Blocked drain in back garden

OM2 · 4 Feb 2012

I've got a blocked drain the back garden
The water sits about 3cm from the rim
I've no idea if it has over flowed - I suspect it had

How do I fix the problem??

ANSWER: youtube!
Except, not in this case! I can't find a single video that helps!!
I thought there would be zillions of helpful videos

Someone told me that it was most likely cooking fat and that pouring hot water down there would solve

I poured 5 jugs of boiling water in - doesn't seem to have effected!

What am I doing wrong and how should I fix??

Thanks in advance

OM

foxhole · 4 Feb 2012

Whats feeding the drain, kitchen waste? rainwater? does it have a grill cover?

wotan · 4 Feb 2012

The most probable cause is a build up of fat / grease, the usual collector drain for waste from the kitchen is a 'U' bend, the actual outlet is near the top of the drain, if you done a pair of rubber gloves you should be able to locate the outlet.
you could try feeding a flexible drain clearing wire down and around the bend, but this only pokes a small hole, the better way is to have the drain pressure jetted with a reverse flow nozzle.

Wotan

Trazor · 4 Feb 2012

Buy some sulphuric acid from B&Q , remove as much water as you can before using, follow the instructions.

Aways pour acid into water, NEVER pour water into acid, it will locally explode and spit out........

If that fails, make yourself a wooden plunger that just fits into your drain ( A slide fit would be perfect ), make out of 1" thick wood at least.
Screw a vertical 2 x 2 post to it, so when it sits on the blocked water, about 12" of the post sticks above the drain
Pack rags around the edge.
Hit with a sledgehammer, the hydraulic shock effect will clear the blockage.

Works for me.

LDoubtfire · 4 Feb 2012

Have any members ever `rodded`or power jetted their own mains
Drain when blocked ?
The last time I had Dyna Rod out to mine it was £120.
I`ve recently invested in a set of drain rods,but getting em`around
45 degree bends might be difficult,let alone 90 degree.ones.They are
Really rigid.I`ve also invested in an attachment for my Bosch Jet
Power Washer from B @ Q. Nothing like as big or as powerful as
What the `Pro`s `bring to your premises,but if it works.!

Perhaps you yourself could try a jet washer attachment ?
Also handy for gutters and fall pipes.

Lewis Doubtfire

wotan · 5 Feb 2012

trazor said:
Buy some sulphuric acid from B&Q , remove as much water as you can before using, follow the instructions.

Aways pour acid into water, NEVER pour water into acid, it will locally explode and spit out........

If that fails, make yourself a wooden plunger that just fits into your drain ( A slide fit would be perfect ), make out of 1" thick wood at least.
Screw a vertical 2 x 2 post to it, so when it sits on the blocked water, about 12" of the post sticks above the drain
Pack rags around the edge.
Hit with a sledgehammer, the hydraulic shock effect will clear the blockage.

Works for me.

And possibly damage the drain

OM2 · 6 Feb 2012

guys, thanks for the replies
i haven't had a chance to reply until now

just to clarify: it's a drain that the kitchen sink pours out onto

£120 dyna rod!!

i've seen a utube video on the reverse pip thing mentioned
will this solve my problem? is that like asking how long is a piece of string?

this pipe: i

sulphuric acid? how much cost are we talking about?
is the stuff really dangerous and needs to be handled with care?
+ will it do any damage to the draineage in anyway?

not sure what my next steps should be???

i've seen a few snake/pipe drain cleaners on ebay - for sinks
should i waste a few pounds buying these and shoving it down the drain and see if it that helps?
or is that clutching at straws and i need to bite the bullet and consider a proper solution?

question: can i rent the drain pip attachment thing?
if not, what places an i buy from? i've looked on ebay and am not sure exactly what to search for

45/90 degrees problem??
the video i saw on utube, the guy had a flexible pipe that i would imagine
doesn't have this problem?

thanks for everything

HERTS P&D · 6 Feb 2012

Get a rod with a 4" or 6" rubber plunger on the the end and pump the gully with the hot tap turned on. Soon be running clear.

Or if local to me, I'll jet it for you.

Andy

LDoubtfire · 6 Feb 2012

OM2, what Woton is suggesting is possibly the best way to go.
How far is where you think the blockage might be from the sink plug hole.
No more than a few feet ?
Could you send a pic`down to look at ?

Lewis Doubtfire

Trazor · 6 Feb 2012

OM2 said:
sulphuric acid? how much cost are we talking about?
is the stuff really dangerous and needs to be handled with care?
+ will it do any damage to the draineage in anyway?

It's sold by B&Q as a drain cleaner, for external use only.

foxhole · 6 Feb 2012

Acid should be last resort and is of little effect on grease which is likely cause given the cold weather, forms a solid plug.Fill sink with very hot water and washing up liquid , also the bath. Release together, if the grease is near drain junction the hot bathwater can help release it.Also a bucket of hot water into drain at same time will help, especially if you can remove as much water as possible before hand.

OM2 · 6 Feb 2012

WARNING below is a filthy picture
(i cannot be held responsible if ur missus catches u looking at dirty pictures)

this is it
i don't know if it has overflowed - i'm guessing not since there is no foul smell around the area (the water u see is from the snow being melted away)

hot water?
well... i poured 5 jugs of boiling water directly into the drain
it had no effect
as a first measure, maybe i should give this another go + run hot water down the sink at the same time?

wotan said:
The most probable cause is a build up of fat / grease, the usual collector drain for waste from the kitchen is a 'U' bend, the actual outlet is near the top of the drain, if you done a pair of rubber gloves you should be able to locate the outlet.you could try feeding a flexible drain clearing wire down and around the bend, but this only pokes a small hole, the better way is to have the drain pressure jetted with a reverse flow nozzle.Wotan

rubber gloves??? erm... i assume i need a long pair of rubber gloves!

reverse flow nozzle - can u tell me where to get one of these??
one place i've looked it costs £60 - that's for a karcher - so not sure if it will fit ANY model

i think i'll try to solve the problem without using sulphuric acid

but... would sending bleach down the kitchen sink help at all??

AND is doing a hot washing machine was a good idea as well?

thanks for all the replies

HERTS P&D · 6 Feb 2012

Try the item below fitted onto a drain rod.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Drain-Plu...lumbing_MJ&hash=item35b6b0fd8d#ht_6520wt_1037

It will clear the gully, its what I do all day.

Andy

foxhole · 6 Feb 2012

hot water?
well... i poured 5 jugs of boiling water directly into the drain
it had no effect
as a first measure, maybe i should give this another go + run hot water down the sink at the same time?

Not nearly enough if it's solid plug of grease, bleach has no effect.

OM2 · 6 Feb 2012

HERTSDRAINAGE2010 said:
Try the item below fitted onto a drain rod.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Drain-Plu...lumbing_MJ&hash=item35b6b0fd8d#ht_6520wt_1037

It will clear the gully, its what I do all day.

Andy

thanks andy. i would have taken u up on ur offer mentioned before - but i think i'm a little far away from you

that part u showed looks great. but i don't have any drain rods handy

can i get hold of a standalone plunger of some sort?
i had a look at a few on ebay - wasnt sure if any where right for the job
i think i saw one or 2 that u used with a drill (didn't read into how it worked)

let me know

foxhole said:
hot water?
well... i poured 5 jugs of boiling water directly into the drain
it had no effect
as a first measure, maybe i should give this another go + run hot water down the sink at the same time?

Not nearly enough if it's solid plug of grease, bleach has no effect.

ok... foxhole... ur saying i need to do a LOT more hot watering??

i'll do both these things - for the plunger... i think i need a standalone one - surely i will have no need for a rod kit??

diynot

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Blocked drain in back garden

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