Drain unblocking

Calleja

Hi all,


I live in a fairly old house (approx. 1910) and I have a blocked drain. I know nothing about drains but its the one that the sinks feed into, and water is backing up and overflowing over the grate.


I've tried putting my arm in and although I don't really know whats 'normal' I can feel an opening at the bottom of the hole which I assume is where it drains away and that seems clear, so guessing its further along. (I have read there should be a u-bend but maybe not in old houses??)


I don't have any manholes in my property, nor can I see any close by.


Was going to try hot water and caustic soda when I got home, but reluctant to start prodding around with anything else in case I cause more damage.


Can anyone give me a rough figure as to what I can expect to pay an expert to unblock? Don't have much time to shop around and get quotes so just want to know I'm not being ripped off.


Thanks.

rach_k

I paid £70 for a local drain unblocker to clean our drains in South West London. That was probably a year ago so may have gone up a little. I thought it was well worth the money. He accessed the man holes at the front and back of the house and gave them a thorough power washing and checked everything was running well. He offered to do it from upstairs too but there was no need. He had a van full of equipment and it was a fixed fee. I don't know what the situation would be if you don't have access to man holes though. Is there nothing in a neighbouring garden, under a table or something perhaps?

marc81

I always find throwing a few buckets of hot water down does the trick... the key word here being 'throwing'... don't just pour it down, you need a bit of force behind it to dislodge whatever is causing the problem - probably a clump of leaves and fat.

EssexExile

Drain Doctor give you a fixed price quote. Unusually they gave a better service than local companies I've used.

Calleja

Thanks all. I'll check re the manholes. Is it possible that there really isn't one? If so, is this going to be a problem, even for the professionals?


I dug up my survey from 3 years ago and it mentions that he couldn't find any inspection chambers either, but it does imply he didn't look beyond the boundaries of the house (which is fair enough I guess).

casper_g

It's quite possible that there is an inspection chamber somewhere, but it's been paved owner by a previous occupant. If there are similar houses next door that were built at the same time, then checking where their inspection chambers are may give clues.

SailorSam

When i was doing work once and couldn't find any manhole, a neighbour who had been in her house since they were first built pointed me towards the garden, it had been turfed over and if you looked carefully you could see the grass a pale shade of green where it was only a couple of inches of earth.
Ask your neighbours if they know where their drains run.
It's a horrible job but when i've had to put my hand down the grid, after about a foot is the U bend and i had to pull out leaves/papers/pebbles. Someone mentioned 'fat' earlier, don't ever throw that down the drain, wrap it up in newspaper and put in the bin.

DaftyDuck

Hosepipe? You can often get your hand down, as you have, and feel the upwards-pointing outflow. Try getting a stick round there, and it's impossible. But, a nice flexible garden hose will bend its way around. Fix other end to garden tap, turn it on hard and fast, and all sorts of unholy mess will get washed back. Turn it off. Scoop up the worst, stick arm down again, and push the hose further. Repeat and rinse - literally.

Le_Kirk

Is there any information on your house deeds showing drain pipes and possible inspection chambers.

Heedtheadvice

Just go for the caustic soda (and cold water) for starters and then follow up with hot water to flush it all out afterwards!
70p vs £70 ...........no contest unless it fails to work and then you can still put your hand in your pocket, money SAVING is the clue in the website name........

phil24_7

It is entirely possible that there is no inspection chamber. When I moved in to my 1895 house, 7 years ago, there was no inspection chambers. Just 1 rodding point half way down my long garden. This rodding point had been installed by the previous owner due to a blockage. There wasn't even a chamber at the end of the garden where it meets the main sewer, though the neighbour has one.

It now has an inspection chamber at the front by the main soil stack and 1 at the back, just behind my extension, meaning there is a clear straight run to the main sewer which will be easy to clear should the need arise.