Sewage pipe.

cosmowillie53

Not a nice subject I know but...
Sewage pipe outside the house is fully blocked. As it happens the toilet/pipe in question is seldom used so there isn't a big panic.
The distance from one manhole to the next is about 70 feet.
Any ideas on how I might free up the pipe.

Thanks

nacimroc

Someone you know may have some boning rods as I call them or sewer rods they are also called. They are just like chimney sweeping rods. Just keep pushing back and forward as you move along and it will free up everything.

Try have a hose with water to help free it up once you get liquid moving. Otherwise you could just delay the problem. I had to do this exact thing yesterday.

allycavs

When putting in rods always turn rods clockwise. and when taking back out rods continue to turn clock wise. you screw rods onto each other as you push rods through the pipes. each rod is 3 feet. rods may loosen so by turning clockwise you are constantly tightening any threading that has become loose. i lost rods down a sewer before because i wasnt turning the rods. big headache if that happens. I have a 45 feet of piping that has to be cleared every 2 or 3 months. if you hit a point you cant budge remove all rods. and take off the front cap and see can you rod past the blockage then.. count the rods as you insert them. so you now how far in your blockage is

cosmowillie53

Thanks for the very helpful advice. The really is a knack to every job.

I don't have rods at the moment so in the meantime I pushed an old hose pipe in as far as I could and turned on the tap. Maybe it will move along a bit. I was thinking maybe a few buckets of hot water might help as well. !
Should I throw in some drain cleaner as well do you think.

Thanks.

allycavs

you could be blocking it up more running the water. Drain cleaner may not have much effect. caustic soda(Sodium hydroxide) might be better but be very careful working with it. you can get it in any hardware store. gloves and googles are a must. but nothing beats rodding so if you are in a hardware store gets the rods instead.. its the best way to clear a blockage

cosmowillie53

Thanks for that . I will head for the rods.

allycavs

you might aswell get enough to do 70 feet :-) and get the round cap that's rubber aswell.if you go to a sepcific plumbing place might be cheaper than a general hardware store. cause they are expensive for what they are

eirator

rods iirc are 3ft long so 70/3 ~= 24 rods. Thats a lot of rods for someone who hasn't used them before to handle - honest. I'd recommend putting them down with a wheel on the end first so you get a feel for them and where the blockage is. Screw the rods on one at a time as you push them down and take them off one at a time as you pull them back, when unscrewing rods either don't turn the rods in the drain at all or turn them the opposite way you are unscrewing the last rod. The rods down the drain as already mentioned must only be turned clockwise to tighten them, loosing rods down a drain due to forgetting that is all to common.

Don't use a big heavy rubber or hinged tool until you have put down a smaller tool first. Sometimes you'll feel a tight spot or lip where there is a joint or change of pipe type which is tight for a light rubber tool but will jamb up a heavy rubber one that fits the pipe exactly. Once you know how many rods need to go down to get to the blockage try a small worm. The heavy rubber tool is handy and can be used like a sink plunger, flood the pipe, put 3 rods together with the rubber tool on the end and vigorously work it back and forward in the drain, if the blockage is due just to a build up then it often works, if its roots or "items" being put down the drain the worm is the best tool.

Finally take it easy and do a little at a time even if it takes hours that's better than 22 rods stuck down an already blocked drain. Water is your friend here, drain cleaner is a total waste of time on large bore pipes (handy for indoor 2inch pipes) and even if the water is only running a little down the drain it lubricates the rods, acts like a hydraulic ram with large tools and washes away what you have loosened.

Apologies to those that have already given similar advice.

btw if you forget how many rods are down the drain remember how many you have and take off how many you haven't used yet, not always obvious when you are wet, bent double and covered in S H One T.