On Mar 15, 6:46*am, Mikepier wrote:
6 family 3 story brick house in Brooklyn, NY. Built around 1925. I
recently discovered the downspout was clogged. It goes into a 4" ( or
5"?) cast iron pipe into the ground in the backyard. Lots of junk
inside ( leaves, rubber handballs). I could not manage to clear it,
might get a pro to do it.
But just out of curiousity, do these downspouts tie into the bldgs
sewer system? Reason I ask because in the basement there is a cleanout
plug in the floor by the cellar door, with a pipe going out towards
the backyard. Could they have built it that way back then, or did they
run a seperate pipe in the basement floor just for the rainwater? I
did try to run water in the downspout to see if any water was flowing
through the cleanout, but the pipe is 100% clogged.
I'm *not sure if there is a drywell back there either.

"I could not manage to clear it, might get a pro to do it."

Look into renting a power snake. I recently rented a 100' snake for
about $80 for a full day and cleared a 60' length of 4" drain pipe
that my gutter runs into. It was packed solid with roots.

Based on how long it took, I don't want to think about what a "pro"
would have charged me to do it.

I still had some time left, so I snaked my main sewer line as well. I
did manage to pull some roots from that pipe also, so I may have
warded off a upcoming stoppage.

Well worth the money and based on how bad the the drain pipe was, I'll
probably snake it once every couple of years, which I'll be able to do
with a half-day's rental.