Seriously blocked drain urgent help needed.

[fuzzywuzzy]

I've already started a thread on chat, but was pointed here.

I'll copy & paste my thread from chat.

The outside drain which carries out waste water from my kitchen sink and washing machine is overflowing.

I went to unblock it, usually it's just leaves, and have found it full to the brim with what looks like crap, probably mud.

Firstly I have NO idea how this is even possible.

More urgently how do I deal with it, shovel out the crap?

Pour a tub of caustic soda down it?

Please help.

It's utterly disgusting & I need to fix it immediately.

is it the large pipe that goes underground or the smaller pipe that usually comes out of the wall? If the large pipe, you need a set of rods (usually about £15 from a DIY shop) and unblock a bit like sweeping a chimney. Usually the root cause is fat from dishwasher etc. Caustic soda can help but not too strong as it can melt plastic pipes, and it needs time to work. Sometimes boiling water and biological washing powder helps too.

You also need to know where the blockage is. Can you find the manhole cover it leads to (there will be one) and lift that as well? If you can, and that is clear, you know that the blockage is between there and your wall.

I'm guessing from your description that the waste pipes from your kitchen and washing machine discharge into an open drain covered with a small grid. If that's correct then you need to get your hand in and start clearing out the gunge. Wear a thick pair of gloves like these.

The cover over the drain should stop debris getting in so check if it's damaged.

I've got Thames water coming to take a look thankfully. Someone suggested on my other thread I ring them.

It's masses of crap that's over flowing from the drain.

The drain is covered.

The drain water rises when I flush the toilet (someone suggested I do that to see if it affects the drain).

I think going by all the replies on my other thread that there's a block from the main drain right outside my house which is affecting my drain.

I am so not putting my hand down that drain, I tried scooping out the 'debris' and it filled two bags and was still way above the actual hole.

It's truly disgusting.

I hope Thames water can sort it for me.

It is easy to tell if it is the mains drain - lift the manhole cover (usually located between your house and the road) and see if the area there is full of crap. if it is, it is the mains drain backing up. If it is not, it probably isn't and Thames will charge you quite a lot for looking. I had a bill over £300 for this sort of thing once. If it is the mains, I would expect neighbours to have similar issues.

Thames fixed it, it was the main pipe.

The manhole cover thing is in neighbours side.

Thankfully it's all cleared up now.

Thank you for all your suggestions.

Thank goodness for that. We are on a septic tank and I can tell you I have touched things no woman ever should.

Oh god, I was trying to clear my outside drain myself first, I did NOT touch the crap, but was using a spoon to scoop it out...I gave up as it wasn't helping.

I can tell you it's going to take a while to feel properly clean again!

Yuck!