Gulley outside our kitchen is backing up and depositing grease/food in the garden. Have tried drain cleaner and caustic soda and it still hasn’t cleared it. Manhole down the run is full of water. I have drain rods but haven’t used them yet (only found the blockage on Sunday late afternoon). Don’t fancy tackling it on an evening in the dark so planning on trying on Saturday (water is draining but slowly so we can get by till then).

So, I know I should go *up* from the blockage but I don’t have access to (or idea where it might be) the next manhole in the run.

Question is – how best do I deal with it?

Cheers for any help…

how old is your house, anything pre a certain date (1950 ish i think) is the water authorities responsibility and they have to come out and clear.

our are knackered victorian drain and I have to get them out two-three times a year to jet them.

Hot water, and then more hot water.

It’s modern – mid 1980s and tried hot water too

No , it’s the ‘More’ hot water that shifts it 😉

Just remember to keep twisting the drain rods clockwise!

I favour the double corkscrew attachment, then the 4″ dia. plug
</Julian Clary>

Get yer drain rods out, I had exactly the same problem. I started from the front of the house by lifting a rectangular drain cover, that meant I could get in and rodded each drain. Then went to the back and did that. The rods can go round 90 degree bends. Didn’t use the attachments and didn’t need to, strangely satisfying job. I am not a professional.

Make sure you’re ready for the whoosh!
Funniest ever drain clearing was with the big boss. Shitty water was literally brimming from a lid. He decided he needed to lift it to see, I said what’s the point lets go downstream and rod. Nope I want to lift this one he says. Okey dokey. M/hole key each lifting lid and oops his slips out, his half of lid drops snuggly back into the frame whilst spraying a little bit of poo water into his mouth.
How I 😆

Any shared drain, ie if neighbours drains use the same line then it is an adopted drain and the responsibility of the water authority, nothing to do with the age of the property. If you are the head of the run it will be your drain and your responsibility. Just rod from the full manhole downstream, forget the hot water, waste of time, it will probably be a bung of fat or tissue that just needs a little help on its way .

As ‘silvershredder’ says above concerning shared drains, however if your property was built pre Oct 1937 the Utility Co is responsible for maintaining drains.

We have had ours cleaned every two to three years and the issue is actually 50m away through next doors drains and out to where the sewer drains out to the road. If you had a similar issue there is no way you can DIY. These guys have industrial line, high pressure blasters and cameras to see where the issue it, what it is and cutting tools for roots.

Personally I would rod within your property, no attachments to start remembering to twist as you send it don and not how much distance you gain before any obstruction. if you do hit something and can release the blockage consider digging it up at some point and repairing whatever the issue is as it will reoccur within a few very short years.

If nothing is evident obviously within you grounds, talk to your neighbours and ask to lift a few manholes. to see where the problem may be. Try to determine whether you are on the end of a run and feeding into a shared drain. You can sort of do this by where you are located in the road etc. but it isn’t always apparent.

Then ring the utility company especially if you think it is a problem off your property or a public sewer. They should give you good advice.I’m waitin in today for them to return with a special cutting tool 🙂

Bump – any further ideas before I go up to my elbows in shit?

Got a pressure washer?

I had a blockage a couple of months back (main house drain thankfully, not toilet) which I figured was an accumulation of hair/coffee grounds/leaves and other stuff. Spent a thankless hour with a drain augur before plugging in the pressure washer, pointing the hose down into the drain and firing it on. WOOOSH! Cleared in a second.

There is this bad boy (I have a pressure washer) that I was considering, but want to try to do it manually first if I can

http://www.screwfix.com/p/karcher-drain-gutter-cleaning-kit/91778

WOOOSH!

the biggest danger with this approach is blow-back.

I knew some people in a rented house in Bristol where the entire bathroom got pebble dashed after some cowboy though he could clear a collapsed drain by turning the pressure on his new bit of drain clearing kit right up. They even had to hose the roof down where it came put the top of the soil pipe.

Do not shove a hose or pressure washer into a drain.

Personally, I’d call the water board and get them to come and sort it. If it’s their responsibility it’s free, if it’s yours you’ll pay. They should tell you how much up front.

Our shared drain has been blocking up for years every 3 months or so. My neighbour used to rod it but got fed up with it. I didn’t fancy doing it so called Thames Water. Very nice bloke turned up with a big lorry, investigated it, cleared it with a high pressure hose working back from the first empty manhole and it’s remained clear for more than a year now.

http://www.thameswater.co.uk/help-and-advice/9781.htm

how much did that cost you out of interest? I fully intend on not contacting DynoRod or the likes….

Where are you?

I use a bloke who does west sussex and Brighton areas I use who’s good and value for money.

Harrogate

bit off his patch!

Use hydraulic pressure. Fit the rubber disc on the end of the rods and push it into the outflow at the nearest manhole upstream of the blockage. Then push.

If there’s a full intermediate manhole hidden under soil or gravel in between you and the blockage this hydraulic pumping action will easily lift the cover – guess how I know this?

One Shot drain cleaner works well for me in the house.
Saying that, if a main drain then get your sleeves rolled up and get roding.
The whoosh is satisfying

+1 for a pressure washer.

if it’s a 1980s house, and its within your boundary it’s unlikely to be the water company’s responsibility unless you have a shared drain.

(There was a change in legislation a few years ago (Oct 2011) that meant they water companies are responsible for shared drains, so if it is shared, phone them up).

As above you are best roding then pressure washing it, but a) watch out for blow back and b) what you want to try and do is catch the blockage at the next manhole (if possible) else it will just go down the line and could block again.

If it doesn’t go, remember it may be tree roots which really would need to be cut out so it doesn’t happen again.

.