(Warning: possible turd alert so NSFW’d in case you’re having brekkie)
This is my first house so I’d appreciate any help.
The drain outside my house at the back is fully blocked. Initially (last week) only the water from the sink immediately next to the drain (kitchen) was causing the water level to rise, but now any source of water is causing this – the toilet upstairs, and shower upstairs, the washing machine etc. Even if I open up one of the taps nearer the front of the house (where I presume the main sewage drain is), the water at the back over flows.
Is this something the water board would look at? I have have Homeserve – is this something they’d deal with?
Thanks so much – so much for home ownership being the holy grail!
by jphilly111
25 comments
Shitter’s clogged
That drain is blocked somewhere down the line and has backed up to the point it’s now overflowing.
Look for manhole covers nearby and open them up until you find which direction your turds normally flow, and keep going until you find the blockage.
Then you’ll want some drain rods or a good friend with very long arms.
Have you (neighbours) got any drain rods? Can you see any manholes nearby you can lift and see where blockage is – sometimes the problem is elsewhere and backs up to you. Might be treeroots or neighbours flushing nappies.
If you’ve got homeserve I’d give them a ring and ask for their advice, see if they do this sort of thing.
Blocked drains, get a professional in like Dyno-Rod (cost about £90). Unless you are on a septic tank in which case it could be that is full.
You need to call out a drain specialist to clear the blockage if you are not able to do it yourself.
It could be your doing or it might the the fault of a neighbour who has blocked the sewer further down down the line.
Either way you need a drain specialist 🙂
Ask your neighbours if they’re also affected. If they are, then call your water provider, as it’s likely an issue in the main sewer and they will come out and fix that for free.
If it’s just you affected, phone someone like Dyno rod or see if your house insurance covers it.
You can buy drain rods from b&q, if you’re lucky it’s just leaves and debris that has caused a blockage, which should clear with some pressure, if not it might be further down the pipes which will probably need a professional
Before you get too technical about this, get an old stick, garden cane, whatever, and **waggle it about** down that hole.
I’ve had an identical-looking problem. It was a discarded rubber glove in the drain blocking it.
My friend, I feel your pain. My job today, when my breakfast goes down, is to rid my drains. (Un) luckily for me, our manhole covers are outside the door, so it’ll be a half hour job on past experience.
If your manhole covers are on the public street I think it’s your water authority you need to contact. If it’s not them they’ll tell you.
Then it’s a professional job unless you rent, in which case with way you need to call your landlord.
The smell is not as bad as you think it’s going to be, more earthy than anything. My partner will not go near it lol, and they have all kinds of muck on their hands from their job. Ah well.
Liquid ass! Boof it!
I had this due to a blockage.
I’ve got a pressure washer for the car/patio which had this extra attachment I’d never used – turned out it was for unblocking drains!
I stuck that down and wiggled it around a bit, took a few minutes but the pressure and wiggling eventually cleared the blockage. Be careful though I got a misty poo back scatter when first spraying.
Subsequently found out my daughter was not paying attention to “do not flush down the toilet” instructions.
Getting professionals like Dyno-Rod is worth it – but stick something down and wiggle it around first.
Thats a rainwater down pipe and the white ones are wastes. More than likely coming from sinks/washing machines/ dishwashers.
If you’re putting wood waste/ fat down the sink your clogging the open drain. Leaves getting in through the down pipe also clog the drain.
If you’ve got a washer dryer lint, fibres and detergent also block the drain.
As others have suggested, get a long stick and give it a poke about.
Get drain cleaner down your sinks and in the open drain once cleared.
The main think to remember as your digging around in this gross stuff is that you want to maintain your waste pipes regularly so you don’t have to be elbow deep in stink again.
Should the soil pipe be ending at an open drain like that? I’ve never seen that before.
Poo should not be coming out of that hole. It is blocked a long way back. Talk to your neighbours.
You may want to get a cover after you sort it to stop leaves and rubbish going down there that could cause blockages.
If you don’t have any rods, call the drain guy out to jet it. Mine does it every 5 years or so.
Ring the drain doctor
I’m spreading my bets across nappy, wet wipes, or a fatburg.
Do you tip oil down the sink?
We had this soon after moving in to our place 10 years ago. Found a nappy in the drain.
I’m pretty sure this exactly a Homeserve thing.
Also, look on the bright side, no matter how much poo comes welling up it’s still nowhere near as much shit as you get from a lettings agency!
I used HomeServe & he tried (& offered a good service), but the main drains were blocked. I echo the others that say speak to your neighbours first. Otherwise, you might buy all the fancy kit & it’ll do you no good. If your neighbours are also having issues, call the water board & they’ll sort it… if not, buy the kit & good luck!
Your house insurance might have some kind of home emergency cover so it’s worth checking that. They’ll usually have a drains company on speed dial, it’s a common issue. If the problem turns out to be on a shared sewer (which is any bit used by more than one household irrespective of whether it’s on your property) then it’s the water company’s responsibility so find out their emergency line while you’re waiting for the drains company.
Poonami incoming.
When this happened to us a poor hedgehog had fallen down the drain hole & blocked it 🙁
Only discovered this after putting on a rubber glove, taping it round my forearm to keep the water out & reaching down the drain hole to pull out whatever was at the bottom of it. Grim!
The sewage pipe is blocked. Stop using the toilet you will only make it worse. Im not being offensive with my following comments: You clearly have no clue what to do you are best getting a professional Dina rod are generally the most expensive for this type of work. If the sewer pipe passes between properties then it is the water authority’s responsibility talk to your neighbours first particularly the old people around you there may be a history you know nothing about
It’s blocked, either call someone (or diy) to unblock it. Or wait for it to dry out and poor something like One Shot down the drain.
I have a drain cover on my property which was connected to next doors pipes. So if they have a blockage they would need to come in my property to access the drainhole. Maybe ask your neighbours if they have a drainhole covers that could contain your paperwork.
I had fun unblocking mine. Get a long stick and jig it around. Brings a hole new meaning to the term pooh sticks.