Soil pipe cleaning eye?

[Willingtolearn1]

Hello all! got a bit of a soil pipe blockage and leak: (please excuse the graphic content of the photo lol!)

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• Willingtolearn1
• 2 Jul 2012
• 1

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• Willingtolearn1
• 2 Jul 2012
• 1

The drip from the gunk is dripping once every few seconds, then quicker for a bit when the toilet is flushed.

Would I be right in thinking best course of action is:

- clear as much of gunk as possible
- remove the 'join cover' over the cleaning eye (not sure of proper name sorry) by unclipping at the back (second photo)
- hacking out what looks like sealant at the join of the white pipe
- put an auger down the pipe to clear, then hose and disinfect

If so then which sealant should I use to reseal the join afterwards, and can anyone recommend a cheap auger that would be right for the job?

Cheers!

 

[Egga]

You probably wont be able to get the strap boss off. Usually they are solvent welded on.

The pipe should'nt be sealed into the boss with sealant. It should have a rubber 'bush' to seal it.

Whoever installed it must'nt have had the correct 'bush' to hand. Nor pipe brackets.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Is the toilet connection above this connection? May be possible its just leaking. If stack is blocked then its more likely the problem lies in the drain, you'll need rods for that.

The boss adaptor in the photo will be glued to the stack, you wont be able to remove it! The waste pipe needs to be disconnected, clean the silicone out the boss, and refit the pipe using correct boss adaptor.

 

[tryitandsee]

www.screwfix.com/p/soil-strap-boss-sp319/49547

You need the boss adapter to fit into the soil strap.

Cut the white horizontal pipe in the middle, then pull out pipe from main soil pipe, insert new rubber boss and then fix a straight connector where you have cut, either a solvent weld or push fit or compression fitting, like this:

www.screwfix.com/p/straight-coupling-32mm/11632

 

[TicklyT]

......either a solvent weld or push fit or compression fitting..........

Push fit fittings won't fit solvent weld pipe! They are different sizes, and made from different materials.

Check that waste pipe hasn't been pushed too far into the stack, causing an obstruction which is the source of your blockage.

The correct rubber boss has a lip to stop the pipe being inserted too far.

 

[Willingtolearn1]

Thanks all for the replies

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• Willingtolearn1
• 2 Jul 2012
• 1

Sorry, yes Hugh the toilet connection is above, the white waste pipe going into the stack is from the shower (a few days ago the flow slowed so I ran hot water through it for a bit and it seems clear now)

The toilet flushes ok with clear water and not backing up atall, although the other day I noticed the water level in the pan was moving very slightly instead of being completely still and level (not sure if related)

We had a leak after the bathroom was first put in about 5 years ago, and after being 'fixed' we outlined the marks on the ceiling underneath the bath plughole (this photo taken today):

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• Willingtolearn1
• 2 Jul 2012
• 1

This area is the inside wall of where the leak is outside in the first photos - it seems the damp marks have moved a bit but that might have happened a few years ago, although to the touch the area feels ever so slightly damp, and when I knock on the walls the sound seems to me not so solid as other parts of the wall.

So would the next steps be:

- disconnect white waste pipe by scraping out the solvent weld (is there a certain tool for that?) and then pulling it to remove it from the boss strap
- then look for/clear any blockage in the stack at that join point
- then put a new horizontal white pipe into the stack but this time using a rubber 'bush' boss strap

..then in theory leak and situation solved?

 

[Gasop]

So would the next steps be:

- disconnect white waste pipe by scraping out the solvent weld (is there a certain tool for that?) and then pulling it to remove it from the boss strap
- then look for/clear any blockage in the stack at that join point
- then put a new horizontal white pipe into the stack but this time using a rubber 'bush' boss strap

Better would be:

Cut the white waste pipe 4"-6" below the elbow coming out of
the wall.

Pull/ dig out the pipe from the strap boss.

Clean out the old silicon from the boss and fit the correct size rubber
insert.

Replace the cut off section of pipe using a straight connector and a Tee
in place of the elbow with a rodding eye in the horizontal end so that any
future blockages can be cleared easier.

Try to get a better fall on the pipe if possible.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I'd go with as Gasop suggests, if you can remove the pipe from the existing 'joint' into the boss, and clean the boss out, you should be able to refit using a 40mm boss adaptor. http://www.screwfix.com/p/floplast-boss-adaptor-40mm-pack-of-5/89174 (Wickes sell them individually!) This pushes into the boss, then the waste pipe into the boss adaptor. Job done.

You will never get apart any joint that has been solvent welded, (if it does come apart it hasnt been glued properly!). The glue effectively melts the plastic and fuses the two parts together to make the seal. Attempting to separate such a joint may well cause the piece in question to snap off, leaving you with a bigger issue (and leak....)

 

[Willingtolearn1]

Thanks guys for the clear steps, much appreciated, Gasop the idea of putting the tee in for future clearing if necessary is great, and Hugh thanks for the link and info about the solvent welding, that will save me trying to take it off like a madman!

Will report back when done!

Cheers

 

[Whitespirit66]

The toilet flushes ok with clear water and not backing up atall, although the other day I noticed the water level in the pan was moving very slightly instead of being completely still and level (not sure if related)

Poss not related, but if you see slight movement on the surafce of the water in the pan, it may be that the cistern is over-filling, and going down the overflow. Many overflows go through the syphon/flush valve and trickle down the back of the pan.