Blocked outside drain

[fhills]

I think I may have a blockage in a drain - the one my kitchen sink and washing machine drain into.

Have peered into it in the past and the water in the hole outside seemed higher than it should be and now occasionally it overflows.

The kitchen sink has long drained slowly but I think this is because of the outside issue.

Before I call in the "professionals" anyone got any idea what I can try myself?

With physical stuff/chemicals whatever?

If it comes down to the "professionals" anyone idea how much it might cost in south London?

Or can recommend anyone?

As always with these things I am wary of being taken for a ride by someone making a simple to fix problem more complicated/expensive than it should be to solve.

[Kim]

The drain is a U-bend (or bottle trap), and may just be full of silt.  Removing that is an exercise in getting up to your armpit in urgh.

Failing that, drain rods.

Failing that take off and nuke the site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

Chemistry sometimes helps, but generally just means you're going to have to mechanically unblock a thing full of corrosive urgh.

The first thing to do is find out what's going on at the manhole downstream from the drain.  Is it receiving a mere trickle, or full of nasty?  That'll tell you where the problem is.


Slow sink drainage is probably unrelated.  If the sink could drain properly, the gully would just overflow.

[PeteB99]

What Kim said.

Chances are the sink drain is blocked with the same crap that is blocking the outside drain.

[Aunt Maud]

Hose + mains pressure.

Some may get excited, but it works.

[rafletcher]

Is this an open drain - ie with a grating? If yes, then it should, as it’s taking kitchen waste, have a fat trap. Long gloves are recommended, fat for the removal of. It doesn’t smell much tho. If it’s an underground gully accesssed by a manhole it shouldn’t have any lying water in it. As Kim says see if you can find the next point down. Rods are cheap tho.

We had a blocked foul drain - takes all our waste - but because the drain takes waste from several properties before entering the main sewer, only the water authority could deal with it, and that we were told by the first drain clearing company we contacted. As it was a shared drain they roded it, and as it happened the blockage was local to the manway. I asked about jetting, but the guy said they tried not to do that as the pressure could force waste back into other properties.

[fhills]

Thanks for the replies folks.

To my utter surprise have managed to sort it myself.

Will post more when on a proper keyboard.

[Canardly]

Turn your washing machine up to max temp every now and then and run it through.

[Nick H.]

One Shot ftw. 91% sulphuric acid.

[Jurek]

One Shot ftw. 91% sulphuric acid.

What's your advice on clearing that up in the event that it hasn't worked?

[Nick H.]

Keep doing it until it does work. Or poke it with a stick so it drains away.

[Kim]

Not sodium hydroxide?  While I appreciate that nothing quite de-scales a London toilet like a strong dose of acid, I always thought that alkalies were the way to go for the hair/fat that usually causes trouble in the plughole.

Proper drains though, you've got to expect tree roots or sanitary towels or fatbergs or something...

[Nick H.]

I don't know chemistry, I've bought One Shot many times just because it's the strongest thing stocked by local shops.

If there's standing water I use a long skewer to poke a hole in the blockage.

I once blocked a u bend by flushing a large quantity of the wrong sort of cat litter. There was too much standing water for acid to be an option so I bought the cheapest available drain spring http://r.ebay.com/3exwCC and it worked within seconds. At 9 quid it was well worth the risk that I'd fail and have to pay for a professional.

[Feline]

I don't think the pros you get in would be thanking you very much for putting acid or alkali down there- very dangerous if they subsequently need to jet it!

I bought a full set of drain rods from Screwfix for that kind of problem- if fat burgs are the cause then poking it with a stick seems to be by far the most effective way (and scooping chunks of it out of the inspection chamber next in line of at all possible). Funnily enough my kitchen drain has not blocked since my ex husband moved out 10 years ago- I think he used to tip hot fat down the sink 

[Nick H.]

I only need One Shot because my plumbing is so useless that it gets blocked by hair. I can't imagine what I would have to do to need a jetting job. What on earth could you put down the sink that requires that??

[rr]

I only need One Shot because my plumbing is so useless that it gets blocked by hair. I can't imagine what I would have to do to need a jetting job. What on earth could you put down the sink that requires that??

In our house it the problem turned out to be that the previous owners had left a drain rod in it.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk

[Kim]

In our house it the problem turned out to be that the previous owners had left a drain rod in it.

I think you've just won the thread.   

[ian]

Not sodium hydroxide?  While I appreciate that nothing quite de-scales a London toilet like a strong dose of acid, I always thought that alkalies were the way to go for the hair/fat that usually causes trouble in the plughole.

Proper drains though, you've got to expect tree roots or sanitary towels or fatbergs or something...

Indeed, alkalis for fats. That said, the drain cleaner I bought was sulfuric acid. It didn't work on our slow outside drain anyway. I paid our handyman (because I'm not) to poke a big stick down there. Frankly, if it's a big lump, no chemical is likely to get inside, so mechanical removal will always be the best.

Ours seemed to be leaves and general organic matter plus washing powder. The latter a bit odd because we don't use washing powder. Presumably the soap had precipitated out from the liquid.

[LEE]

Any owners of Karcher pressure washers can buy drain-cleaning hose adapters (Karcher's own or cheaper Ebay variants).

The nozzle pattern is designed to force the nozzle forwards whilst cleaning as it goes.

Like this.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CBKqcgOfCQ

It's what Professionals use albeit theirs will run at industrial pressures much higher than a Karcher.  I've seen them on Ebay around £30 depending on hose length.  Just buy a length suitable to reach between drain covers.

If your drain gets blocked a lot then it may be worth buying one and using it every few months.

[Ham]

Any owners of Karcher pressure washers can buy drain-cleaning hose adapters (Karcher's own or cheaper Ebay variants).

The nozzle pattern is designed to force the nozzle forwards whilst cleaning as it goes.

Like this.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CBKqcgOfCQ

It's what Professionals use albeit theirs will run at industrial pressures much higher than a Karcher.  I've seen them on Ebay around £30 depending on hose length.  Just buy a length suitable to reach between drain covers.

If your drain gets blocked a lot then it may be worth buying one and using it every few months.

'sactly, although I would suggest once a year is sufficient for most (or, every other year). There are two added benefits. (1) You have confidence that in the even of a blockage the issue will be at the street end and therefore not your responsibility / cost when calling your water supplier. (2) You feel like a REEL GROWED UP PERSON cleaning your own drains when they aren't blocked

[Nick H.]

We need a Yacf drain tool library. No sense in each of us having our own kit. Happy to lend my spring to anyone who wants to pick  it up. It's clean-ish.

[rogerzilla]

If this is a gully (outside drain with a grille), the quickest and easiest way is this.

(click to show/hide)

MTFU and put your hand down there.  You will be scrubbing with a nail brush for a while afterwards but you'll have done it.

[Aunt Maud]

Indeed.  You may also find gold or diamonds too.

[ian]

Or get grabbed by the sewer monster.

[Canardly]

https://www.screwfix.com/p/keep-safe-pvc-16-gauntlets-red-large/13788

[fhills]

Thanks for all the replies folks - apologies for the tardy response.

And before I forget, thanks canardly for that link - I had the idea that such things existed beyond my darker dreams.

I used a spare one hand of some kitchen gloves.

Was disturbed initially on reaching down/probing to find that the probe appeared to hit something solid not too far below the surface. Oh no, I thought, total blockage of some sort.

Then discovered that there was a right angle turn/opening.

Removed various bits of I am still not quite sure what from that opening and now all is well.

Opened up the manhole at the end of the front patch of grass and can also see water running down through that.*

I do have one of those spring things which I picked up from Aldi ages ago with the idea that it might come in useful for something but couldn't get it to go round the 90 degree bend.

* Didn't have the tool/lever to open it/pull it up but discovered that a saddle rail I had kept after stupidly busting a brand new saddle (an entirely different cautionary tale) was just perfect for that job. Hang onto those bike tools - an "old fashioned" 1 inch headset spanner of mine is a perfect fit for the plastic nut on one of my toilet fittings.

Thanks again.