Help! Overflowing Drain!

katiepops_2

My outside drain is overflowing and has flooded some of the garden. Naturally it's very smelly!

Colin has had a poke around in the drain with a big stick and can't seem to find anything obvious that could be blocking it - our first thought was that one of the kids had chucked a brick down there, but it doesn't seem obvious if they have.

Anyone have any ideas on how we can shift whatever the blockage is so that the water drains away (and also so that I can put the washing machine on) - is there any special moneysaving way of doing it with vinegar and bicarb, for example, that I don't know about??

Many thanks!

Kate

Magentasue

Maybe you'd get more help on the In My Home board? There seem to be a number of tradesmen who post helpful replies there - maybe not old style though. It sounds more of a caustic soda than vinegar job to me but maybe not if kids are around? Sorry, this isn't very helpful.

tom_and_barbara_good

as an interim measure, I think that 2 kettles of boiling water might help

VH

Check if either of your neighbour's drains are overflowing as well. This could indicate a blockage in the main drain rather than the trap in your garden.

If it seems to be just your drain, then put a thick pair of waterproof gloves on (or wrap a plastic bag around your hand), and have a feel around the bottom of your drain gulley. Chances are it could be a clump of fat or hair which is blocking things up - you wouldn't spot this by poking around with a stick.

If you can't find anything then try feeding a hosepipe into the u-bend in the drain and blasting it on full power, this will break up any smaller blockages. A pressure washer is also good for this but it can damage the drain gulley so use it on a lower power.

If still no joy then I'd call an expert in, they will unblock a main drain in less than an hour. If your neighbours drains are overflowing as well then they should stump up some of the cost.

Luis

A few weeks ago, we had this - OH tried the poking bit, and the hose bit, sadly to no avail. What worked was getting an old mop and sort of thrashing it up and down 'plunger stylee' into the drain. This shifted the blockage, which was followed up with copious amounts of hot water and washing up liquid, bicarb etc, the purchase of a plughole guard to prevent yukky bits going down the plughole, and close questioning of the OH as to where he disposed of fat and oil from roasting pans etc (guess).

HTH.

Ticklemouse

Luis wrote:

, and close questioning of the OH as to where he disposed of fat and oil from roasting pans etc (guess).

Eeeewww - tell him that it's him who has been feeding the sewer rats - they LURVE people who bung fat down the drain. The fat accumulates and is like a ready made larder for them.

culpepper

when we lived in a victorian house ,the waterboard came and cleared the drain for free (something to do with the age of the pipework,most of which was lead) it fed into the sewer so the overflowing was not pleasant.
My OH did clear it once with an old hose to use as a kind of dynorod but the real blockage turned out to be someone had demolished their outside loo and all the bricks had been allowed to fall into the drain.
What about that mr muscle drain cleaner that is supposed to be an expanding foam liquid?

System

Magentasue wrote:

Maybe you'd get more help on the In My Home board? There seem to be a number of tradesmen who post helpful replies there - maybe not old style though. It sounds more of a caustic soda than vinegar job to me but maybe not if kids are around? Sorry, this isn't very helpful.

Good idea Magentasue, i will move this post into the Home section as it needs a bit more help than we can probably provide on here.

moggins

It might not seem very money saving but we had this problem last year, I tried everything and couldn't shift the blockage and rang round every company I could find to get a reasonable quote, loads of over £50 quotes later I popped over to the local hardware store and spent £20 on a set of drain rods which had the job done within 30 seconds and I have them safely stored in case it ever happens again.

katiepops_2

Only £20 for drain rods? Wow, Colin told me they'd be over £60 (though it wouldn't surprise me if he was just plucking figures out of thin air, he usually is).

Our house is victorian too - if we have no luck clearing the blockage tomorrow (we've both been out at work all day today) then maybe I'll investigate the age of the pipework, though I'd be happy forking out £20 for drain rods.

I'm a bit disgusted though that he refuses to stick his hand down there and see if there's any gunk that can be pulled free - he reckons I should do it instead - now there's chivalry for you, I don't think.

Thanks for your suggestions, I'll let you know what eventually works.

Kate

VH

Be careful with the drain rods though. I know someone who used them a few years ago and snapped then end off one in the drain! It was well and truly blocked then, they had to dig it up!