Gully inside conservatory often blocked, can it be removed?

[jacoscar]

I have a gully inside my conservatory serving the kitchen sink and dishwasher. I don't know why it has been left there, but it clearly was an outside gully before the cnservatory was built. It happears the conservatory was built and the drain wasn't moved to the patio (maybe it was difficult to do or maybe someone didn't bother).

The problem is it gets blocked every few months, we never pour oils or nasty stuff down the sink obviously so it's quite strange.
We managed to get the guys from the water company to unblock it a couple of times using a rod in the gully itself (attemps to do it from the downstream manhole, in the neighbours' patio, were unsuccessful).
I bought a rod and tried to unblock it, unsuccessfully. I also tried to pur a drain unblocker (1 litre) and leave it the entire night, no luck.

I have two manholes in my patio and I never see my waste water flowing through them (even when the gully is not blocked), but I have occasionnally seen water flow when I wasn't using water in the house. I think this means they serve my neighbor on the right, while my waste goes into my neighbor's manholes to the left.
This is quite annoying because everytime I suspect a downstream blockage I (or the water company) have to bother them.

What can I do to unblock it and how can I solve this long term?
I thought about digging the conservatory floor and run a pipe to the other gully.
The alternative would be to dig the patio and find the main drain line and tap into that one, possibly adding a second new gully in the patio


What do you suggest?

 

[blup]

You could hire an inspection camera and trace the route of the drain, and try to identify the point at which it gets blocked. Using dye in water from your on and your neighbours property will also help clarify which property uses which drain.

I'd be tempted to create a new manhole at a point outside where both you and the neighbours drains flow into. Tapping into the other gulley would be premature.

Blup

 

[jacoscar]

You could hire an inspection camera and trace the route of the drain, and try to identify the point at which it gets blocked. Using dye in water from your on and your neighbours property will also help clarify which property uses which drain.

I'd be tempted to create a new manhole at a point outside where both you and the neighbours drains flow into. Tapping into the other gulley would be premature.

Blup

can you drive an inspection camera through a gully trap?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

@Hugh Jaleak

 

[blup]

can you drive an inspection camera through a gully trap?

From a suitable point at the other end of the drain, or dig down and break into it. It's intrusive but a lot cheaper if you have the time than paying dynorod.

Blup

 

[jacoscar]

From a suitable point at the other end of the drain, or dig down and break into it. It's intrusive but a lot cheaper if you have the time than paying dynorod.

Blup

unfortunately nobody knows where the other end of the drain is; probably in the neighbor's patio (on the left), but then there is the problem of how to get into my section: there must be a T junction somewhere, as there is another house on the right (see my sketch)

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Whatever you do, don't employ Dynorod, they're just rip-oof merchants. Find a good local independent drain guy who can CCTV what you have find out what goes where.

 

[jacoscar]

what's dynrod/dynorod?

Anyway, even if we find out there is a blockage I don't think I care; I want the gully out of the house

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

They're a cowboy franchise outlet, often with excessive fees and often the first people homeowners turn to when they have a problem with their drain.

 

[blup]

Dynorod are a British Gas company say no more

Blup

 

[blup]

unfortunately nobody knows where the other end of the drain is; probably in the neighbor's patio (on the left), but then there is the problem of how to get into my section: there must be a T junction somewhere, as there is another house on the right (see my sketch)

Looks like you have a suspended floor so you could take the waste through to the utility room and out to the second gully if the levels are right

Blup

 

[HERTS P&D]

Carry out a dye test and check all manholes.

Drain Tracing Dye

For tracing drain pipe location or flow direction. Fluorescent green when added to water. View with UV light when the dye is not visible to the naked eye.

www.toolstation.com

Andy

 

[^woody^]

Bulk buy some caustic soda and use that initially and regularly thereafter.

CCTV to determine layout and issues.

 

[jacoscar]

Looks like you have a suspended floor so you could take the waste through to the utility room and out to the second gully if the levels are right

Blup

No, it’s concrete, no suspended floor.
If I had to dig the concrete, would it be a good idea to run such a length of pipe without any other maintenance/rodding access?

 

[blup]

Waste to right of kitchen sink turning into utility and following left side wall, all above ground and boxed in. 50mm pipe up to 4 metres.

Blup