Drainage pipes

Apoorwoman

We live in the country and are on cesspit drainage. Periodically, our drainage system clogs up, roughly every three months or so. I only use liquid washing powder and liquid dishwasher tabs, but the build up in the drainage pipes is a really solid debris. Can anyone recommend something that we can periodically flush through to stop this happening? I am careful not to let any fats go down the kitchen sink, but inevitably some must do I suppose.

I am wary to use anything too strong as our cesspit is a giant submerged yellow submarine made of fibreglass. Has anyone had a similar problem and found either the cause or a solution. Thank you for your time reading this.

manda1205

We used to have the same problem and we found no solution. We just had to unblock it with rods every so many months. We have since done an extension and re-routed the drains, the new pipework has never got blocked. We suspect the old pipework either didn't have enough fall or the pipes were broken somewhere.

Davesnave

We have an appalling fall on the drain from kitchen to the rear of the building where there's a second inspection chamber. It takes two minutes for water leaving the sink to arrive there. Despite that, we've never had a blockage in 7 years on that pipe run,

For that reason, I don't think pipework used normally and in good condition blocks, so I'd agree there's likely to be a bit of damage somewhere that's leading to the recurrent problem.

missile

You might want to consider employing a contractor to carry out an internal inspection using a camera. This my identify the issue with your pipework.

tonyh66

if you are on a cesspit there is no drainage its just a big tank you should empty every time its full.

If you are on a septic tank, this does have drainage from the tank, but its important it doesn't get clogged otherwise it doesn't perculate the effluent. you should empty the tank at regular intervals we get ours done once per year.
If your drainage field is clogged you could get someone in to jet the pipes which may unblock it.

Davesnave

tonyh66 wrote: »

if you are on a cesspit there is no drainage its just a big tank you should empty every time its full.

If you are on a septic tank, this does have drainage from the tank, but its important it doesn't get clogged otherwise it doesn't perculate the effluent. you should empty the tank at regular intervals we get ours done once per year.
If your drainage field is clogged you could get someone in to jet the pipes which may unblock it.

OP seems to be talking about the drain between the house and the cesspit.

It is possible that the OP has confused septic tanks and cess pits, as some people use the words interchangeably, but I assume people know which they mean, until they prove they don't!

Apoorwoman

Davesnave wrote: »

OP seems to be talking about the drain between the house and the cesspit.

It is possible that the OP has confused septic tanks and cess pits, as some people use the words interchangeably, but I assume people know which they mean, until they prove they don't!

It is a cesspit, sealed underground tank that we have emptied twice a year.

Thank you all for your advice. But, does anyone know of any safe product we can use to flush through perhaps once a month (as well as rodding), would soda crystals, or similar, be safe to use on a fibreglass tank?

Davesnave

Apoorwoman wrote: »

It is a cesspit, sealed underground tank that we have emptied twice a year.

Thank you all for your advice. But, does anyone know of any safe product we can use to flush through perhaps once a month (as well as rodding), would soda crystals, or similar, be safe to use on a fibreglass tank?

As it is a cesspit, not a septic tank, soda crystals dissolved in hot water should be fine.