Blocked Manhole

[hilti72]

Hello,

I've had a problem with blocked drains, I opened the manhole tonight to discover a build up of waste. Can I get some advice on how to deal with this myself.

Thanks.

 

[JCplumb]

Couple of throw away all-in-ones and something long and strong enough to mash it all up.
Depending on how strong your stomach is - dust mask/goggles or full face breathing mask.
Once sorted have a couple of showers then a soak in a bath with anti-bacterial soap, even then you're likely to be ill or at least sick.
Enjoy :ack2:

 

[Guest123]

Hire a pump capable of taking solids and pump the lot out. After this rod it and clean it out with pine disinfectant and very hot water.

 

[hilti72]

Thanks for the reply, I really don't know if I have the stomach for it. Think I might leave it to the professionals. I don't fancy the sickness that would bring!:behead:

 

[pobsdad]

I once read that the AIDS virus can live for 3 weeks in a sewer.
GOD alone knows what else is down there!
If someone says £50 to clear it,take their hand off!

 

[Mike Jackson]

I think the main issue with sewers is hepatitis. If I can't clear a blocked sewer with a plunger on a rod in ten minutes I call in the guys with the machine. I know from experience that you can spend hours with a full set of rods down the drain and never get it cleared properly.

The worst ones are when it's backed up a soil pipe into a block of flats etc. Yeras ago we used to do maintenance for the Burton Group. We got called out to a blocked downpipe on our local Debenhams. There was a box gutter half way down the front of the building which was over spilling we tried to clear it from the top but failed. The down pipes ran down inside a boxing and re appeared in the basement. We went into the basement and carefully unscrewed the rodding eye which was about 6 foot above floor level. Foolishly we then decided to try rodding from the bottom. As I pushed the rods up I felt a point of resistance and gave it a good knock with the rods. There was a loud rumble from the pipe and, realising we had no hope of getting the cover back on, my colleague and I turned and ran. We hadn't made it to the door when the thick black filthy water got to the rodding eye. The two of us looked like something from a comedy show. The front of us was clean and the back was smothered in black gunge.

We had to send someone out to the van to get our boiler suits so that we could change out of our clothes. Luckily the area we were in was an unused maintenance workshop. Some of the basement areas were used to store racks of clothing. It still took us hours to clean the place up though.

 

[Howsie]

I once read that the AIDS virus can live for 3 weeks in a sewer.

Not true

 

[hilti72]

£84, professional outfit coming to sort it out. Worth every penny!:rockon:

 

[marvoni]

There wasa plumber killed a few years ago local to us. He was in a manhole rodding some sort of drain and he drowned.

 

[hilti72]

The stories just keep getting worse & worse! Just out watching the lads working, christ thats grim! :censored:

 

[Bernie2]

Ninnies!!! We often played bat a falling turd in a high discharge manhole. In high rise commercial buildings with all the bogs blocked up we played last one out the manhole got covered.
It's true though, you usually got a dose of something "orrible" after each job. It was everyday stuff in some repair companies.
I was a horror when younger working on housing sites. The lads would use the toilets in the houses that had been second fixed and the pans would be full of stuff weeks old and boy did it stink. If the water was turned on. I would watch and wait for the brickies to go down the manholes to point up the benching and then run around and flush as many pans as I could. If you think cheetahs can run fast you ain't seen a brickie move. Must admit though you had to be as fast yourself because if they caught you, you could get a thump at least. All good unclean fun!!!:laugh3:

 

[h2obuilding]

There must be some big thing stuck in the drain which is the reason of blockage. This big thing can be any waste or any dead animal which is stopping the water flow.

 

[Bernie2]

One of the worst obstructions is a paint can lid. It drives you mad, plunge it and the drain goes then blocks up again. We usually used either a plunger, wheel, drop scraper or worm depending on what the problem was. About 96% of jobs could be cleared with drain rods. The problem with dyno rod is that some of their machines where so fierce they went through the side of the drains. You can get longer stiffer rods if your having trouble, but usually providing you give the rods a bit of clockwise twisting to stop them coming apart normal drains rods seem to do most jobs.

 

[snowhead]

There must be some big thing stuck in the drain which is the reason of blockage. This big thing can be any waste or any dead animal which is stopping the water flow.

Or just plain grease.

 

[Helpfulplumber]

I have never failed to unblock a sewer with my trusty rods, most of the time In a domestic setting introducing a jetter which shifts 100litres of water a minute will cause more damage then taking your time. I have never been ill I use overalls gloves and am very careful. Trick is to take your time, make sure you under stand where the drains run and make above ground where your rods will reach.

 

[glenno1]

Do it from the next manhole down stream if possible

 

[hilti72]

Thanks for the help all, but I got someone in to do it, it was beyond my abilities all help aside. Once again, thanks.