Property/DIY
Outside blocked kitchen drain weekly
Holibobs11 · 12/03/2023 14:25
Every weekend we notice that the outside drain is blocked and overflowing. It is the only visible drain out the back and it looks like the kitchen sink and dishwasher run into it, plus we have an outside tap. My husband has been unblocking it with the special rods but then it blocks again by the next weekend. Who do i call? Water board or a drain company or a plumber? Have never had this before in previous properties so clueless. We are careful with keeping debris out of the sink. Apparently the previous owners often complained of blocked drains but i dont know details
thanks
ImCrunchyOnTheOutside · 12/03/2023 16:24
when he rods it, can he identify any debris once it starts shifting? It could be people further up the street if it’s shared drains.
I know our insurance says we are responsible for drain issues on our property. If it’s been going on a while it could be expensive. Maybe try some of the fixes on here first if insurers say you would have to pay to call someone out.
www.riderdrains.co.uk/why-do-my-drains-keep-blocking/
RollerCoaster2020 · 12/03/2023 16:25
It's a drain company job.
I've watched about 50 of these and it's likely there are tree roots somewhere or a blockage from a toy or or paper or fat or something.
Warning several of these may make you gag or be sick because they're pretty disgusting.
SpaceNambo · 12/03/2023 16:43
Do not call your insurer first... 🙄Try giving it a really good clean out physically, as far as you can reach. Then put Bicarb down and lots of hot water. Also, if you have an inspection hatch at any point, lift the manhole cover and see what's flowing past.
C4tastrophe · 12/03/2023 16:52
SpaceNambo · 12/03/2023 16:43
Do not call your insurer first... 🙄Try giving it a really good clean out physically, as far as you can reach. Then put Bicarb down and lots of hot water. Also, if you have an inspection hatch at any point, lift the manhole cover and see what's flowing past.
It’s an outside drain, not a u-bend.
trulyunruly01 · 12/03/2023 17:19
We had this once. We were on a chain of 5 houses and we were nearest where the drain met the sewer in the road.
People further up the chain were putting ghee and oil down their sink in liquid form but by the time it reached us it had cooled enough to solidify. Thus we were the first drain to be blocked, we would call the water board (who were very helpful) and the people up the line were not yet affected (so constantly denied it was anything to do with them). The water board used cameras to see what was happening.
If you have British Gas homecare you may also have opted in to the Dynorod cover so could call them out to take a look.
Tricyrtis2022 · 12/03/2023 17:24
We had Dynorod out when our drain got blocked and they put a camera down and claimed it was blocked with face wipes. Firstly, we are the only property on that drain and, secondly, I've never used a face wipe in my life. They also made the blockage worse by blasting it back towards the house.
AcrossthePond55 · 12/03/2023 19:06
Are there any large trees in the vicinity? Ours turned out to be a root from a large tree the trunk of which was about 30 feet away. The root was growing through the drain pipe. They brought in a BIG sewer snake a couple of times to clean it out but it kept growing back. Eventually we had to have the area dug up, the tree root completely cut & removed about 5 feet back from the pipe, and then the section of pipe replaced. Haven't had a problem since.
Fizzadora · 12/03/2023 19:12
If your drains are shared with neighbours before they reach the main drain on the footpath outside your house then your utility company are responsible. It's worth giving them a call first before you pay any money out as they will check if the blockage is further up the line and their responsibility.
If they say it isn't then call a drain company.
Jack1975 · 12/03/2023 22:29
Definitely contact your water supplier first. I've had a couple of issues, the first time I called my insurers and paid £50 call-out fee for Dyno Rod who couldn't resolve the issue. Contacted my water supplier and they resolved the issue for free and the problem was further down the road which was causing me to have problems, they advised me to always call them first.
Surplus2requirements · 13/03/2023 14:54
Gully for kitchen waste is often a u bend unless it's a modern plastic one with a removable insert. I assume your husband is clearing the bottom of the trap but can't get anything much past the top of the bend.
If it is the old clay type the only way to properly clear past the bend is to rod it from the nearest inspection chamber down using a half moon scraper to pull out obstructions.
The company that replaced the waterboard in your area are responsible for all pipework up to the last shared inspection chamber. Even if your in a shared services row of houses it's almost certain the pipe from chamber to your kitchen gully is yours alone and there should be a chamber with the gully pipework meets you soil pipe.
Holibobs11 · 18/03/2023 13:28
Water board are coming to look at . Have learnt that previous owner called them out numerous times so must be an old problematic system
IhearyouClemFandango · 18/03/2023 13:41
If it is in your bit and not the communal bit the water board won't fix it. Try a company like Metro Rod or similar who will do a CCTV survey.
If the issue is in the bit that other houses join they can then refer it.
AcrossthePond55 · 18/03/2023 15:37
Holibobs11 · 18/03/2023 13:28
Water board are coming to look at . Have learnt that previous owner called them out numerous times so must be an old problematic system
That points to an invasive tree root even more. They're recurring issues until the root is cut out of the pipe, pipe replace, and root cut back from the pipe area.
IhearyouClemFandango · 18/03/2023 18:41
A decent drainage company can mill out any roots, and if needs be install a liner to cover any cracks, which hopefully wouldn't mean any excavation.
AcrossthePond55 · 18/03/2023 19:35
IhearyouClemFandango · 18/03/2023 18:41
A decent drainage company can mill out any roots, and if needs be install a liner to cover any cracks, which hopefully wouldn't mean any excavation.
Hopefully not. But we did that and STILL ended up having to have the root dug out and a section of pipe replaced because it kept growing back and through the liner and pipe. Roots can be insidious.
Granted, it was a HUGE oak tree that was too close to the water line. We're in the country and I don't think you'd normally have an oak that huge in a residential neighbourhood.
user1471538283 · 19/03/2023 14:58
I had this because we shared a drain. The water board came out and it was one of the neighbors putting wet wipes down the loo. He cleared it all at source and then it was fine.
Holibobs11 · 20/03/2023 07:22
I am lived because the water board sent me a text message at 1am saying that would be there at 2am! I am ill and was not pleased to be woken. They knew that it isn't blocked now and dis not tell me it could be overnight. I phoned and was told it would be cancelled - I didn’t want my kids (one with med condition) or neighbour woken and I want to speak to them not at 2am in the morning . This morning got a text saying they’d investigated and it was a blockage in our pipe! I didn’t hear anything so presume they checked from my neighbour’s garden??!! I’m also suspicious as apparently the previous owners were constantly calling them and complaining blocked drains . How do they know exactly where the blockage is with shared pipes???
thanks
Holibobs11 · 20/03/2023 07:29
Our house is marked X . Drains shown in red. I presume that would have checked from house no 2 (at 2am in the morning!!!! )
AnOldCynic · 20/03/2023 07:38
They can tell where the blockage is because they can measure from the manhole (presumably outside no. 2) how far along the pipe it is.
Do you have a manhole or rodding eye in your garden? It looks like you've had an extension built over the drain run at some point?
Holibobs11 · 20/03/2023 08:33
I’m not sure what the technical term is but when previous owners built the extension in the 80s, they built over an access point. We were
told by our surveyor and solicitor that we were unlikely to need access to this. Hmm
Surplus2requirements · 20/03/2023 09:00
If it was built over in the 80's it should have had a sealed cover fitted which should be left accessible.
If that's no longer the case there's still things you can try from the kitchen waste gully.
It's possible to feed a garden hose past the bend which might help blast it clear.
Alternatively dig out the gully and remove it so you have access to the end of the 110mm pipe. From there you'll be able to rod it down at least to your hidden access point and possibly all the way to the end at #2.
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