Rats blocking sewage drain

Danjamin1

I've been having a repeat problem with rats recently where they have been blocking the household sewage drain. This affects our plumbing as it can result in overflow from the waste drains. It first happened a few years ago when there were works going on in the estate and a few people complained of something similar, but it's happened again recently, twice now in the past 6 months. I've called Dynorod on one occasion but I unblocked the drain myself the second time. It's not a particularly hard problem to fix when it happens, but it's disgusting having to do it.

I'm planning on giving some pest controllers a call to see about dealing with it, but just wondering if anyone has any experience of this issue? I know rats can be difficult to get rid of around the home but what can be done to remove them from sewage drains?

Baggy Trousers

Danjamin1 wrote: »

I've been having a repeat problem with rats recently where they have been blocking the household sewage drain. This affects our plumbing as it can result in overflow from the waste drains. It first happened a few years ago when there were works going on in the estate and a few people complained of something similar, but it's happened again recently, twice now in the past 6 months. I've called Dynorod on one occasion but I unblocked the drain myself the second time. It's not a particularly hard problem to fix when it happens, but it's disgusting having to do it.

I'm planning on giving some pest controllers a call to see about dealing with it, but just wondering if anyone has any experience of this issue? I know rats can be difficult to get rid of around the home but what can be done to remove them from sewage drains?

Are they dead rats blocking the drain or just rats using the drain? How are they getting in?

Danjamin1

Baggy Trousers wrote: »

Are they dead rats blocking the drain or just rats using the drain? How are they getting in?

No it's live rats, they block the sewage drain with stones, gravel and mud. Not sure how they're getting in, it's in a small back garden in a housing estate. Not sure where the access points would be but I assume there's plenty of points where they could get in around the estate and central sewage line.

corkgsxr

Why would they drag stones and mud in??

I'd say get a camera down it to see what state there in

Danjamin1

corkgsxr wrote: »

Why would they drag stones and mud in??

I'd say get a camera down it to see what state there in

Not sure why but it does a good job of blocking the whole system up.

I thought about a camera down the line but not sure of how to go about it.

I'm going to get on to pest control either way and find out, just wondering if anyone has faced the same/similar issues and how difficult it was to resolve?

K.Flyer

Danjamin1 wrote: »

Not sure why but it does a good job of blocking the whole system up.

I thought about a camera down the line but not sure of how to go about it.

I'm going to get on to pest control either way and find out, just wondering if anyone has faced the same/similar issues and how difficult it was to resolve?

Most Drain specialist companies have a cctv service where they can send a special camera system down through the drain pipe to survey what the problem is.
The most likely problem is that you have a hole or a fracture in the pipe and the mud and stones are getting in from the rats burrowing or from the surrounding earth just collapsing into the pipe.
Either way, you will most likely have to have that section of pipe dug up and repaired.

Danjamin1

K.Flyer wrote: »

Most Drain specialist companies have a cctv service where they can send a special camera system down through the drain pipe to survey what the problem is.
The most likely problem is that you have a hole or a fracture in the pipe and the mud and stones are getting in from the rats burrowing or from the surrounding earth just collapsing into the pipe.
Either way, you will most likely have to have that section of pipe dug up and repaired.

I get what your saying but I don't think it looks like the scenario your describing. The mud and stones are packed compactly from one side to block the hole, it doesn't appear to be a case of build up in the pipe. The reason I suggest rats is that when I had Dynorod out to clear the blockage before this was the conclusion they came to (though that was without any further investigation beyond clearing the blockage and making an assessment).

K.Flyer

Rats do not pick up mud and stones and set them down in some random spot in an active sewer pipe.
If you are having to clear the blockage on a regular basis and each time you do you get a quantity of mud and stones then you must have a hole or a fracture in the pipe and the mud and stones are entering the pipe through the fracture either by rats burrowing at this point or collapsing earth.
If there is no hole or fracture at the point of the blockage, then the debris is getting in from somewhere upstream and being washed down to the same point.
Either way, your only way of establishing exactly what is wrong is a cctv investigation of the pipe.

Danjamin1

K.Flyer wrote: »

Rats do not pick up mud and stones and set them down in some random spot in an active sewer pipe.
If you are having to clear the blockage on a regular basis and each time you do you get a quantity of mud and stones then you must have a hole or a fracture in the pipe and the mud and stones are entering the pipe through the fracture either by rats burrowing at this point or collapsing earth.
If there is no hole or fracture at the point of the blockage, then the debris is getting in from somewhere upstream and being washed down to the same point.
Either way, your only way of establishing exactly what is wrong is a cctv investigation of the pipe.

Thanks for the information, I wasn't aware of any of this. I'm arranging for someone to come out to inspect the pipes and advise on the next steps anyway, I've contacted Rentokil who are sending someone they use for pipe inspections. One way or another I need to get this sorted!

Dtp1979

316 wrote: »

.

Eh no, don't