Rainwater drain totally blocked (probably beyond repair)

Joined
13 Jan 2009
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Location
Surrey
Country
United Kingdom
Hi Folks,

Just moved into a new (old) house 6 wks ago. Survey pulled up a few issues but gradually finding more and more. It was built in (roughly) 1930s.

The most recent is that the rainwater downpipe at the back of the house discharges into a drain which is totally blocked with roots and soil.

The survey said that the rainwater discharges into the foul sewer and I can see one entrance to the inspection chamber which has some crud in it (looks like soil, etc) - looks like nothing has flowed through there for a while.

I called out Dynorod to take a look and they had a go at jetting it from within the inspection chamber. Almost immediately bits of clay pipe and rubble started coming out and their diagnosis was that it has collapsed (probably correct).

Anyway - in the short term there is no way I can afford to have the rainwater drain replaced. It would require digging up the whole patio and relaying it. There are many other problems (e.g. electrics, damp, general DIY bodgeness) that also need money!

Since the gulley where the rainwater discharges into this drain is all knackered, rainwater is actually flowing around the drain and into the soil very close to the house. I have no idea how long it has been like this but am keen to stop water going down into the foundations as soon as possible.

One idea I had as a shortish term solution (e.g. maybe for next 5 years until patio can be done - that's all knackered too) is to install a water butt to collect the rainwater and connect the overflow with some flexible tube (e.g. hosepipe or conduit) to another drain around the side of the house (approx 10m away). If necessary I could also pop a garden pump in there to force the water down the pipe once it reached a certain level.

Any suggestions/other better ideas?

Ta!
 
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If you had deep flow gutter you could block the running outlet on that pipe and see if the water would carry round to the other downpipe. Long shot, but you never know.
 

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