Remove debris from 6" drainage pipe

[NapoleonD]

Just had to fork out close to £300 on a plumber to unblock the drains. Down goes a 4" plunger, then a 6" plunger, then the water jet. After pulling out a toy car, a dinosaur, assorted other plastic bits and bobs, sticks etc, he looks down. The 4" pipe feeds into the 6" pipe about 5 feet below ground. Just below the outlet for the 4 inch pipe i can see a roof slate, a boulder and presumably other items below this.

Any ideas how i can remove these? I though a post-digger to tey and grip them, but it would need to be close to 6 to 7 feet tall which is unlikely, never mind the narrowness of the pipe.

Any other ideas?

Have to say my sister will also no longer be flushing bloody wet-wipes down the toilet (Christ, does no-one watch the news anymore?), but still i fear it is only a metter of time before we are in the garden paddling in a delightful sea of slurry again.

[DrFfybes]

Can you get a gully sucker in there? - basically a truck sized vacuum cleaner.

I've spent the afternoon vacuuming debris from a wall cavity as we were having the cills replaced. In some parts you could just reach in and pull it out. There was the front off a freezer drawer in there!

Filled 2 gardening trugs so far and am almost down to the damp course level

Paul (windering if it is time to update the 'Bodgetastic' thread)

[NapoleonD]

As long as the pipe is long enough to get through the hedge, then yes.

Looks expensive to hire?

[richardsun]

Are there any manholes or rodding points upstream or downstream on the 6" pipe run? If there's one downstream it might be possible to force the debris down to that (using drain rods or jetting) and fish it out there.
If it's a bad blockage of large stuff that can't be dislodged it might be a case of physically digging down to the blocked junction, breaking the drain open to unblock, and repairing afterwards. Not easy/cheap

[staffordian]

I'm assuming this drain only serves the one property?

We have one across our front garden into which our waste flows but it also serves the two properties 'upstream' of ours. If a blockage occurs after this point then the local water authority is responsible even though the drain is on our property.

I believe this principle applies throughout England.

[DrFfybes]

As long as the pipe is long enough to get through the hedge, then yes.

Looks expensive to hire?

I don't know domestic rates, but when we were clearing debris from road ducts our contract rate for a local visit was cheaper than your plumber. There are also things people like the Gas layers use to excavate soil from holes.

If you think a septic tank cost a couple of hundred quid to empty, then you're probably ot far off the mark.

Paul

[AsleepInYorkshire]

Just had to fork out close to £300 on a plumber to unblock the drains. Down goes a 4" plunger, then a 6" plunger, then the water jet. After pulling out a toy car, a dinosaur, assorted other plastic bits and bobs, sticks etc, he looks down. The 4" pipe feeds into the 6" pipe about 5 feet below ground. Just below the outlet for the 4 inch pipe i can see a roof slate, a boulder and presumably other items below this.

Any ideas how i can remove these? I though a post-digger to tey and grip them, but it would need to be close to 6 to 7 feet tall which is unlikely, never mind the narrowness of the pipe.

Any other ideas?

Have to say my sister will also no longer be flushing bloody wet-wipes down the toilet (Christ, does no-one watch the news anymore?), but still i fear it is only a metter of time before we are in the garden paddling in a delightful sea of slurry again.

1. Speak to a drain rodding company to see what alternatives they have - don't expect it to be a cheap solution although I hope I am proven wrong.
2. Leave it and simply make sure nothing that can get caught on the obstruction goes down the drain
3. Ban wet wipes - I stand to be corrected but even those that are supposed to disintegrate in water don't
4. Excavate and remove the obstructions

Sorry I can't be of much more help.

AiY(D)

[BullDog]

I especially recommend a banning of putting wipes down the toilet. We occasionally have had drain blockage and everytime it's happened, lifting the nearest access shows it's clogged with wet wipes where there's a change in direction of flow in the drain.

[bungeejumper]

I'm assuming this drain only serves the one property?

We have one across our front garden into which our waste flows but it also serves the two properties 'upstream' of ours. If a blockage occurs after this point then the local water authority is responsible even though the drain is on our property.

Yes, that's been our experience too. (Somerset.)

Same gripe about wet wipes, except that the tenant in question had upped her game and was flushing whole nappies. Oh, and we had Buchan traps in the pipes, which always add to the fun. https://www.labc.co.uk/sites/default/fi ... k=e69SIG_W.

BJ

[NapoleonD]

I'm assuming this drain only serves the one property?

We have one across our front garden into which our waste flows but it also serves the two properties 'upstream' of ours. If a blockage occurs after this point then the local water authority is responsible even though the drain is on our property.

I believe this principle applies throughout England.

We're in Scotland, and I beleive where the drain is serves ourselves and our semi-detached neighbour. Will check tonight as I ask them to flush their toilets and see if the flow runs into 'our' pipe. Will call Scottish Water and see if they can roll up with a gully cleaner. If not, it's excavation time, which I really want to avoid.

[SPURLEY]

Hello you may be able to get some more help from https://www.diynot.com/diy/

[pompeygazza]

would this be any good? 2m long.

https://www.discountedcleaningsupplies.co.uk/extra-long-reach-mechanical-gripper-200cm-contico-oflp2001l-contico-oflp2001l?ppc_keyword=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI4dqQqJip_QIVluvtCh13kwo9EAQYBiABEgL0HfD_BwE

[bungeejumper]

Similar idea, but flexible rather than stiff. And 2.5 metres long, with a "humanized design" (Oo-er, missus. ) What's more, the Amazon blurb tells us that this "snake-shaped sewage drill" is "recommended to do it one to two times a week". My eyes are watering at the thought.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hemobllo-Flexi ... 08P8MCMN9/

BJ

[Moosehoosenew]

Bit late to the party, but Scotland similar to England, if your drain is shared then Scottish Water will clear it

[kempiejon]

I reckon I could repurpose a long handled pruner by adding a noose at the end to try and loop out obstructions but only with a good view of the blockages. My wet and dry builders vacuum has at least 3m of reach and pretty strong suction buy would need a good seal to pull out a boulder

[9873210]

only with a good view of the blockages.

A borescope (camera on a stick) can be had for a surprisingly low price.

IMHO borescopes should be in more tool boxes, even for mundane tasks such as retrieving pens from behind the fridge, although you'd probably want a second borescopes for sewer diving.

[NapoleonD]

Update!

Called Scottish Water at the start of last week, they turned up the following day with a 3m hook that they couldn't manoeuvre into position. Off he trots, saying he'll report back.

The 6" has been overflowing again, but today the SP gully sucker turned up. Out came a roof slate and a huge black boulder, which they've taken away as some sort of weird trophy. Filled up the kitchen sink and watched the drain as Mrs N pulled the plug, no rise in the water level so all appears to be good. Will check it every couple of weeks from now on.

Thanks all for the tips.

[DrFfybes]

Can you get a gully sucker in there?

Update

The 6" has been overflowing again, but today the SP gully sucker turned up. Out came a roof slate and a huge black boulder, which they've taken away as some sort of weird trophy.

[Kryten] Engage Smug Mode [/Kryten]

Erm, yeah, you probably don't want to see their 'Trophy Cabinet".

FWIW I pulled the front off a freezer drawer out of our wall cavity a week or so ago. You do wonder.

Paul

[Dod101]

Can you get a gully sucker in there?

Update

The 6" has been overflowing again, but today the SP gully sucker turned up. Out came a roof slate and a huge black boulder, which they've taken away as some sort of weird trophy.

[Kryten] Engage Smug Mode [/Kryten]

Erm, yeah, you probably don't want to see their 'Trophy Cabinet".

FWIW I pulled the front off a freezer drawer out of our wall cavity a week or so ago. You do wonder.

Paul

Clearly you have an interesting cavity. I have no cavities.

Dod

[NapoleonD]

FWIW I pulled the front off a freezer drawer out of our wall cavity a week or so ago. You do wonder.

Paul

A few years ago we had a visit from whoever was running around the houses doing free installs of cavity insulation.

Inspection holes are drilled and a camera inserted to see if there's anything inside.

On the extension, built by the previous owner, among some of the other surprises he conferred on us, he's lined the cavity with bubble wrap.