This morning's fun and games.

We have two walls that meet at 90 degrees, one single storey, the other
two storey, both have gutters with downpipes leading to a single drain
gully, where they are joined by a third pipe, from the kitchen (sink and
dishwasher). Both gutters overflow, so downpipes almost certainly
blocked. The kitchen waste works fine. I have to admit that this is a
job that should have been done last summer ...

So, the gully. Usual raised surround, absolutely stuffed with leaves,
mud and general crap. Used a trowel to clear that lot, and saw why the
kitchen waste works, but the other two don't. The kitchen pipe goes
through a hole in the grate, but the other two terminate above the
grate. The open ends of both the downpipes, which terminate below the
level of the crud just removed, were stuffed. Kept poking at the end of
the two storey downpipe until a tiny amount of water began to trickle,
so kept going and suddenly a thick mass of mud and leaves shot out,
followed by two storey's worth of the most foul smelling water I have
ever encountered, which of course splashed over everything including me.

Oh well. The second downpipe was more stubborn, but much poking with a
bent coat hanger eventually achieved the same result. Much flushing to
clear the remnants and both gutters now running freely.

Dirty, smelly, but delighted :-)
--
Graeme

On Monday, 28 May 2018 17:23:00 UTC+1, Graeme wrote:
This morning's fun and games.

We have two walls that meet at 90 degrees, one single storey, the other
two storey, both have gutters with downpipes leading to a single drain
gully, where they are joined by a third pipe, from the kitchen (sink and
dishwasher). Both gutters overflow, so downpipes almost certainly
blocked. The kitchen waste works fine. I have to admit that this is a
job that should have been done last summer ...

So, the gully. Usual raised surround, absolutely stuffed with leaves,
mud and general crap. Used a trowel to clear that lot, and saw why the
kitchen waste works, but the other two don't. The kitchen pipe goes
through a hole in the grate, but the other two terminate above the
grate. The open ends of both the downpipes, which terminate below the
level of the crud just removed, were stuffed. Kept poking at the end of
the two storey downpipe until a tiny amount of water began to trickle,
so kept going and suddenly a thick mass of mud and leaves shot out,
followed by two storey's worth of the most foul smelling water I have
ever encountered, which of course splashed over everything including me.

Oh well. The second downpipe was more stubborn, but much poking with a
bent coat hanger eventually achieved the same result. Much flushing to
clear the remnants and both gutters now running freely.

Dirty, smelly, but delighted :-)
--
Graeme

Foul water(from the kitchen should not be going into the rainwater drain.
The crap from the kitchen has probably blocked a soakaway.

On 28/05/2018 19:15, harry wrote:
On Monday, 28 May 2018 17:23:00 UTC+1, Graeme wrote:
This morning's fun and games.

We have two walls that meet at 90 degrees, one single storey, the other
two storey, both have gutters with downpipes leading to a single drain
gully, where they are joined by a third pipe, from the kitchen (sink and
dishwasher). Both gutters overflow, so downpipes almost certainly
blocked. The kitchen waste works fine. I have to admit that this is a
job that should have been done last summer ...

So, the gully. Usual raised surround, absolutely stuffed with leaves,
mud and general crap. Used a trowel to clear that lot, and saw why the
kitchen waste works, but the other two don't. The kitchen pipe goes
through a hole in the grate, but the other two terminate above the
grate. The open ends of both the downpipes, which terminate below the
level of the crud just removed, were stuffed. Kept poking at the end of
the two storey downpipe until a tiny amount of water began to trickle,
so kept going and suddenly a thick mass of mud and leaves shot out,
followed by two storey's worth of the most foul smelling water I have
ever encountered, which of course splashed over everything including me.

Oh well. The second downpipe was more stubborn, but much poking with a
bent coat hanger eventually achieved the same result. Much flushing to
clear the remnants and both gutters now running freely.

Dirty, smelly, but delighted :-)
--
Graeme

Foul water(from the kitchen should not be going into the rainwater drain.
The crap from the kitchen has probably blocked a soakaway.

That depends upon the system in the area. Where we live, there is a
single, combined sewer for foul waste and rainwater and no soakaways
except for the newest houses.

SteveW

On 28/05/2018 19:27, Steve Walker wrote:


That depends upon the system in the area. Where we live, there is a
single, combined sewer for foul waste and rainwater and no soakaways
except for the newest houses.


Indeed. I was about to point out to Harry that he seemed to have
condemned most if not all of the the Victorian housing stock of England
(and much that was built later). And Joseph Bazalgette.
--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid

On Mon, 28 May 2018 17:22:51 +0100, Graeme wrote:

Kept poking at the end of the two storey downpipe until a tiny amount of
water began to trickle, so kept going and suddenly a thick mass of mud
and leaves shot out, followed by two storey's worth of the most foul
smelling water I have ever encountered, which of course splashed over
everything including me.

Is there a video? Knowing how fast a down spout empties itself when
the blockage lets go I think you are are understating things. I've
only encountered 4' of down spout and about 5 m of full deepline
gutter. One gets very wet, very quickly, even if you know it's going
to happen and you run away the moment it starts. B-)

--
Cheers
Dave.

In message l.net,
Dave Liquorice writes
On Mon, 28 May 2018 17:22:51 +0100, Graeme wrote:

Kept poking at the end of the two storey downpipe until a tiny amount of
water began to trickle, so kept going and suddenly a thick mass of mud
and leaves shot out, followed by two storey's worth of the most foul
smelling water I have ever encountered, which of course splashed over
everything including me.

Is there a video? Knowing how fast a down spout empties itself when
the blockage lets go I think you are are understating things. I've
only encountered 4' of down spout and about 5 m of full deepline
gutter. One gets very wet, very quickly, even if you know it's going
to happen and you run away the moment it starts. B-)

Well, yes, somewhat understated, but luckily no video :-)

You're right - the plug of ****e came out like a bullet, somewhat
swiftly followed by the water in 25' of downpipe. It went *everywhere*,
and the stink was unbelievable. Still glad it is fixed, though.
--
Graeme

In message ,
harry writes

Dirty, smelly, but delighted :-)

Foul water(from the kitchen should not be going into the rainwater drain.
The crap from the kitchen has probably blocked a soakaway.

House built 1880-ish, NE Scotland, same system for both. Nothing is
blocked beyond the gully itself, and that is clear now.

Don't know why I chose today to do it, really. Well, yes I do. There
is a large pile of boxes waiting to go in the loft, and it is too warm
for lofts today.

--
Graeme

On 28/05/2018 20:41, Robin wrote:
On 28/05/2018 19:27, Steve Walker wrote:


That depends upon the system in the area. Where we live, there is a
single, combined sewer for foul waste and rainwater and no soakaways
except for the newest houses.


Indeed.Â* I was about to point out to Harry that he seemed to have
condemned most if not all of the the Victorian housing stock of England
(and much that was built later).Â* And Joseph Bazalgette.

Our area has Victorian houses (and some much earlier), but most was
built in the 1930s.

Even up to the pushing of soakaways of the last few years, new housing
in the area still had to be connected to the existing combined sewer
system, so no segregation of anything.

SteveW

Now you need a cage fitted on the gutter just at the pipe entry so more
often than not just this has to be cleaned not the whole pipe.
Brian

--
----- -
This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Graeme" wrote in message
...

This morning's fun and games.

We have two walls that meet at 90 degrees, one single storey, the other
two storey, both have gutters with downpipes leading to a single drain
gully, where they are joined by a third pipe, from the kitchen (sink and
dishwasher). Both gutters overflow, so downpipes almost certainly
blocked. The kitchen waste works fine. I have to admit that this is a
job that should have been done last summer ...

So, the gully. Usual raised surround, absolutely stuffed with leaves, mud
and general crap. Used a trowel to clear that lot, and saw why the
kitchen waste works, but the other two don't. The kitchen pipe goes
through a hole in the grate, but the other two terminate above the grate.
The open ends of both the downpipes, which terminate below the level of
the crud just removed, were stuffed. Kept poking at the end of the two
storey downpipe until a tiny amount of water began to trickle, so kept
going and suddenly a thick mass of mud and leaves shot out, followed by
two storey's worth of the most foul smelling water I have ever
encountered, which of course splashed over everything including me.

Oh well. The second downpipe was more stubborn, but much poking with a
bent coat hanger eventually achieved the same result. Much flushing to
clear the remnants and both gutters now running freely.

Dirty, smelly, but delighted :-)
--
Graeme

In message , Brian Gaff
writes
Now you need a cage fitted on the gutter just at the pipe entry so more
often than not just this has to be cleaned not the whole pipe.

Brian, yes, it probably needs something but, to be honest, it is easier
to clean the bottom that use ladders to clean a filter or cage at the
top! I am hoping that if I keep the gully area clear at the bottom,
there will not be an opportunity for stuff to build up within the
downpipe.
--
Graeme

On Tuesday, May 29, 2018 at 9:44:32 AM UTC+1, Graeme wrote:
In message , Brian Gaff
writes
Now you need a cage fitted on the gutter just at the pipe entry so more
often than not just this has to be cleaned not the whole pipe.

Brian, yes, it probably needs something but, to be honest, it is easier
to clean the bottom that use ladders to clean a filter or cage at the
top! I am hoping that if I keep the gully area clear at the bottom,
there will not be an opportunity for stuff to build up within the
downpipe.
--
Graeme

and then he genius who fitted the rainwater system to our house cut the down pipe tight to the grid of the trap. So tight it was impossible to extract the grid to release the blockage.( no shoe he was saving money)

You might like my friends website funny stories section.
https://www.1-2clear.com/our-funny-stories/
He was regaling us with the tale of a blocked internal soil pipe in a 3 storey office block, which first approach resulted in a sudden downward plunge of a column of ooh nasty. It beat the underground drainage capacity and fountained up in the ground floor wc pan. He ended up slamming the lid down and standing on it while the effluent sprayed out through the gap betwixt pan and seat.