How does this drain work?

[Roger465]

Kitchen sink wouldn't drain, which I traced to the external drain being completely blocked with fat by the previous owner (I’ve only been here a few months). Honestly, it was like one of those sewer documentaries which have been on telly lately – I removed about a stone of stinking fat from the drain, as far as I could reach, and now it drains really well.



However… I don’t understand what’s going on down there. Looking at the picture, the drain out of the sink is at the top; the fat-blocked exit is to the right. But what’s that to the left? It seems to be another drain, with a circular inspection hole, with a round rubber cover (which wasn’t attached).



What’s that for please? Can’t get the !@*!! rubber thingy back on either… how much does it matter?



Thanks

 

[Nige F]

Kitchen sink wouldn't drain, which I traced to the external drain being completely blocked with fat by the previous owner (I’ve only been here a few months). Honestly, it was like one of those sewer documentaries which have been on telly lately – I removed about a stone of stinking fat from the drain,

That's 14 pounds of fat - or 6.35029 kg in modern terms . Unfortunately your pic. is a bit dark down inside the "pit" . It does look a bit odd though - there would normally be a drain gully there.

 

[bernardgreen]

possibly it is a rodable gully still with the sump still full of fat

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Osma type Bottle gulley, hole is for rodding/jetting access downstream. Under normal circumstances the bung should sit in it to seal the drain off. It's only a push fit, should have a slight 'shoulder' on it to locate on the plastic lip around the hole. Needs to go back in or you'll be ventilating yours drains through the gulley, could whiff a bit.

Need to clean all the crud out so the water can pass down, and under the trap section, not through the rodding eye!

 

[Roger465]

That's 14 pounds of fat - or 6.35029 kg in modern terms . Unfortunately your pic. is a bit dark down inside the "pit" . It does look a bit odd though - there would normally be a drain gully there.

I probably exaggerated a little – but only a little

possibly it is a rodable gully still with the sump still full of fat

View attachment 138531

Right... but it goes off to the left, and the water drains away to the right...

Osma type Bottle gulley, hole is for rodding/jetting access downstream. Under normal circumstances the bung should sit in it to seal the drain off. It's only a push fit, should have a slight 'shoulder' on it to locate on the plastic lip around the hole. Needs to go back in or you'll be ventilating yours drains through the gulley, could whiff a bit.

Need to clean all the crud out so the water can pass down, and under the trap section, not through the rodding eye!

Cheers. But the "away" drain is defiitely on the opposite side to that thing, ie on the right.

There is another drain a couple of yards to the left of this lot... could it be to rod the drain between the two?

 

[Ian H]

If it definitely runs out to the left then your gullys a back inlet that's on backwards. It should 100% run out to the left as we look at the picture.

Your kitchen pipe enters too low too.

Have you got apic of the right side of it?

 

[Roger465]

You know, as I get older, I really should learn never to use words like "definitely"

That's how it looked... but I'll check it tomorrow, and try and take better pics. What you're saying makes sense now though, when I think about it. Off to the right is the utility room with another sink and the washing machine, and off to the left is an external drain under a drainpipe, then even further to the left is the ground sloping away, and a big manhole cover, so I guess it WOULD drain that way... got me thinking now

 

[Nige F]

You know, as I get older, I really should learn never to use words like "definitely"

well I've definitely not seen a setup like it . Maybe lifting the manhole lid and running the sink may reveal something

 

[Roger465]

OK… not sure these pics are any better, my phone’s crap. The one of the drain shows where the kitchen sink (which is directly above this) comes out (red circle). The blue circle (OK, oval) shows roughly the area which was completely full of fat.

As you suspected, I was wrong earlier about the water draining away to the right – I think I thought that because that was where the fat was, and when I cleared it, the water started flowing again. But I guess it was actually stopping the water going under the hatch thing to the left (yellow arrow)…?

The other pic shows the general layout outside. The red drain is the one in the first pic; the other one (yellow) drains the utility room sink, which is about 6 feet off to the right (green arrow).

Off to the left (blue arrow) is a 3rd drain, which I think is just for the roof gutter – then two big circular manhole covers are further along that way, down the hill a bit. There’s also some kind of drain cover beside these drains, as you can see (question mark).

I can’t see where the water actually goes from any of the drains – it doesn't seem to flow from one to the other, for example.

Any info very welcome

 

[Nige F]

Logically the manhole with the ? is the one to lift because the kitchen sink and utility room "should" go into there. The picture is indeed better but all I can see is a glazed stoneware "pot" part of which is under your red marking What we are trying to determine is the presence of a water seal to your drains - like a large version of your under sink trap Refer back to Hugh Jaleaks post and Bernard's diagram.

 

[Roger465]

…all I can see is a glazed stoneware "pot" part of which is under your red marking.

Ah right, sorry about that

All there is behind the red mark is a circular hole in the wall, with a pipe sticking out about ¼”. That’s where the water comes out from the kitchen sink, which is directly above said pipe.

I’ll re-visit this some time in the summer, lift covers and things, and see how it all fits together – but lifting the massive “fat baby” out has allowed the water to drain freely, so I’m going to have to attend to more pressing DIY jobs now!

Thanks for all your help, much appreciated

 

[Nige F]

I’ll re-visit this some time in the summer, lift covers and things, and see how it all fits together – but lifting the massive “fat baby” out has allowed the water to drain freely, so I’m going to have to attend to more pressing DIY jobs now!

Fat Baby - You should see the film Eraserhead- reminds me of the baby in that Do report back when you do it.

 

[Roger465]

Fat Baby - You should see the film Eraserhead- reminds me of the baby in that Do report back when you do it.

Eraserhead.. wow, been a long time since I saw that