Help! Blocked drain!

[PiafPilaf]

About a month ago we noticed smelly water coming from underneath the gravel on our drive. Water company came out and unblocked it, saying there were baby wipes down there (neither of us have ever thrown wipes down the loo so not sure how they ft there). Fortunately they didn't charge us as they did the work while we were out so we hadn't authorised it :-)

It is now happening again. We categorically haven't thrown any wipes or fat etc down the loo or sink since they last came and I really don't know how it's happened again this quickly. It is definitely coming from the manhole on our drive - we get a small river every time we use the shower. Is there anything we can do or do we have to call them out again and this time pay the £90?

Is your drain shared with neighbours?
It sounds like they are flushing stuff down there.

Purchase your own set of drain rids for £20 and wear rubber gloves and wellies. Not fun, but easy.

Sorry damn autocorrect drain rods.

The water company normally leaflet after they've unblocked a drain and found non-flushables in it. If they didn't do that last time you could ask them to do it this time. Do you know how your drains run, and who might run into that one and be responsible for the wipes?

If the blocked drain is a lateral one then unfortunately it's your responsibility to arrange. As a PP suggested you could try to clear yourself with rods but you need to be careful and use them properly so you don't end up loosing a length. Rods will only really work for soft blockages too, if it's a hard blockage you need HPWJ carried out by a competent person.

Thanks. Tried with rods but it didn't work so called water board out. They say we need to change the u bend pipe to a straight one. Agh ££££

I'd be wanting to know where the blocking material is coming from before paying for any physical changes.

If you haven't put the stuff down the drain, then someone else has.

Is this a new problem? Have you got new neighbours, or neighbours with a new baby and using wipes?

Speak to your neighbours whose drains might be joined to your site.

It's only connected to our house. Water board has said they will 'monitor the situation' (ie if it happens again they might have consider doing something about it). Is it possible that the wipes have been there since before we moved in in 2013?!?! We categorically haven't thrown anything except water and loo roll down there!

Fat and wipes can stay in there until they are moved so yes easily could have been there since pre 2013.

If you have a jet washer (or a know some one you can borrow one off) you can buy a drain jetting attachment, I paid 15 pound for one at screwfix. They're a lot less hassle than rods and sounds like it might be a recuring problem.
If it does keep happening it might be worth getting a camera put down the drain to see if a free root or something is causing the blockages.