How to clear blocked outside drain

tk05 · 18-09-2010 3:03pm #1

I have a drain outside that is blocked with some sort of grey speckled sludge(maybe grease or soap?). It seems to be connected to the kitchen sink since it overflows if I do the dishes(drain lots of water at once). At the moment it's full white murky water (rain) but usually it's just some sort of thick(and smelly) sludge. How can I block it since the clog is backing up outside rather than into the kitchen sink? I tried pouring boiling water down the outside drain(maybe I should've done it in the sink) but that appeared to have no affect. I can't use a plunger since it won't fit over the drain.

Should I try some sort of liquid drain cleaner or caustic soda? Is that safe to use on the outside drain (seems like the housing is plastic)? There seems to be at least a few inches of this sludge before wherever the clog is(goes down to a bend in the pipe).

Are blocked drains a landlord's responsibility? I'd prefer to try to clear this myself if I can though.

Buford T Justice · 18-09-2010 3:30pm

Is it a standard gulley? If so, get some thick marigolds and put your hand in and see how it goes. Never know what you might find

tk05 · 18-09-2010 4:02pm

Yep, you were right.
I put on some gloves but unfortunately the gulley was MUCH deeper (almost the entire length of my arm) than I thought it was so the foul water went straight into the glove (truly disgusting experience. I think I'll take a shower now). Manged to grab onto some muck at the end and it immediately started draining. Seemed to be composed of slimy dirt, pebbles, disintegrating leaves, twigs and a few used cigarettes (which is strange since I don't smoke. I wonder if it's connected to the drainage system of neighbouring flats).

Thanks for the advice. I very much doubt any liquid drain cleaner would've taken care of that properly so I'm glad I didn't buy any.

Buford T Justice · 19-09-2010 12:09am

Yeah, its not a pretty job at all. I've done it myself for my own house..... Showers to the ready....

danjo · 19-09-2010 12:34pm

Buy one of those plastic kitchen tools in Lidl for €1 or €2.
A type of thing you would use for lifting boiled vegetables.
Looks like a big perforated spoon.

Wear the marigolds and scoop out the sludge. Works very well for me. Gets right down and allows the water to drain off the ***t.

biko · 19-09-2010 12:37pm

Had a similar issue a while back. Stuck a broom down into and managed to fish up a lot of disgusting stuff. After a few minutes it cleared. 70 euro in call out charges saved

tred · 20-09-2010 1:53pm

biko wrote: »

Had a similar issue a while back. Stuck a broom down into and managed to fish up a lot of disgusting stuff. After a few minutes it cleared. 70 euro in call out charges saved

Dam Buster , u can get it in heatmerchants, fierce toxic, but clears all that gunk away. You can smell it burning it up!!. And u dont have to stick ur hands gloves or no gloves down those gullys.

Buford T Justice · 20-09-2010 3:38pm

tred wrote: »

Dam Buster , u can get it in heatmerchants, fierce toxic, but clears all that gunk away. You can smell it burning it up!!. And u dont have to stick ur hands gloves or no gloves down those gullys.

Yeah, but the manual method is much cheaper:D

murphym7 · 28-09-2010 3:01pm

I have a problem with a drain to the side of the house that leads from the washing machine, also another drain at the back of the house that comes from the kitchen sink. Both drains are always full of water but rarely overflow – they are at a constant level all the time – any ideas of what this might be? Could it be a simple blockage? If it is though why is there a constant level of water in each drain?

How to clear blocked outside drain

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