Barbican Living
Garchey
A Garchey Refuse Disposal Unit was originally installed in each kitchen sink. The rubbish is washed through special pipe-work in each building to a central chamber. A tanker empties it every few weeks. The Corporation have been notified of about 350 flats where the Garchey has been removed, but they believe the true figure is nearer 700.
Smells. The garchey can smell. (See? I am a master of understatement.) But after all it is for disposing of rubbish. It's just like a toilet - if you don't flush it or clean it, it smells. If you have had it removed, it may still smell occasionally. This is the result of water getting sucked out of the U-tube which protects your airspace from the air in the system. The Barbican Estate Office can solve that for you by installing a device. It happened to me, and now no problems whatsoever.
Recovering valuables. If you put something valuable into the Garchey by mistake, it’s lost for good once the unit has been flushed. But if you notify the Estate Office before the sink is flushed, they may be able to retrieve it.
Hours of use. According to the lease regulations, you are not meant to use the Garchey between 11.00 pm and 7.00 am to prevent your neighbours’ TVs being drowned out by the noise.
Maintenance responsibility. Even when you have bought your flat, the Corporation is still responsible for the existing Garchey pipe work.
Empty flat. If the flat is going to be empty for a while, it’s recommended that you insert the Garchey key provided for dismantling the unit into the slots of the tube. (Do not turn). This will reduce the risk of flooding if there’s a blockage somewhere else in the system.
Consent to remove it. You should get formal consent from the Barbican Surveyors' Department to remove the Garchey. See Alterations. They will require you to agree that your service charge will remain the same - we all pay for the estate-wide system whether we use it or not. The Barbican Estate Office would be grateful to receive the system when it's removed because they can use it for spares. There are recommended removers - don't take chances with someone not specifically recommended by the Barbican Estate Office.
