Blocked toilet/drain

johnswiss

Any drain experts? Have a blocked outlet shared by upstairs toilet, kitchen sink, downstairs toilet and basin. Everything that runs through basically comes up into the downstairs toilet, which when it's nastiness from the upstairs toilet is pretty nasty. Happened suddenly and while both toilets happened to be flushed at the same time. Wondered if anyone had any tips before I get someone out, as last time I had a block elsewhere the guy covered my back yard in shit and then told me to ring Severn Trent.

EricTheWeary

£3 on a toilet plunger.

£14 on a set of drain rods. Just use them thoughtfully otherwise you'll end up with sections of rod stuck in the drain. Speaking as the least DIY competent person alive even I can do this ( oddly satisfying). 

grungebob

Probably the main drain outside has a blockage. 
Do any other properties drains cross your land ie is it a shared drain, if so local water company has to fix for you for gratis. 

axisus

EricTheWeary said:

£3 on a toilet plunger.

£14 on a set of drain rods. Just use them thoughtfully otherwise you'll end up with sections of rod stuck in the drain. Speaking as the least DIY competent person alive even I can do this ( oddly satisfying). 

Yup. Plunger surprisingly effective for the loo and our outside drain blocks approx every 6 months. It's a big call out fee compared to the price of the rods. I agree to oddly satisfying, but it takes a fair amount of cleaning up kit afterwards. 

amarok1971

if it is your bit that is blocked then chuck a one shot drain cleaner down it, that stuff is incredible.. it even eats nappies

Octafish

EricTheWeary said:

£3 on a toilet plunger.

£14 on a set of drain rods. Just use them thoughtfully otherwise you'll end up with sections of rod stuck in the drain. Speaking as the least DIY competent person alive even I can do this ( oddly satisfying). 

Funny isn't it, as part of building a small extension on my house I had to dig up a load of old clay waste water pipes that were cracked and needed re-routing. I got that oddly satisfying sensation ripping out the old pipes and laying and connecting new plastic pipework. Almost more satisfying than all the digging out/laying foundations, pouring the slab, bricklaying etc.

rawk100

Do you have a manhole cover where your system joins the mains sewer? If so then check that to see if the mains sewer is blocked. 

Jalapeno

Before anything invest in, if you don't have them, overalls (preferably waterproof), wellies, thick waterproof gloves - none of these are expensive.

Add maybe a hat, goggles and breathing mask - depending on how squeamish you are.

I have a set of drain rods, that thankfully since all our friends' kids have moved from nappies I don't expect to need again for a long time.

Legionreturns

You could try (carefully) sending a caustic soda mix down. Be aware it'll melt a lot of things once mixed with water, so make a solutionin a Pyrex jug and pour it down

johnswiss

EricTheWeary said:

£3 on a toilet plunger.

£14 on a set of drain rods. Just use them thoughtfully otherwise you'll end up with sections of rod stuck in the drain. Speaking as the least DIY competent person alive even I can do this ( oddly satisfying). 

@EricTheWeary are the rods flexible enough to go down the toilet, right round the u bend and out the other side? I think it's just beyond there where the issue is.

johnswiss

rawk100 said:

Do you have a manhole cover where your system joins the mains sewer? If so then check that to see if the mains sewer is blocked. 

Pretty sure the main line is okay as just along fromthe blockage issue is the shower/bath/washing machine outlet and that's all sailing off fine

Moominpapa

If you use drain rods of the  screw-together type (as I assume most of them are), then all you need to remember is to keep twisting the rods in the tightening direction as you are moving them in and out (oooerrr missus!) and you should be fine. 

johnswiss

amarok1971 said:

if it is your bit that is blocked then chuck a one shot drain cleaner down it, that stuff is incredible.. it even eats nappies

I tried some HG stuff via the basin by the downstairs toilet, but I think all it did was clear all the crap tha had been in those pipes for years and send that down too.

Also not sure where to put a heavy duty one down? No easy way to get to it.

Jalapeno

johnswiss said:

EricTheWeary said:

£3 on a toilet plunger.

£14 on a set of drain rods. Just use them thoughtfully otherwise you'll end up with sections of rod stuck in the drain. Speaking as the least DIY competent person alive even I can do this ( oddly satisfying). 

@EricTheWeary are the rods flexible enough to go down the toilet, right round the u bend and out the other side? I think it's just beyond there where the issue is.

Proper bog plunger ought to shift anything loo realted, rods won't go around U-Bends IMHO - need an access point avoiding the U-bend.  Set of rods comes with a variety of attachments, includes a hook thingy to attack blockages from the "wrong" side - just make sure all the rods/attachments are screwed together very tightly .....

Get the manhole cover up - flush the bog, and water should be seen pouring down the drain immediately (this is of course a 2 person job) - if not the problem lies between ....

Neill

I'd agree invest in a cheap set of rods at first, Dynorod etc usually have a minimum call out charge even if it's an easy job. 

Somewhere outside there will be one or more manholes/inspection chambers.  If you open up the nearest manhole and it's full of crap you need to rod towards the main sewer ie away from the house as the blockage is further down the line.  If the manhole is clear your blockage is obviously nearer to your toilets or maybe in the toilets themselves.  Stick the plunger up the drain towards the house carefully, maybe have someone checking the loo as you do this, and pull towards you.  The idea is you create suction with the plunger to draw the waste out.

I've never known this not to work, but if you are at all nervous about this get a specialist with a jetter.  (The jetter is designed to backflush the drain as it works its way forward so you won't risk all the crap being forced back up the drain and into the house.)  

Kilgore

Jalapeno said:

I have a set of drain rods, that thankfully since all our friends' kids have moved from nappies I don't expect to need again for a long time.

There's no excuse for flushing nappies, wipes etc. Lazy, anti social behaviour.

EricTheWeary

Jalapeno said:

johnswiss said:

EricTheWeary said:

£3 on a toilet plunger.

£14 on a set of drain rods. Just use them thoughtfully otherwise you'll end up with sections of rod stuck in the drain. Speaking as the least DIY competent person alive even I can do this ( oddly satisfying). 

@EricTheWeary are the rods flexible enough to go down the toilet, right round the u bend and out the other side? I think it's just beyond there where the issue is.

Proper bog plunger ought to shift anything loo realted, rods won't go around U-Bends IMHO - need an access point avoiding the U-bend.  Set of rods comes with a variety of attachments, includes a hook thingy to attack blockages from the "wrong" side - just make sure all the rods/attachments are screwed together very tightly .....

Get the manhole cover up - flush the bog, and water should be seen pouring down the drain immediately (this is of course a 2 person job) - if not the problem lies between ....

Yeh, rods go up the drain ( take the manhole cover off) and not down the toilet. There's probably a YouTube instructional bit it's fairly simple. Some nice rubber gloves to pick up the crap you get out. 
I bought my set of rods maybe 20 years ago and used them two or three times at home and a couple at my mother's house. So they do pay for themselves.

 Moominpapa said:

If you use drain rods of the  screw-together type (as I assume most of them are), then all you need to remember is to keep twisting the rods in the tightening direction as you are moving them in and out (oooerrr missus!) and you should be fine. 

Yes this. If you do it the wrong way you could potentially unscrew the rods ( and have to stick your arm down the drain to try to get it back). 

But you might find a plunger will do it anyway, I know they look like some sort of marital aid but they are effective. 

Jalapeno

Kilgore said:

Jalapeno said:

I have a set of drain rods, that thankfully since all our friends' kids have moved from nappies I don't expect to need again for a long time.

There's no excuse for flushing nappies, wipes etc. Lazy, anti social behaviour.

My very thoughts at the time ..... but they were new parents, and it could have been a really bad one

steveb

Toolstation do a set for £18 with a plunger attachment for the toilet. 

grungebob

A bit late now but do you have any service plans/insurance for this?
ive got British Gas homesense. For £20/mth it covers all my drains, heating and electrics with no parts fees or labour fees just a £60 call out. Used them three times the past two weeks in my new house and only got charged the once as the issues returned ( rads not getting warm due to air lock, biggish house with a mix of old and new pipe work etc).
for the hours they’ve spent here it’s been well worth the money. 

EricTheWeary

Sat on the loo at work flicking through drain rod videos on YouTube. I never thought my life would turn out like this...

They all seem to show roughly the same thing. There's probably an instruction leaflet with the rods anyway.

Good luck.