Outside drain

[siousxiesue]

Any ideas/suggestions welcome... my outside drain is blocked and now whenever the washing machine empties or we wash up, the water spills all over the paving. I've just tried so called extra strong drain clearer, do I need a plumber? Anyone had this and been able to DIY?

[sophiesofa]

Can you take the grate off and get your arm in or is not that kind? If so dig out all the scummy stuff - worked for me.

[Sharon_H]

Caustic soda might do the trick.

[Ladymuck]

I had that a few years ago. Like you I tried something like Mr. Muscle but - nothing. So it was a case of poking around with a broom handle to loosen the gunge and then sticking my arm down and phyically removing as much of it as I could. It was a foul job, it ponged like hell...absolutely ruined my fingernails...and I needed a bath immediately afterwards. But it did the trick. I think most of the "gunge" was caused by garden detritus accumulating over the years. Now I check/clean the drain regularly and it has been fine since.

Oh, and don't bother buying rubber gloves for the job - they won't be long enough!

Good luck.

[KidKruger]

siousxiesue if you can access the drain via an inspection hatch or where it meets the ground you may want to try those spring-bound drain coils, they have a handle and you insert the coil and twist it with the handle the idea being it twists and loosens the blockage, but you have to be able to get to the blockage itself and if you're (say) in a flat and the blockage is down th epipe at ground level that will probably be no good.

These drain clearing 'coils' cost like ?8 at a hardware store or a coupel of quid in a 'pound' shop. good luck !

[HAL9000]

Ladymuck Wrote:

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> ... it was a case of poking around with a broom handle

> to loosen the gunge and then sticking my arm down and

> phyically removing as much of it as I could. It

> was a foul job, it ponged like hell...absolutely

> ruined my fingernails...and I needed a bath

> immediately afterwards.

You should save this post in case we have a "How did you choose your screen name?" thread in the future.

[Roll Deep]

Just give it a good rodding.

[computedshorty]

This is a trick I have used many times get several plastic shopping bags put them one inside the other fill the now thick bag with water about three pints, tie them at the top securely, they now look like a balloon full of water, remove the drain cover, you will sometimes find that the pipe from the building enters the drain also from here, so lower the bag filled with water it will pass the other pipes, once in contact with the water pump up and down, it will make a seal to the shape of the drain pipe, you could use a mop careful not to make a hole on the bag, the water will go but there will be a scum left around the inside of the pipe you will have to bail that out, if left it will act as a key to build up a blockage again.

This is the quickest way to clear a paper filled toilet basin.

[Ladymuck]

HAL9000 Wrote:

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>You should save this post in case we have a "How

> did you choose your screen name?" thread in the

> future.

Oh Lord, you don't know the half of it. On Saturday for example, I fell "tits up" into a 15' high mini-mountain of horse poo. It had just been delivered and was still steaming...such was the freshness of the stuff! To make matters worse, an extremely heavy downpour of rain during and immediately following unloading of the...ahem...recently produced raw material, caused it to become rather more gloopy than it would normally have been. As though that wasn't enough, as Sod's Law would have it, I had decided to leave the bike at home that day which meant that I had to walk amongst the hordes of Saturday shoppers through the busy Lordship Lane, past the Station, and past Sainsburys etc. smelling of you know what and looking like Aunt Sally. That embarrassment was only slightly offset by the knowledge that the poo had come from the Queen's own stables...so in that respect at least I could hold my head up high. But oh the humiliation...the degradation..

[HAL9000]

Ha ha ha - if that had happened to me I'd be playing the lottery like mad - haven't you seen Slumdog Millionaire?

Καλή τύχη

[brum]

We should call you Queenmuck from now on....

[iaineasy]

take the great of and get a wire coat hanger straighten it out and leave the hookon the endthe have a good rake around in the bottom of the drain that shgould clear it, if not buy 1 shot drain cleanerandpour that down,itis 98% sulpuric acid so wear gloves and stand well back whilst you do it,allow it ti sitfor as long as possible before usingyour sink,this never fails if done right!!

[Ladymuck]

HAL9000 Wrote:

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> Ha ha ha

I'll give you ha ha ha...

*waves fist at HAL9000*

> - if that had happened to me I'd be

> playing the lottery like mad

I do - every week...but not one jot of difference does it make...

- haven't you seen

> Slumdog Millionaire?

I have - and for what it's worth I thought it was utter tosh ...totally lacking in substance and utterly bereft of entertainment (in my extremely humble opinion)...vastly over-rated.

> Καλή τύχη

Γιατί να σας ευχαριστήσω xx

Αυτό το ρομπότ έχει συναισθήματα

[HAL9000]

Ladymuck Wrote:

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> I do - every week...but not one jot of difference

> does it make...

How often have you fallen into a pile of poo, then?

In case you've missed my point: many Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern and Asian cultures associate accidental contact with poo as a prelude to good fortune.

> > - haven't you seen Slumdog Millionaire?

>

> I have - and for what it's worth I thought it was

> utter tosh ...totally lacking in substance and

> utterly bereft of entertainment (in my extremely

> humble opinion)...vastly over-rated.

The point being that Jamal fell in the poo prior to becoming a millionaire and winning the love of his life, Latika - although I'm not sure whether Danny Boyle grasped the symbolic significance of the poo sub-plot as the original story was written by an Indian author.

[Ladymuck]

HAL9000 Wrote:

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> How often have you fallen into a pile of poo,

> then?

ahem...maybe three four times in the last 5/6 years! I lose my balance when shoveling the stuff into the wheelbarrow...it's quite heavy and I'm not that strong.

> In case you've missed my point: many

> Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern and Asian cultures

> associate accidental contact with poo as a prelude

> to good fortune.

Ah ha! I did miss your point! Well in that case...I look forward to lots of fabulous things happening in the future! Thank you for that.

> The point being that Jamal fell in the poo prior

> to becoming a millionaire and winning the love of

> his life, Latika...

Well, I already have the love of my life and I don't particularly wish to become a millionaire, so I guess I should be grateful for my lot. No?

And you...how many times have you fallen into a pile of poo?

Anyway, are you suggesting that we should all go around deliberately aiming for dog turds when out and about? Or doesn't "it" work unless completely inadvertent? (Oooh, a Drawing Room question!)

*thinks - bet the onboard computer comes up with an answer and all!*

[cate]

iaineasy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> take the great of and get a wire coat hanger

> straighten it out and leave the hookon the endthe

> have a good rake around in the bottom of the drain

> that shgould clear it, if not buy 1 shot drain

> cleanerandpour that down,itis 98% sulpuric acid so

> wear gloves and stand well back whilst you do

> it,allow it ti sitfor as long as possible before

> usingyour sink,this never fails if done right!!

Yes do this! One shot has magical powers. Coathanger is an excellent idea!! I use a twiggy stick.

[SteveT]

As most of what blocks outside drains is leaves, I would want to remove them to avoid possible blockages further down the pipe.

As Ladymuck has said stick your arm down remove leaves and replace the drain cover.

Give your arm a warm bath as you have earned it.

Then stick some gin and tonic in a glass with a little ice put your feet up as you have saved the family budget around ?60 from your diy.

Good for you.

[KidKruger]

siousxiesue

Pray, what IS the outcome ??

[SteveT]

The outcome is Siousxiesue is now using the launderette for the washing, and paper plates to eat off, thus rendering the said drain superfluous to requirements.

Sorted.

[HAL9000]

Ladymuck Wrote:

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> Anyway, are you suggesting that we should all go

> around deliberately aiming for dog turds ...

It depends. Some people wear them as jewellery (click on image to read more).

And George W Bush swears by his Dog Turd, apparently.

[Ladymuck]

HAL9000 Wrote:

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> It depends. Some people wear them as jewellery

> (click on image to read more).

>

> And George W Bush swears by his Dog Turd,

> apparently.

Had to read your response twice, HAL9000...it's quite unbelievable! But I should have known. In fact that's what I like about your posts...I never know what to expect...just when I think I've finally got you sussed...you produce something completely unexpected...in this case a golden turd! Well I did ask...

And you can stop grinning now! (Yes, I can just picture your cheeky expression).

*shakes head in utter disbelief, then relapses into uncontrollable laughter*