John Smith wrote:

My upstairs toilet still flushes, but the water doesn't leave fast, so that
the bowl fills up and empties slowly, and ends up less full (of water) than
usually. It also gurgles (outside where the vertical drain-pipe is) halfway
through.
I have a heavy vertical iron drain-pipe outside, which has the bit that
sticks up in the air for venting. At the bottom, there is a horizontal
underground run for about 3 meters, at the end of which is a manhole where
everything seems ok.
I worry that the underground bit has collapsed, and I will not be able to do
that myself. I also generally worry about the heavy iron venting pipe (in
case it falls), which is right over where we sit outside in the summer.
Questions:
1. What is likely to be wrong ?
2. What can you do if the underground bit has collapsed ?
3. How heavy is the iron pipe likely to be (per foot), if I want to try to
take it down myself ?
4. Do you know any drainage plumbers near Ruislip (west London) to AVOID, or
perhaps recommend ?

Many thanks...


Shiove a hosepipe up the manhole cover towrads the vertical stack, and
see what washes out. If its compacted goo at teh base of te stack it
should wash out. Pouring a load of caustic soda down the loo may help.

If teh horozontal has gone, its dig up time perid. No way to sort that
remotely.

If its loo blocakge at teh U bend, again caustic may belf AND if its
also scaled up beyond belief, a few loo fulls of brick acid will fizz
the scale away too.
Most blocakges are combinations of thngs - an obstruction starts,
collects stuff, and a composite dam of paper and **** and nappies forms.

Often a good wash out with a hose breaks that up, and a caustic flush
clens out most of whats left, but if tehre is e.g. a toothbrush jammed
across an angle, that does need to be removed. Again sometimes pushing
woith a hose or rod will dislodge it and allow it to get to the manhole.

Beare of rodding as a first step: Oi ofte compacts and makes thngs
worse. Best first step is always cauistic, because its easy, then a
hose, because it washes away most of the loose stiuff gently. Rods are a
final resort, and excavation a final final resort..:-)