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Drain unblocking advice- help please

RodneyCharltonTrottaRodneyCharltonTrotta
in Troubleshooting
This week with the heavy rain the toilet started bubbling when I used the shower and then water level rose when flushed. Drain outside seemed blocked but rain stopped and the toilet drained.

Come down really heavy tonight the rain and now water level in loo won't lower and there's about an inch or 2 of water not going down the drain outside as the rain contimues.

Doesn't look like rain will ease off next few days. Please has anyone got any sensible advice how to resolve this either myself (know nothing about plumbing) or should I just call an expert. If so any ideas who the best people are i.e. plumber or drain specialist and what should I expect to pay without being ripped off. (I think it's just the rain blocking it so that is the problem somehow as it's been fine past few days until it rained.)

Finally if I do need to call someone, any recommendations in the Tundbridge wells/ Kent- East Sussex border will be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Rodders
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Comments

  • LenGloverLenGlover
    Caustic soda might do the job but be careful it's dangerous stuff
  • Webbja77Webbja77
    Drainaway and son..... cafc fan too
  • RodneyCharltonTrottaRodneyCharltonTrotta
    Thanks gents.
  • LenGloverLenGlover
    The drain outside might have leaves in it.
  • RodneyCharltonTrottaRodneyCharltonTrotta
    LenGlover said:

    The drain outside might have leaves in it.

    Missus (equality @chez Rodders) has checked and not leaves as far as could tell. Will go and try with a bin bag over my arm and see if that helps.

    Thanks Len.

    Pukka Friday night!
  • Anna_KissedAnna_Kissed
    @DynoRodney ?
    Most likely an overload or blockage to the sewer.
    Suggestion: Call your water company, explaining the situation and asking their advice, with a view to them pressure-hosing / rodding your sewer, via inspection cover(s).


  • Covered EndCovered End
    If the drain outside is blocked you may need drain rods, to do it yourself.
    It depends how big the drain is.
    Broom/broom handle or similar ?
  • RaplhMilneRaplhMilne
    Toilet and shower upstairs or down ? Either way will flow into a soil,waste. But if upstairs indicates a bad blockage as the waste running down outside wall will be blocked all the way up. You must have a man hole cover outside in the back garden ? Lift that and take a look. Be prepared to see yours and the neighbours waste staring you in the face. If it's full ITS BLOCKED. However, no guarantee the blockage is in your part of the drain. Could be next door and just backing up to you. If it's full worth asking next door if they have same problem. If not then it's looking like you. But every chance the other neighbour is backed up behind your blockage. Could be possible to shift this with drain rods . Or could be something more solid and require professionals to shift.
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  • RodneyCharltonTrottaRodneyCharltonTrotta
    Downstairs toilet and shower..

    Thanks all much appreciate it. Am hoping it's just leaves blocking it as had a root about briefly and stuff came up. Will give it a go in the morning as pitch black out there and hammering it down. Hopefully it won't rise to much and creep in under the door.

    Have a manhole cover but that's not overflowing. Will need to lift it up tomorrow to see. The actual blockage is a little square drain (about 6" by 6" sq) where the drainpipe runs into
  • RodneyCharltonTrottaRodneyCharltonTrotta
    Also i (touch wood) don't think it's a sewage problem re the man hole hopefully as it's been ok the past 2 days since the rain stopped. It's only started during the heavy rain and because (I presume) the little square drain the drainpipe runs into is not draining and blocked.

    But Duchatelet knows more about the successful running of a football club than I do about this stuff so who knows! ;-)

    Appreciate all the advice, this place is brilliant at times like this.
  • RodneyCharltonTrottaRodneyCharltonTrotta
    cabbles said:

    Fucking hell this is why I love this forum. I can be out on a date, the lady has gone to freshen up and I can take a quick log in and see a thread about drains being unblocked started at 10.15pm on a Friday

    I can use it as material

    God bless CL

    I had a pot noodle, a wank and a couple of episodes of the American Office lined up for this evening. Not chatting to my online football forum pals about plumbing problems in between getting soaked whilst hand to shoulder in bin bags rooting around in god knows what!
  • letthegoodtimesrollletthegoodtimesroll
    edited November 2018
    Has one of your neighbours has got a baby by any chance ?
  • RodneyCharltonTrottaRodneyCharltonTrotta
    Sent this message to a company

    "Please can you give me a call about a blocked drain. Blocked outside drain which is affecting the flush on the toilet. Only problematic during recent heavy rain. Toilet water was bubbling when using the shower the other day during heavy rain. Water is rising outside now towards our back door. Thanks"


    Got the following response:

    "It sounds like the manhole is blocked, we can attend tomorrow morning to clear the blockage, the cost is £140+vat.
    Please confirm and send the address if you require us to attend. "


    Does this sound legit?
  • RodneyCharltonTrottaRodneyCharltonTrotta
    letthegoodtimesroll said:

    Has one of your neighbours has got a baby by any chance ?

    No mate.
  • ValiantphilValiantphil
    Go to Screwfix and buy some drain rods for about £25 and you could clear it yourself cheaper.
    Easy to use.


    Bailey
    BAILEY STEEL JOINTED BLACK DRAIN ROD SET 12 PIECES (78472)
  • Justin20474Justin20474
    Some systems are a combined, deals with both sewerage and storm water, they are not usually separated unless in a more modern property so heavy rain may still have an effect on you toilet flushing or shower.
  • RodneyCharltonTrottaRodneyCharltonTrotta
    Justin20474 said:

    Some systems are a combined, deals with both sewerage and storm water, they are not usually separated unless in a more modern property so heavy rain may still have an effect on you toilet flushing or shower.

    Built in 1904 so not modern!

    What a draining experience. Sewer unfair.

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  • Justin20474Justin20474
    edited November 2018
    I would still try your water company, worst case, they say piss off sort it yourself, best case they send someone out and sort for free. Lay it on that the waste is coming back up the toilet and shower, the last thing they want is a customer flooding, they get penalised heavily by OFWAT for internal floodings.
  • FumbluffFumbluff
    edited November 2018
    cabbles said:

    Fucking hell this is why I love this forum. I can be out on a date, the lady has gone to freshen up and I can take a quick log in and see a thread about drains being unblocked started at 10.15pm on a Friday

    I can use it as material

    God bless CL

    She’s not come back has she mate :disappointed:
    Plenty more fish in the drain, don’t you worry...
  • EdgeleyAddickEdgeleyAddick
    My father in law had this issue. As said by someone else, he said the law has now changed so it is down to the water Co to clear the blockage in the manhole. However, this may take a bit of time.

    He got rods and opened the manhole in his property, but it didn't fix it so he had to knock on his next door neighbour. He opened the manhole on that property and it turned out the issue was there, even though the owner of that property had not had any issues!

    Good luck RCT.
  • RodneyCharltonTrottaRodneyCharltonTrotta
    MrOneLung said:

    If you do use the rod to try and clear the outside drain/manhole make sure you tape down your toilet seat as my sister in law did that and ended up shoving a load of shit back up and out of the toilet bowl all over the bathroom floor.

    Christ. Think we're just going to pay the experts...a big expense I could do without but will at least get it sorted properly without me risking stuff like the above or botching it.

    Thanks all.
  • RodneyCharltonTrottaRodneyCharltonTrotta
    EdgeleyAddick said:

    My father in law had this issue. As said by someone else, he said the law has now changed so it is down to the water Co to clear the blockage in the manhole. However, this may take a bit of time.

    He got rods and opened the manhole in his property, but it didn't fix it so he had to knock on his next door neighbour. He opened the manhole on that property and it turned out the issue was there, even though the owner of that property had not had any issues!

    Good luck RCT.

    Yeah don't have the luxury of waiting unfortunately as the water is almost at the bottom of the back door and will start seeping under over the next few days of rain (if not tonight). Thanks
  • RaplhMilneRaplhMilne
    Your small outside drain where possibly your sink and rainwater runs into will exit into the same mains pipe that takes your toilet and shower waste. It is possible that it could just be a small part of the system drain to main pipe that's blocked with leaves, or food waste / cooking fat. In which case you can clear with a hose and your hand/ stick. However, as your saying the toilet seems affected, this is unlikely. As your toilet waste and that drain have a separate pipe leading to the main pipe. This therefore would indicate blockage is in main pipe not the rainwater.kitchen sink waste pipe.

    As someone suggests earlier somebody may well have blocked the waste with baby wipes .
  • RodneyCharltonTrottaRodneyCharltonTrotta
    Thanks all. Never let's you down this place.

    Off to bed, pot noodle gone cold and too late for the office.

    Will report with an update tomorrow.

    Cheers
  • CarterCarter
    One of my very good friends runs 3flow drainage. Give him a shout, drop me a message if you like and I'll tell you who to say sent you

    Alternatively unblocking drains is easy. Get a set of rods, a crowbar and some latex gloves and clear it yourself, no real science to it. If there is standing water in the box you may have to gently feel for the duct or gullies leading each way out of the box (before any genius takes the piss, crowbar for lifting manhole cover, latex gloves because your hands will come into contact with human faeces as will the rods). Drainage firms can charge pretty much what they want as when they get called out it's not like getting a price for your extension, if you have shit coming up into your home you use the first people to answer the phone and turn up! Half time time if not 80% of the time the work is covered by home insurance. If it isn't, 150 quid is a reasonable price to not have human shit coming through your letterbox

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