How do I.. remove this drain cover!?

[Fintray]

Lard?

[AE-NMidlands]

Lard?

Too easily biodegraded and attractive to things which can wriggle into the crack... I was going to suggest Vaseline
(which unfortunately reminds me of "and Dinah uses use axle-grease...!)

[Fintray]

Denso tape.

[AE-NMidlands]

Denso tape.

would that not be too bulky?
A

[openspaceman]

You'd hope that there would be a spec sheet on CLARK (yaxley, p,boro) drain manufacturers & galvanisers that a small domestic tin of "manhole grease" would be widely available, nope it's 3kg cans (50+ years use at the rate we lift ours)

So what inert grease can be used that doesn't shaft me so I can clean & seal everything properly?

Should I get a small pot of marine grease?

Or am I overthinking & simply need a general purpose lubricating grease?

cheers
Gus

Buy the proper drain cover grease

https://www.lbsbmonline.co.uk/manhole-c ... grease-3kg

[Fintray]

Denso tape.

would that not be too bulky?
A

Just a single layer of it round the edge might be ok but it depends how tight the fit is.

[marshman]

If you can't find the pukka stuff at a price you are willing to pay just use Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline). 99% of it will stay around the lip of the lid so not end up going anywhere. I would probably use normal grease but it dies have a tendency for the oils to separate out if it gets warm and is not "agitated" to keep it mixed with the "thickener". As to contaminating the environment I suspect more grease and oil gets washed down our drain from my overalls via the washing machine in a month than ever would from your cover in a thousand years.

Not that many houses have a drain cover in the building that needs to be sealed and external ones as far as I know and have ever seen don't bother with grease to seal them, no point as there are (or should be) vents in the system anyway.

[AE-NMidlands]

If you can't find the pukka stuff at a price you are willing to pay

One of my straight-laced bosses was once provoked into exclaiming "Are you pulling my plonker?!"
50 quid for a pound of grease is ludicrous, especially when it's nothing special technically. I would stick with vaseline ( generic "petrolatum!" )

[Fintray]

I have a 25L bucket of Castrol Spheerol SX2 from which I could send you a suitably sized tub of to sort out your manhole if you PM me your address.
N.B. I have not used said grease on any manholes and am unlikely to in the future!

[Oliver90owner]

Not read the thread, but I expect I might be tempted to get out my tub of water pump grease. Castrol, I think. Has lasted me best part of 50 years and now very close to the bottom of the tub.

If it is to fill a vertical gap, I might simply seal it at the surface, with a bead of suitable sealant which could be easily cut through with a narrow blade when the cover is to be lifted.