From: "Tanner-'op"
Subject: Caustic Soda?
Date: 09 August 2008 22:58

The Medway Handyman wrote:
Steve Firth wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:

WTF is this 'can be used to make bombs' about?

Stupidity on the part of B&Q.

I'm sure I bought some in B&Q a short while ago.

It's still widely available, try somewhere like SCATS fnaarfnaar.

But if the blockage cannot be reached with drain rods, WTF makes you
think sodium hydroxide will do the trick?

I rodded from the access hatch in the garden. so I was going 8 metres
towards the WC's.

NaOH has to reach the site
of the blockage and if the liquid is not flowing at all in the drain
then it will take forever to diffuse more than eight metres.

The water/poo level drops overnight, so its not a complete blockage.

Since you've had a go and can't fix the problem yourself and since
the caustic solution (sic) is no solution at all, it's time to give
in an employ someone equipped to do the job properly.

Or ask advice from someone who doesn't jump to incorrect solutions :-)

"The bath, shower & wash basins are OK, so my guess is that the
blockage is somewhere between the two WC's, probably at a bend or
join".

Dave,

Have you tried taking one or both of the pans out and rodding from the
open
ends into the soil pipe?

Might have to in the end, but its going to be messy :-)


BTW, there are specific drain cleaners that can be bought from a half-way
decent builders merchants - but in this case, they will probably be next to
useless, especially if the partial blockage is something rather solid and
caught on a bend - or even rags, paper or sanitary towels snagged on a rough
joint somewhere along the sewer (the ubiquitous toy dropped in pan by nipper
can be excluded in this case). :-)

It can (I hope). Thats why I went for the caustic solution, it does
dissolve paper & stuff.

Also, if the water level drops, then there is a good probability that the
solids are just backing up somewhere and will ultimately fill the pipe.

Thats why I want to get it cleared asap.

If all else fails, hire a drain jetting unit.

I do have one, but its on loan to a mate at the moment. Well, pressure
washer with a drain cleaning attachment, but quite effective.

Cheers


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

The Medway Handyman wrote:
From: "Tanner-'op"
Subject: Caustic Soda?
Date: 09 August 2008 22:58

The Medway Handyman wrote:
Steve Firth wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:

WTF is this 'can be used to make bombs' about?

Stupidity on the part of B&Q.

I'm sure I bought some in B&Q a short while ago.

It's still widely available, try somewhere like SCATS
fnaarfnaar. But if the blockage cannot be reached with drain rods,
WTF makes you
think sodium hydroxide will do the trick?

I rodded from the access hatch in the garden. so I was going 8 metres
towards the WC's.

NaOH has to reach the site
of the blockage and if the liquid is not flowing at all in the drain
then it will take forever to diffuse more than eight metres.

The water/poo level drops overnight, so its not a complete blockage.

Since you've had a go and can't fix the problem yourself and since
the caustic solution (sic) is no solution at all, it's time to give
in an employ someone equipped to do the job properly.

Or ask advice from someone who doesn't jump to incorrect solutions
:-) "The bath, shower & wash basins are OK, so my guess is that the
blockage is somewhere between the two WC's, probably at a bend or
join".

Dave,

Have you tried taking one or both of the pans out and rodding from
the open
ends into the soil pipe?

Might have to in the end, but its going to be messy :-)

Dave,

Agreed Dave, but take it from one whose been involved in more than his fair
share of this sort of thing, that may be the easiest way of curing it - just
have a few plastic bags handy to drop the pans into if you remove them
(common practice down our way with something like this [we have even sorted
the beggars out by partially dismantling the soil stack and rodding [and
jetting] down that way]) along with some plastic 'dust sheets' for the
floor.

We'd try anything rather than dig down for the beggars - especially after
having a few of the holes fill up with sewerage after you break into the
sewer when you misjudge where the blockages are. LOL

I must admit, I'm that's one part of the old job I don't miss.

Tanner-'op

Tanner-'op wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
From: "Tanner-'op"
Subject: Caustic Soda?
Date: 09 August 2008 22:58

The Medway Handyman wrote:
Steve Firth wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:

WTF is this 'can be used to make bombs' about?

Stupidity on the part of B&Q.

I'm sure I bought some in B&Q a short while ago.

It's still widely available, try somewhere like SCATS
fnaarfnaar. But if the blockage cannot be reached with drain
rods, WTF makes you
think sodium hydroxide will do the trick?

I rodded from the access hatch in the garden. so I was going 8
metres towards the WC's.

NaOH has to reach the site
of the blockage and if the liquid is not flowing at all in the
drain then it will take forever to diffuse more than eight metres.

The water/poo level drops overnight, so its not a complete blockage.

Since you've had a go and can't fix the problem yourself and since
the caustic solution (sic) is no solution at all, it's time to give
in an employ someone equipped to do the job properly.

Or ask advice from someone who doesn't jump to incorrect solutions
:-) "The bath, shower & wash basins are OK, so my guess is that the
blockage is somewhere between the two WC's, probably at a bend or
join".

Dave,

Have you tried taking one or both of the pans out and rodding from
the open
ends into the soil pipe?

Might have to in the end, but its going to be messy :-)

Dave,

Agreed Dave, but take it from one whose been involved in more than
his fair share of this sort of thing, that may be the easiest way of
curing it - just have a few plastic bags handy to drop the pans into
if you remove them (common practice down our way with something like
this [we have even sorted the beggars out by partially dismantling
the soil stack and rodding [and jetting] down that way]) along with
some plastic 'dust sheets' for the floor.

I reckon you are probably right, just that I don't fancy the mess :-)
Thankfully both rooms have tiled floors so at least clean up would be easy.
I suppose I could use my wet/dry vac to help.

We'd try anything rather than dig down for the beggars - especially
after having a few of the holes fill up with sewerage after you break
into the sewer when you misjudge where the blockages are. LOL

That sounds like fun - not!

The inspection hatch is only about 2' from the house wall, no sign of any
boxed in soil pipe indoors.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

The Medway Handyman wrote:

The inspection hatch is only about 2' from the house wall, no sign of any
boxed in soil pipe indoors.

Heck, the poo must get to the sewer by magic.

The Medway Handyman wrote:
Tanner-'op wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:
From: "Tanner-'op"
Subject: Caustic Soda?
Date: 09 August 2008 22:58

The Medway Handyman wrote:
Steve Firth wrote:
The Medway Handyman wrote:

WTF is this 'can be used to make bombs' about?
Stupidity on the part of B&Q.

I'm sure I bought some in B&Q a short while ago.
It's still widely available, try somewhere like SCATS
fnaarfnaar. But if the blockage cannot be reached with drain
rods, WTF makes you
think sodium hydroxide will do the trick?
I rodded from the access hatch in the garden. so I was going 8
metres towards the WC's.

NaOH has to reach the site
of the blockage and if the liquid is not flowing at all in the
drain then it will take forever to diffuse more than eight metres.
The water/poo level drops overnight, so its not a complete blockage.

Since you've had a go and can't fix the problem yourself and since
the caustic solution (sic) is no solution at all, it's time to give
in an employ someone equipped to do the job properly.
Or ask advice from someone who doesn't jump to incorrect solutions
:-) "The bath, shower & wash basins are OK, so my guess is that the
blockage is somewhere between the two WC's, probably at a bend or
join".
Dave,

Have you tried taking one or both of the pans out and rodding from
the open
ends into the soil pipe?
Might have to in the end, but its going to be messy :-)
Dave,

Agreed Dave, but take it from one whose been involved in more than
his fair share of this sort of thing, that may be the easiest way of
curing it - just have a few plastic bags handy to drop the pans into
if you remove them (common practice down our way with something like
this [we have even sorted the beggars out by partially dismantling
the soil stack and rodding [and jetting] down that way]) along with
some plastic 'dust sheets' for the floor.

I reckon you are probably right, just that I don't fancy the mess :-)
Thankfully both rooms have tiled floors so at least clean up would be easy.
I suppose I could use my wet/dry vac to help.
We'd try anything rather than dig down for the beggars - especially
after having a few of the holes fill up with sewerage after you break
into the sewer when you misjudge where the blockages are. LOL

That sounds like fun - not!

The inspection hatch is only about 2' from the house wall, no sign of any
boxed in soil pipe indoors.


I find a garden hose on full blast from outside is often more effective
than rods.
FWIW I saw caustic in my local B&Q a couple of weeks ago but IME it's
seriously overrated as a drain unblocker. It converts oils and fats to
soap (usually with an increase in volume). Possibly useful if you run a
Chinese takeaway.

In article ,
stuart noble writes:
I find a garden hose on full blast from outside is often more effective
than rods.

Likewise, and it also works quite well as a drain rod.

FWIW I saw caustic in my local B&Q a couple of weeks ago but IME it's
seriously overrated as a drain unblocker. It converts oils and fats to
soap (usually with an increase in volume). Possibly useful if you run a
Chinese takeaway.

Oh. I didn't realise they don't buy any soap;-)

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]