Drain rod retrieval

donnacha

Whilst clearing blocked sewers I've managed to leave the the top rod with small plunger attached in the pipes. Can anyone recommend a drain company that can retrieve the rod in Dublin area?

my3cents

A coat hanger and a couple of jubilee clips. Make a spiral a little smaller than the drain diameter (you don't need all the coat hanger) and attach it to the end of a rod then go fishing. You need to make the spiral so that as you turn the rods clockwise and tighten the screw threads (where you went wrong before) the open part of it can grab the rod.

Something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bailey-Universal-Retrieving-Tool/dp/B00DIE7PWQ/ but you can make better with an extra turn in the wire.

donnacha

my3cents wrote: »

A coat hanger and a couple of jubilee clips. Make a spiral a little smaller than the drain diameter (you don't need all the coat hanger) and attach it to the end of a rod then go fishing. You need to make the spiral so that as you turn the rods clockwise and tighten the screw threads (where you went wrong before) the open part of it can grab the rod.

Something like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bailey-Universal-Retrieving-Tool/dp/B00DIE7PWQ/ but you can make better with an extra turn in the wire.

Spotted that on Amazon, thanks. Have watched some videos of it being successful but they have cameras guiding them.

Could anyone recommend one of the drain specialists in Dublin that have rescued them in a similar situation? It's the parents property so they are keen for a quick solution.

my3cents

donnacha wrote: »

Spotted that on Amazon, thanks. Have watched some videos of it being successful but they have cameras guiding them.

Could anyone recommend one of the drain specialists in Dublin that have rescued them in a similar situation? It's the parents property so they are keen for a quick solution.

You don't need a camera, think about it to make a video they had to use
a camera?

I've actually managed to screw rods back together in a drain without a camera. Pure luck but everyone's lucky sometime.

You should know how far down your lost sections are by counting how many rods you had on when the lost one came off. So to start with its that number plus one. The whole way down you turn the rods clockwise so even if you do start pushing the rod further down you glance off the end of it and as soon as your on top of it your grab tool is on to it.

Its far more dangerous as you can get the rods stuck but if the terminal tool wasn't as wide as the drain (worm for example) then you can use the hinged scraper tool, but again keep rotating it so it doesn't push the rods down much further. If you had a worm on the end then a home made tool can easily grab the worm end to retrieve it.

How many rods down were you?

foxy farmer

I read the following from another thread. Get a 250 ml plastic coke bottle and cut it in half. You want the top half of the bottle. Remove the cork and then put it on the appropriate end that'll mate with the lost rod end. The threaded end should be inside the neck of the bottle and not protruding into the tapered part of the bottle. Tape the bottle to the rod with good strong tape.

The idea is that you put your rods down the pipe with the wide bottle end facing forward. This acts as a funnel and guides the lost rods onto the "rescue " rods thread. When you think you have hit the lost rods start twisting in a clockwise direction hopefully threading the whole lot back together.
I rethreaded lost rods once without any device but that was pure luck I'd say.

listermint

Nice technique

corks finest

foxy farmer wrote: »

I read the following from another thread. Get a 250 ml plastic coke bottle and cut it in half. You want the top half of the bottle. Remove the cork and then put it on the appropriate end that'll mate with the lost rod end. The threaded end should be inside the neck of the bottle and not protruding into the tapered part of the bottle. Tape the bottle to the rod with good strong tape.

The idea is that you put your rods down the pipe with the wide bottle end facing forward. This acts as a funnel and guides the lost rods onto the "rescue " rods thread. When you think you have hit the lost rods start twisting in a clockwise direction hopefully threading the whole lot back together.
I rethreaded lost rods once without any device but that was pure luck I'd say.

Sounds sensible advice

listermint

Temper the design slightly. Cut the Coke bottles screw can in 4 so that it bends and use a jubilee clip to fix it to the rod rather than tape

Staph

Did you get sorted? I've been there, lost the end rod and attachment. I ended up calling this guy http://www.freeflowdrains.ie/ , very helpful and retrieved the rod in no time.

listermint

There's the obvious other way. Call into the neighbours lift their man hole and push the cap down until it appears at be next manhole in the neighbours

donnacha

Staph wrote: »

Did you get sorted? I've been there, lost the end rod and attachment. I ended up calling this guy http://www.freeflowdrains.ie/ , very helpful and retrieved the rod in no time.

Tried the bottle trick today, and also managed to pick up a rod retrieval attachment out in tallaght for €15 but no joy with either. Have booked your guy in for tomorrow evening so fingers crossed.

dathi

and to stop it happening again drill a hole in the brass connectors and put a cable tie through it then when you screw two rods together use small cable tie from pound shop to connect both pieces

my3cents

dathi wrote: »

and to stop it happening again drill a hole in the brass connectors and put a cable tie through it then when you screw two rods together use small cable tie from pound shop to connect both pieces

Easier just to keep turning the rods clockwise as you push them down and the same as you pull them back. Thats a basic rule of roding drains with the normal screw thread rods that most people use.

Calahonda52

dathi wrote: »

and to stop it happening again drill a hole in the brass connectors and put a cable tie through it then when you screw two rods together use small cable tie from pound shop to connect both pieces

is that a biscuit joint?

dathi

Calahonda52 wrote: »

is that a biscuit joint?

on the scrap of timber yes

GreeBo

dathi wrote: »

on the scrap of timber yes

More of a dowel that a biscuit, no?

(But a good idea nonetheless)

listermint

dathi wrote: »

and to stop it happening again drill a hole in the brass connectors and put a cable tie through it then when you screw two rods together use small cable tie from pound shop to connect both pieces

Or just rotate the correct way.

I've never lost one :P

donnacha

Staph wrote: »

Did you get sorted? I've been there, lost the end rod and attachment. I ended up calling this guy http://www.freeflowdrains.ie/ , very helpful and retrieved the rod in no time.

Staph, thanks again for this referral. They got the rod out in no time and charged me less than anyone else I'd contacted had even suggested the most basic recovery would cost. Even gave me a full camera inspection of the length of piping that's causing trouble and explained what's going on.

listermint

donnacha wrote: »

Staph, thanks again for this referral. They got the rod out in no time and charged me less than anyone else I'd contacted had even suggested the most basic recovery would cost. Even gave me a full camera inspection of the length of piping that's causing trouble and explained what's going on.

Poo?



:P

Staph

That’s great you got sorted. He also did a camera inspection for me to assess the problem. It’s a real relief to get the rod retrieved and to know what is causing the issue, glad it worked out for you ��