Blocked kitchen drain - crazy drain layout

[alewis87]

Hi all,

I have been having trouble recently with the drain that my kitchen sink, washing machine etc. drain into. It has been backing up and overflowing across the paving.

I have pulled up a few paving stones, and had a poke around with some rubber gloves, but have no idea what they have done. There is what appears to be a salt-glazed clay pipe going vertically down, but broken at the top. This had some rubble at the bottom but I can't find any outlets going off it. To the side, it appears that the water is leaking, probably down under the house, straight into soil/clay/rubble.

In theory, it should be draining off at 45 degrees to the right of the house, which is where my neighbours have an inspection chamber, and a pipe from my property joins it.

Does anyone have any idea what is going on here and how to resolve it?
My first instincts are that some cowboy put down the paving before I bought the property and ruined the drain.

Thank you all in advance,

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• alewis87
• 18 May 2014
• 1

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• alewis87
• 18 May 2014
• 1

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• alewis87
• 18 May 2014
• 1

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• alewis87
• 18 May 2014
• 1

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• alewis87
• 18 May 2014
• 1

 

[ree]

The brown salt glaze is a broken hopper head - it should connect to a trap and then discharge through a Manhole/Inspection Chamber.

If you clear out all the water in the hopper and surround and look down, perhaps you will see a blockage. Perhaps pic it to here.

Whatever, you will need a new hopper and grill, and probably a new trap, and it will have to be re-connected to the discharge pipe.
This will involve opening up the paving and digging down a little - pic on here what you expose.

Check the discharge drain is clear and dont select repair materials until you've come back on here.

The paving appears to be too high in relation to any DPC in the wall.

In the meantime, you can extend the kitchen sink & washing machine waste pipes to the nearest gulley to prevent more water going down the broken drainage.

Caution: you have acidic condensate going into the hopper - the insulated pipe.

Do you have any other gulleys or soil pipes feeding into the mentioned man hole?

 

[HERTS P&D]

Yep, the cowboy was to fault.

Paving needs removing and a new gully to be fitted.

Andy

 

[alewis87]

I got my marigolds back out (albeit that they were far too short and I got pretty gunked up anyway) and had a grope. I managed to get probably a kilo of tarmac out of the bottom which probably wasn't helping matters much. Nice to see that the pavers knew where was best to get rid of the old driveway.

It now appears to be flowing, however the resting level is only just below the broken section so a lot is splashing over into the hole and if any washing up liquid goes down the sink, it bubbles straight up into the hole.

Is there anyway I can insert perhaps a plastic hopper into the broken clay one, perhaps with some silicon sealant, rather than digging it out? It is probably too big a job for me to do, and I am guessing most builders are going to quote pretty high for this sort of job. I know that would be a bodge but if it works....

If not, any idea what sort of price I should be paying so I don't get totally ripped off.

Cheers,

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• alewis87
• 18 May 2014
• 1

 

[HERTS P&D]

To get you out of trouble extend the pipes into the gully, then get 3 quotes to supply and fit a new gully.

Andy

 

[ree]

Obviously, i dont know your state of health or age but if you pulled up a little more paving, and dug out to at least expose the trap - believe me it wont take long, or be difficult, if you take it easy and just do a bit at a time.

Why not pic a fully dried out hopper?

What you now describe is a partially blocked drainage - it must be fully cleared or it will build up, and fully block once again.

Can you lift the man hole cover and observe that this gulley is indeed draining into it.
If the tarmac was thrown down that gulley it might also have been chucked down any other gulley? Get a hose pipe down your gulleys, push it beyond he trap bends at full blast.

No codge will work - do it properly or you will do it twice.

Whatever hopper is installed it must come level with the pavement or finished surface.

You should be looking at, a guess:
8hrs labor - but we dont know yet exactly whats to be done?