2 SETS OF DRAINRODS STUCK DOWN DRAIN

mick087

I had a blockage which was over flowing from sewer into my garden, im the highest point so when the end house gets blocked it eventually comes up my end.I put down a set of drain rods about 10 and the got lost down there, so the guy from the end house came found with his set and didnt he lose 6 with a corkscrew head my set had no head,
So now i need to get them out anyone suggest anyone to get them out or is this a real big problem im In dublin

youtheman

mick087 wrote: »

I put down a set of drain rods about 10 and the got lost down there, so the guy from the end house came found with his set and didnt he lose 6 with a corkscrew head my set had no head,

Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but with 'english' like that I think you'll find it hard to get any worthwhile response.

ttm

So no one told you to keep turning then in a clockwise manner to keep the screw threads tight?

How far down the drain area they?

Edit> You can make a recovery tool or recover them with a bit of luck but before I expalin how you need to convince me that you aren't going to loose another dozen or so rods.

Forgot to ask if they were stuck or unscrewed and lost inthe drain?

mick087

ttm wrote: »

So no one told you to keep turning then in a clockwise manner to keep the screw threads tight?

How far down the drain area they?

Edit> You can make a recovery tool or recover them with a bit of luck but before I expalin how you need to convince me that you aren't going to loose another dozen or so rods.

Forgot to ask if they were stuck or unscrewed and lost inthe drain?

Im not too sure how far up they are,The reason they wont get stuck again is because i want a expert to get them out.If i do have to have a go myself then i want too get a good set of rods not a set from bq,And they say you learn from your mistakes.
What did i learn.
1. alway always get the best tools possible
2 Dont let a neighbour help unless he knows what he is doing.
Well if anyone nos of anyone or some advice be great.

They unscrewed in the drain both sets about 4 rods up,already had someone in to unblock drain but he didnt seem interested in getting the rods out.

ttm

So from what you say they are just loose in the drain somewhere but too far away for you to stick a hand down and grab?

There are no experts in this field just amatures that have done dumb things themselves and managed to pull themselves back out of a hole.

If you pay for an "expert" drain cleaning service it will be very expensive. So you are stuck with doing it yourself if you don't want to pay.

First off if you clear the blockage the rods will float off down the drain and cause a blockage somewhere else which may make things worse than you are now.

First thing I'd do is take a look for any hidden manhole covers further down the drain run and see if the rods are stuck there. In your case if it is the main drain you'll just have to get someone from the council out to lift the cover to get the rods, while someone else finishes clearing the drain.

If the rods can't go any further down then I have used a loop of stiff plastic like they use on bales of peat brickets and make a drain sized loop and clamp it to a rod (jubille clips to hold the loop in a split made in the rod). I then go "fishing" push the rod down while ocasionally turning clockwise then if you catch another rod end keep pushing down for a bit an then turn clockwise a lot while you pull back. NEVER EVER turn anticlockwise.

You might be able to hire some of the "idiot proof" rods the council sometimes use they are about 2 meters long and have a clip mechanisum not a screw which makes it very difficult for them to become unclipped in side the drain.

You can also try a hinged scraper on the end rod but that really could cause you more problems (so best not tried) as not only can it push the lost rods further away it can also get jambed up in with the lost rods.

If your buying more rods get about 20 as if you've lost 10 then you need at least 11 to get them back. So I know where I am when rodding a drain I use 2 lots of rods one set is red the other is black and I alternate the rods and somehow that makes the counting easier (sounds stupid idea but works for me )

Edit> Just remembered how I got some drain rods back once on a really long drain run. Went to the next manhole and lifted it pushed down about 40-50 rods from the original orignal manhole but didn't put a tool on the end of the rods when the rods emerged at the second manhole I put a rubber drain scrapper on the end of the rods and pulled the whole lot back and also mamaged to pull the lost rods back.

Joey the lips

You can as advised use a plunger on the sewer rod to push the rods to a man hole. Its for this reason I never use standard rods I always use the rods that lock.

Althernativly you will be digging a hole.... A very big hole.

DHB

I used some very old drain rods on a storm drain pipe that runs under our house to try to unblock it. One of the brass screws came off one of the rods leaving three rods and a plunger about six rod lengths down the pipe under the house!
I bought a new set of rods, some plastic cable ties (length: 300mm) and a jubilee clip to fit a rod. I put the jubilee clip over the end of the rod and then fastened four of the cable ties next to each other right at the far end of the rod so that they pointed out at 90 degrees to each other with the jubilee clip immediately behind. I then secured the four ends of the ties with the jubilee clip to create four loops. To help you visualise what it looked like: viewed from the end it had the appearance of a flower with four "petals" (ie the loops). I then put the rods down the pipe with this contraption on the end and tried to feel for the moment when I made contact with the end of the lost rods. Having done so, I then pushed it forward gently while maintaining a slight circular (clockwise!!!) motion, hoping that one of the loops would slip over the lost rod. On about attempt four it worked (I felt resistance as I continued the circular motion). So I twisted yet further clockwise until it felt "tight" and then very gently began to pull it back. I could tell the old rods were connected because there was more "drag" and noise! I used a backwards and forward movement (gently) when I felt an obstruction. I managed to retrieve the lost rods and the whole retrieval exercise took about ten minutes! If you want more details send me an email at transactions@justanote.co.uk 31/12/09

gsxr1

youtheman wrote: »

Sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but with 'english' like that I think you'll find it hard to get any worthwhile response.

insert said rod down your gob...;)

olie009

mick087 wrote: »

I had a blockage which was over flowing from sewer into my garden, im the highest point so when the end house gets blocked it eventually comes up my end.I put down a set of drain rods about 10 and the got lost down there, so the guy from the end house came found with his set and didnt he lose 6 with a corkscrew head my set had no head,
So now i need to get them out anyone suggest anyone to get them out or is this a real big problem im In dublin

you need to cut open a small coke bottle put a rod tru it tru the drinking end so the rod just sticks out a bit the round of the bottle is just the size iof the drain the cut open coke bottle will guide the stuck rods into the neck of the coke bottle and the with a vice grip screw it on it should reatatch make sure to atatch the coke bottle securely to the rod or ull lose that too

demanufactured

This was back in december id say he has it sorted by now....Id hope so anyway.

Drainboy

Can't thank DHB enough for the idea on using the cable ties and jubilee clip. I had exactly the same problem - lost a rod and plunger in a drain under the house through a broken end piece. So I had no chance of screwing back onto it. I managed to lose a second rod in the same way trying to get the first out. The cable ties worked brilliantly for the second lost rod but I had to adapt it slightly for the one with the plunger disc as there was some kind of an edge inside stopping the rod. For this I used the corkscrew like attachment with the cable ties attached. As this has a more rounded profile it let me get past the stopping point.

Big relief on getting the rods out as I thought I was looking at hundreds of pounds for the professionals to do it.

Another point I should make based on this experience is: don't use the Jewson supplied Horobin rods in low temperatures. The ones I have are only a couple of years old and they seemed fine in summer temperatures but the metal end pieces have almost all broken in the recent zero or sub zero temperatures I tried to use them in.

Needless to say, I will be contacting their complaints department!
Thanks again to DBH.

MarkR

Could you fix a strong magney onto the end of the rod you have left, and go fishing?

slimjimmc

MarkR wrote: »

Could you fix a strong magney onto the end of the rod you have left, and go fishing?

You could but if it is brass in the fittings then it's non-magnetic so it ain't gonna help. Might find loads of other stuff though

bette

Can you locate the ither end of the pipe? I would suggest yoy get some more rods and push them from the end of the pipe back to where you started. Always screw and turn the rods in a clockwise direction.

drainpain

olie009 wrote: »

you need to cut open a small coke bottle put a rod tru it tru the drinking end so the rod just sticks out a bit the round of the bottle is just the size iof the drain the cut open coke bottle will guide the stuck rods into the neck of the coke bottle and the with a vice grip screw it on it should reatatch make sure to atatch the coke bottle securely to the rod or ull lose that too

OMG - I have just done this ..not for a minute thinking it would actually work but it did and retrieved two rods and the end plunger ..thank you!!!! I made sure the bottle was very secure!!