Blocked drain causing sewage in shower

[Pelios001]

Hi,
We've got a blockage in the ensuite shower and to cut a long story short when I try using a suction cup at the shower drain hole I end up pumping sewage back up. The shower is close to the toilet in the room, and I can see the shower outlet pipe inderneath heading towards the toilet's waste pipe. Flushing the toliet doesn't back it up, and it drains quickly, but it does cause waste to rise in the shower tray. We've tried pouring drain unblocker down the shower and even had a plumber out who appeared to initally fix the issue, but it came back after a couple of days. There's no apparent blockage at the drain just outside the house, and I've been able to push drain rods quite a way inside the house from outside before they hit a bend in the pipe that they can't go round, so the problem appears very much to be in the piping up in the ensuite. I should add that pumping the shower waste hole with suction cup seems to have led to a small leak in the shower piping, as water puddles appear underneath after vigourous pumping. What would people here recommend? Are there dedicated companies that deal with this sort of issue?

Thanks for any help.

 

[HERTS P&D]

I normally clear them with a wet vac or mains water pressure.

Andy

 

[robinbanks]

Indeed, vaccing will be safer. If you’re certain the pipework is solvent weld then use positive pressure, but if you get it wrong and it’s push fit, using pressure to clear it could blow the pipes apart, much bigger repair job then!

 

[CountryFan]

Only dedicated people are plumbers or drainage people really.

 

[Pelios001]

Thanks for the input chaps. I think the pipes are indeed a push fit as the first plumber identified a small leak coming from the toilet as he thought the pipes had indeed been moved, so he pulled them back and stopped the leak (at least that was his story). OK, I'll look into hiring a wet vac. Ta.

 

[CountryFan]

OK, I'll look into hiring a wet vac. Ta.

Probably cheaper to buy one? Can be had for about £30-40

 

[Pelios001]

Yep, just seen a Karcher WD 2 Plus for £68. I'll break into my long suffering piggy bank.

 

[robinbanks]

Soil pipes (poo pipes) are often push fit, you don’t really clear those with pressure that the pipe has to contain- they might be jetted but that’s slightly different. Waste pipes (sink pipes) can be glued or pushed. You can identify them by sight; push fit have visible lumps at the joints because that’s where the rubber seal is. Solvent just looks like a slightly fatter pipe around a narrower pipe at the joints:

Left: push fit, Right: solvent

There are adapters to go from one to the other but they arent interchangeable otherwise so you tend to find systems that are all one or the other. The third option is compression which have an obvious “this part screws in and has lumps to help you grip it” and may adapt between solvent and push fit. Compression shouldn’t blow apart with positive pressure, but could (so it’s kinda a half way house between solvent and push). Vaccing is generally safest

 

[HERTS P&D]

Get one of these:

Wickes Wet & Dry Vacuum Cleaner With Blower - 1250W | Wickes.co.uk

Wickes Wet & Dry Vacuum Cleaner With Blower - 1250W

www.wickes.co.uk

Andy

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Any pics of the pipework to help advise further? If the 4" Soil pipe is blocked then you may need somewhat more power than a Wet Vac, (although a Vac Tanker is probably overkill.) Best course of action is usually mechanical methods in these instances, does anyone in the Property use wipes or sanitary products?

 

[Pelios001]

No wipes or sanitary products, but two ladies with long hair use the attached shower and have been remiss at catching any loose hair before it went down the plug hole. Suspicions lie there.