recovered your body and you wouldn't be online chatting with us. yes, you should be mindful of a lot of things if going on a crawl through storm pipes do a little bit more research and it will save your life and your friends lives......just my suggestion

Thanks. This past day I've been reading lots of UE drain forums on this. You're absolutely right about the potential health issues it could pose, I will be more cautious on next trip.

Here is a good thread on the dangers of gases as well as pollution in drains I found not too long ago

https://www.uer.ca...s/safety/s_gas.htm

https://www.uer.ca...afety/s_polute.htm

you wouldn't even know that you're being poisoned by a bad pocket of air in most cases because by the time the brain says "get out this doesn't feel right" its already too late.

I think we have members here who have done mines and caves who have made it through bad experiences and can probably tell their own stories.

Personally I have hit a bad pocket of air simply walking past the outside of a holding tank before and it had me seeing stars and orbs within seconds it was a really fucked up situation, left me pretty shook actually.

rule of thumb to consider: If there is no graffiti inside the smaller pipes you're going for a crawl in......yes its potentially an unexplored area, but also might be unexplored for a good reason....as in access and turnaround difficulty, a dead end or just downright not worth the energy. I'd wear or take an N95 with you for sure.

Posted by RescueMe1060 you wouldn't even know that you're being poisoned by a bad pocket of air in most cases because by the time the brain says "get out this doesn't feel right" its already too late. I think we have members here who have done mines and caves who have made it through bad experiences and can probably tell their own stories. Personally I have hit a bad pocket of air simply walking past the outside of a holding tank before and it had me seeing stars and orbs within seconds it was a really fucked up situation, left me pretty shook actually.

Agreed. I've never hit anything bad in my time, but some of the sulfur/methane air from all the muck and dead things in storm drains is really dangerous. I used to know a guy who worked in HVAC/Industrial air conditioning. He would get called in whenever things broke. On a job in a warehouse site, my guy got in and started troubleshooting, and nearly blacked out because of the refrigerant (nitrogen gas)leaking out of the air conditioner. The stuff's not poisonous, just displaces the air like CO2. he probably would've died if somebody wasn't coming in and opened the door. I'm really aware myself and everyone else is probably too poor to buy nice four gas meters, but hey if you have money to burn a good one could save your life.

Don't get me wrong I'm not anti explore or anti drain.

The only difference for me now and 10 years ago when I would post photos here is that now I get paid to go underground and have all my PPE + a detector on my chest.

S/D's and S/S systems come with unseen risk. Whereas a building you can usually see loose floorboards, anti squatter traps, broken glass etc. The underground is just a riskier place as you get deeper in to the smaller and tighter sections.

My most recent crawl was in full PPE and respirator to try and dislodge a large piece of debris from inside a 30in storm pipe, and believe it or not when I came out for a breather & a coworker went in his monitor went off for low oxygen levels.

My friend and I have agreed upon a rule where if either of us start feeling queasy, our heart rates go up or down, or even just too much of a funky smell, we exit as soon as possible.

Posted by RescueMe1060 Don't get me wrong I'm not anti explore or anti drain. The only difference for me now and 10 years ago when I would post photos here is that now I get paid to go underground and have all my PPE + a detector on my chest. S/D's and S/S systems come with unseen risk. Whereas a building you can usually see loose floorboards, anti squatter traps, broken glass etc. The underground is just a riskier place as you get deeper in to the smaller and tighter sections. My most recent crawl was in full PPE and respirator to try and dislodge a large piece of debris from inside a 30in storm pipe, and believe it or not when I came out for a breather & a coworker went in his monitor went off for low oxygen levels.

Do you believe that the debris stuck in the pipe prevented airflow through the pipe and caused the low oxygen levels from your coworker?

Posted by RescueMe1060 S/D's and S/S systems come with unseen risk. Whereas a building you can usually see loose floorboards, anti squatter traps, broken glass etc. The underground is just a riskier place as you get deeper in to the smaller and tighter sections.

In my experiences abandoned buildings are way more dangerous than (Australian) storm drains.

The most obvious dangers in drains are avoidable, whereas abandoned buildings the dangers are not always obvious.

Most of the injuries or deaths that I know of in drains are because people get complacent. Deaths of that I know of in (& on) abandoned buildings were caused by falling through rotting floors, being electrocuted by an exposed wire touching metal (guy was in a puddle), and slipping (everything normal one second, and pandemonium the next). Then there's stuff like asbestos, pigeon poop, homeless meth heads, and I even find that the authorities are more likely to spoil your day in an abandoned building

But yeah, drains in the UK & US seems more dangerous than ours (which are still dangerous). Most of ours are quite well ventilated by grilles & gutterboxes.

This was a double post so I'll edit it & add a bit more.

Obvious dangers in drains.

Losing your head popping manholes in a road.

If you don't know the drain, don't pop manholes unless it's a rectangular concrete cover as I've never seen one in the road.

Flood.

When it rains, no drains.

Falling down a ladder.
Always take a friend.

Gasses (I've explored drains for 40 years & only came across gas twice, but that's in Australia).

I'd head back the way I came quick smart.
Tingling fingers is not a good sign.

I've heard stories of people jumping into confined spaces to rescue someone that is overcome only for the gas to overpower them as well. That's when you need Rescue Me 1060


If I was caught in a bad flood I would climb up the nearest ladder. If it's not a Summer storm then chances are you'll be fine, but still, when it rains no drains.

Cheers

Posted by Kabes Do you believe that the debris stuck in the pipe prevented airflow through the pipe and caused the low oxygen levels from your coworker?

No I don't think the piece of debris restricted airflow, as I could see past the giant piece of trash that was in the storm line (it was like a water heater of some kind). Too heavy to pick up and the space was already cramped as is. I think the low oxygen level inside the pipe was just naturally there. But again, my monitor didn't pick it up only my coworkers did. Plus we were on a harness and tripod so just needed to reel him back up and out.

Posted by RescueMe1060 No I don't think the piece of debris restricted airflow, as I could see past the giant piece of trash that was in the storm line (it was like a water heater of some kind). Too heavy to pick up and the space was already cramped as is. I think the low oxygen level inside the pipe was just naturally there. But again, my monitor didn't pick it up only my coworkers did. Plus we were on a harness and tripod so just needed to reel him back up and out.

Are there any cheap gas monitors that will get the job done for like 30 bucks