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Possible broken pipes blocking toilet from draining

  • 01-08-2021 6:16pm
    #1
    yak
    Registered Users Posts: 270 ✭✭


    Sorry if this is the wrong area etc….

    Im hoping someone can help me to identify what to do next…

    I live in a 3 bed semi (in Dublin) and have noticed that the downstairs toilet (in particular) has been slow to drain after being flushed recently. I opened up one of the drains a couple of weeks ago and found that it was almost completely full of a mix of stones and waste from the toilet.

    I rolled up the sleeves and put on a pair of gloves and “dug it out” to clear the blockage (removed about a bucket full of stones). Happy with my handiwork I covered the drain again and put my mind at ease. Unfortunately this week I noticed that the same toilet was taking longer to drain again so I reopened the drain and it’s “half full” of the same mix of excrement, toilet paper and gravel/stones.

    The drain that is getting blocked has inlets from about 4 different points as well as one egress to the common sewer. Based purely on guessing on my part I’m thinking that one of pipes feeding into the drain must have collapsed at some point and is now letting stones filter into the system causing my blockages…

    The house is about 20+ years old so there is no management company to engage, so I’m wondering does anyone know who I could engage so solve my problems or do the city/county council look after these sorts of problems?

    thanks,

    yak



Comments

  • #2
    PMBC
    Registered Users Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭PMBC


    Are there other manholes or AJs leading to the one you identify as blocked. Are the covers plastic i.e Wavin Armstrong Junctions WAJs?



  • #3
    Atlantic Dawn
    Registered Users Posts: 81,076 ✭✭✭✭Atlantic Dawn
    M


    You can get drain companies to do CCTV surveys of the piping, that would probably be the best first step as the pipes will otherwise be inaccessable to see where the problem lies. There is DIY inspection CCTV tools you can buy, the usefullness will vary with how far within the pipe you need to view, it's likely more a job for the professionals. It could be roots from trees that have cracked through the pipes. I have seen on big public sewers solutions where the pipes are relined internally without the need to dig them out and replace, no idea if this is method is cost effective for a home.



  • #4
    PMBC
    Registered Users Posts: 1,102 ✭✭✭PMBC


    From the age of the house its most likely the foul sewer pipes are plastic - uPVC so I dont see the obstructing material coming from the pipes.



  • #5
    yak
    Registered Users Posts: 270 ✭✭yak


    Have just organised for rye professionals to come and unblock the drains and put the cameras down each direction. From a picture I sent they suspect rodent activity but given the variance in size of the stones involved I’m less convinced…

    i don’t see any other manhole covers around, but what is there is all wavin… does that matter?

    87973EC7-ED95-4E32-A745-CFD4BCC80CD1.jpeg




  • #6
    Hi ya
    Registered Users Posts: 35 ✭Hi ya


    Had thee same issue years ago couldn't understand how it kept getting blocked ,got the camera guys in rodents had found a crack in pipe and burrowed there way up into our kitchen.dug it all out replaced wavin pipe.

    no issue since .



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