How clear roots and muck from bendy party of drain?

boardtc

Trying to clear out my dad's drain, I got a bag of dirt out of it to get to the bendy party off the pipe. Lots of roots. I can't get any tool I have in any further. I can't get a hold of the trip of the roots to pull the gook and roots out any more. Any ideas on how to get it cleared? Hope ye can get an idea from the photo.

Atlantic Dawn

Something like this tool should be able to be routed down and clear the roots

https://www.woodies.ie/drain-clearing-tools-15ft-drain-wire-376839

endacl

What’s at the other end of the roots? You don’t want to be trying to pull a tree through!

boardtc

It's just your standard gutter drain! I picked up that woodies drain wire and was able to get it in about 25cm but it was just coming back with clay in the screw and did not pull out anything yet. It's solid clay and vey awkward to get at and push through. I found useful was one of those plastic guards you might keep on a saw to bend and try and push through the soil/gook. I hope to get down again in 2 weeks for another go. Any idea for a strong bendy tool that I can try and push through?

Still stihl waters 3

Your pipe might be cracked or broken if you've roots and debris like that, that should be a gully head with a trap so if there's no water there's a liklihood the pipe is broken

boardtc

I was down over the weekend and water is collecting on the path outside the house as this drain is 100% blocked, with me only able to get the muck out going back 25cm as descibed:

Any other ideas please on how it can be cleared without kangoing up the driveway?

magicbastarder

I'm curious about what plant those roots belong to! There's nothing visible in the photo; getting rid of those roots would be a first step but the fact they got in might suggest a broken pipe, as suggested above, which would also suggest the problem will probably return.

event

3 years later its still happening? You are probably going to need to dig that up. And do it now when the rain is going to be gone for a while

boardtc

Yep, I never got a solution from my OP….not sure my Dad will be up for digging it up… won't get FTTH for the same reason :-(

loyatemu

is there an inspection hatch nearby that you could get rods into? Difficult to do anything from a gully up against a corner like that.

also - call a plumber/drain guy.

10-10-20

Drain companies have rodding kits to bust these roots - I don't see other options here really. But as @magicbastarder and @Still stihl waters 3 pointed out, the roots are coming in from somewhere, so it implies that he has a damaged drain pipe anyway.

what about a power washer? Try blasting the blockage out?

I have not done this, others may advise this is possible or not.

https://www.woodies.ie/karcher-7-5mtr-pipe-cleaning-set-1084412?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiYOxBhC5ARIsAIvdH511DEvNqfGknjDn2usFwg2rFMGSabrDX8AMtPaY5iXKIU557POU9icaAsWzEALw_wcB

10-10-20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122035025#Comment_122035025

The pro ones have a rotating cutting head - that one only operates directly in front of the mushroom head, so it's likely to just drain your wallet and not your drain.

magicbastarder

i have an aldi or lidl version of that karcher one - it actually jets the water backwards, to propel the head forwards. i suspect the pressure of the water going forwards would prevent you from being able to feed it efficiently through a pipe.

cap.in.hand.

Is that pipe going directly into a soak pit do you know...you could work on it from the other side if you find where the other side ends.