Blocked drain - access issue

[dexdexter]

I live in a terraced house, which must be getting on for a hundred years ago. We've recently noticed that the outside gully often overflows, and when the toilet is flushed, it overflows at a rapid rate. This suggest the blockage is somewhere in the soil pipe, causing the back flow to the gully. It's likely to have been caused by wipes being flushed, as we have a baby.

I had a drainage bloke come out and take a look, and the first thing he asked was where the interceptor was located. We checked the houses on either side, and they both have an outlet, but mine doesn't. He advised i excavate beneath 3 or 4 flags, find the outlet and use drain rods. However, after pulling up half a dozen flags, i can't find anything. Either my house doesn't have one, or the person who lived here before me has concreted over it. Although i'd like to think that nobody is that stupid.

I've managed to control the gully problem to an extent, through vigorous plunging with a mop. Although this would suggest whatever the blockage is may be slowly clearing, I don't want to keep doing this. Plus, any rainfall just adds to the problem.

2 questions...

Would sticking the drain rods in my neighbours outlet help?

If not, is it feasible to dig a metre or so in front of the soil pipe, and make an access point for a rod in the horizontal part of the drain? After which install an inspection chamber, to prevent this happening again.

I realise i probably sound like a tight git, but money is a bit short at the minute, and in a strange way, i'd like to learn and do it myself.

All advice appreciated.

 

[dexdexter]

The house was built almost a hundred years ago, its not the length of time i've been in it.

 

[Nige F]

Best advice was the drain man`s Classic symptoms of a blocked interceptor

 

[kevplumb]

if you have one both sides string a line between then then start digging

there is no easy fix

 

[dexdexter]

Cheers.

There is a small grid thats more or less in line with the interceptors on either side, i'd originally thought that could have been rodded. The drain bloke said it was a soakaway, strange that neither house either side has one. If nothing else, it'll give me an idea of how deep i need to dig.

I think i'd just expected to find the interceptor just beneath the flags.

Oh well, getting hitched on Thursday, then honeymoon for 10 days. The excavation will have to wait for a couple of weeks.

 

[kevplumb]

Oh well, getting hitched on Thursday, then honeymoon for 10 days. The excavation will have to wait for a couple of weeks.

too right fella

all the best fella

 

[dexdexter]

Cheers pal.

 

[Ian H]

Is the gully that overflows shared with any neighbours via rain water pipes or anything else? If it was it would be the responsibility of united utilities to unblock it, any drain on a pre 1937 house that is shared is owned by UU, its called a 'section 24'.

If you had flexible rods, you could cut an access into your soil vent pipe and feed the rods round your rest bend. It they hit an interceptor you would hear it clearly at ground level and you would know exactly where to dig. The rods might even clear the blockage.

 

[foxhole]

You should be able to clear from neighbours access and rod it or have it jetted, no point digging up for a minor blockage, for the record there are no wipes that are flush-able, they don't break down quickly enough to flush.[You would normally have access rights to clear drains over a shared system.]My local water authority clear blocked drains at no charge.

 

[Ian H]

This is how wipes end up in drains:

They all knit together and are hard to remove even with a jetter.

 

[dexdexter]

Thanks for the replies.

Got back from holiday 2 days ago. Got a drainage contractor round this morning to look at it. He cut into the soil pipe and jetted it - costing £140. This appeared to work, but he said that he noticed soil coming through between the flags i'd pulled up a couple of weeks earlier. I'd gone to work at this point, so he told the missus.

He said this is likely to mean a collapsed drain. He was honest enough to suggest shopping around for a quote, as his company charges £600.

Back to square one now, as i'm faced with an excavation. To find the source of the problem. CCTV would be costly and impractical due to no manhole present.

A work colleague suggested rodding from the next door neighbours interceptor, and when i can't rod anymore, thats the point of collapse.

Pain in the rear!

 

[foxhole]

You can use cctv from neighbours access.

 

[dexdexter]

I did think about that, but would the cctv be effective if the collapse was in the drain coming from my soil pipe, rather than in the main line - excuse my ignorance, but can it go in different directions, or is it just a straight route?

24 hours on, theres no water coming back into the gully when the chains flushed, and a couple of showers. It appears to be sorted. Could it be that the fella was mistaken?

He said he saw water coming through in the area where i'd lifted the flags - but the area underneath is concreted.

I'm wondering if the water he saw came from the jet overspill from the first gully. It was going everywhere when he started. Plus, we've had a fair bit of rain, that seeped into the broken flags.

 

[dexdexter]

Ignore the above. Must be a collapse - missus just emptied the bath, and the gully just overflowed.

CCTV time.

 

[Ian H]

I know of a very good drainage firm local to you that would jet to unblock, cctv from your stack, trace and probe the location of the fault and give you a full report for £136.50 + VAT

I'll send you their details incase you are interested.