Identifying and dealing with a blockage?

kinger8938

kinger8938

kinger8938

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The other day, we noticed the shower basin was filling up a bit and taking a while longer to drain than usual. Usually I just plunge it but doesn't seem to be doing much.

We then noticed the toilet in the same room fills a bit when flushed and in turn causes the shower basin drain to gargle! (Using the sink does the same).

Then noticed the toilet downstairs directly below this room fills right up when flushed. So I have to assume this loo is the culprit as it's lower down the system?

Never had anything like this so any tips or best solutions before thinking about plumbers?
 
I think your in the crap !!!!!!!!

First off is there a manhole out side of the loo - if so lift it and see if it's blocked - if not then problem is in pipework from there to loo - Do you own the house or is it rented - if rented call landlord.

If it's yours do you have any drain rods or know someone who has and will lend them to you ? Unfortunately you might have to do a bit of rodding - If the upstairs loo and shower are backing up I would have expected the down stairs loo to overflow. - You could try tipping a bucket of hot soapy water down downstairs loo when it has gone down - sometime a large amount of water will shift a blockage.

How old is your house and is the downstairs loo a syphonic - I had to go clear a blockage once where it was the arm in cystern catching and it didn't give a full flush so never cleared bowl but they kept crapping in it.

I had the same sort of thing here and it was the clay pipes just outside bathroom window - dried loo paper - if I had put bucket of hot water down once a week it wouldn't have happened.

Best of luck especially as it always happens on a Sunday
 
DXP55 said:
I think your in the crap !!!!!!!!

First off is there a manhole out side of the loo - if so lift it and see if it's blocked - if not then problem is in pipework from there to loo - Do you own the house or is it rented - if rented call landlord.

If it's yours do you have any drain rods or know someone who has and will lend them to you ? Unfortunately you might have to do a bit of rodding - If the upstairs loo and shower are backing up I would have expected the down stairs loo to overflow. - You could try tipping a bucket of hot soapy water down downstairs loo when it has gone down - sometime a large amount of water will shift a blockage.

How old is your house and is the downstairs loo a syphonic - I had to go clear a blockage once where it was the arm in cystern catching and it didn't give a full flush so never cleared bowl but they kept crapping in it.

I had the same sort of thing here and it was the clay pipes just outside bathroom window - dried loo paper - if I had put bucket of hot water down once a week it wouldn't have happened.

Best of luck especially as it always happens on a Sunday
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Thanks for the post, not really sure which man hole is ours! There's a few lining the street almost at the road side.if I flush the loo downstairs it doesn't overflow or anything, just fills up a fair bit and drains slowly.

It's a new build (well we had it since new, 4 years this month) can't really speak to what type if system it is etc as I haven't a clue about anything plumbing related :(

*I don't have drain rods etc, I have a terrible plunger lol could try a better one?

*not sure about the front, but out the back we have 2 observation chamber covers? Round black covers to them. Not sure if this is what we are after? I assumed they would have been out the front as that's where all out plumbing is really, all loos and sinks are at the front of the house for example
 
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Just looked in the observation cover that relates to that side of the house.. and it's full of towels and I saw poo poo.. so I guess this is it? Going to need to reach in and get covered in crap? :D.

Quite a bit of water in there too.
 
I was just going to get like 2 layers of marigolds on and pull out the obstruction, block my nose with some ear plugs I have lol. It looks like lady towels.. apparently you aren't supposed to flush them but my Mrs claims she always has done... so tbh, she should don the gloves!!
 
Ok guys... it's done. I won't repeat what I went through, just know we did it together.

** Fully Star out all swearing **

Waters flowing now, wasn't that bad actually and I've learnt more about our system and ..waste

GG all, hopefully there's not a blockage further up but now it's running well from what I can tell.
 
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Welcome to the DIY drain club - we all give you a gold medal.

I think we had a drain blockage thread a while ago and when they unblocked it they took a bucket full of disposable nappies to the woman who had just had a baby.

Take my advise and throw a bucket of water down loo every week - I always think these new low flush toilets just don't have the water power to really flush stuff down.

Good job done that man - Tell wife you want double man time as it's Sunday.

ps I do know what you have gone through. :D
 
We have crap plumping and our outside sewage pipe gets blocked easily. Have had to pay to have it unblocked twice already this year (always on a weekend of course) - last time it literally exploded over the engineer as he was trying to pump it out. Worth every penny, ain’t going near that even with the longest drain rod.
 
CaptainRAVE said:
We have crap plumping and our outside sewage pipe gets blocked easily. Have had to pay to have it unblocked twice already this year (always on a weekend of course) - last time it literally exploded over the engineer as he was trying to pump it out. Worth every penny, ain’t going near that even with the longest drain rod.
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I don't know how I would cope getting covered in ****, probably just sit there sobbing to myself.
 
DXP55 said:
Welcome to the DIY drain club - we all give you a gold medal.

I think we had a drain blockage thread a while ago and when they unblocked it they took a bucket full of disposable nappies to the woman who had just had a baby.

Take my advise and throw a bucket of water down loo every week - I always think these new low flush toilets just don't have the water power to really flush stuff down.

Good job done that man - Tell wife you want double man time as it's Sunday.

ps I do know what you have gone through. :D
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I agree, I deserve some time :D. Will do that with the bucket, did it after clearing too and flushed them all a fair few times to make sure it was flowing again so think we are all good for now. :)
 
PiKe said:
I don't know how I would cope getting covered in ****, probably just sit there sobbing to myself.
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He just got some blue roll and wiped it off. I didn’t know what to say other than “that has to be the worst case scenario of your job”. It got worse later on as it turns out the 40ft+ or so of hose he was using to unblock the system was going into some old sewage plumping that was no longer in use.
 
Working on board a ship we typically opened up pipework and the pumps due to blockages.
People are always the problem, from putting food down toilets to as the op posted tampons and other stuff. People need to only flush urine, poo and toilet tissue. Thankfully at home I have never had problems. I think sewer systems would be worse than the ship however as our system is loads smaller than the undeground sewers haha.
 
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