drain gully headache

[dfefferkay]

The gully that my kitchen sink, dishwasher and rainwater runs into is blocked. It happened about 6months back and a bottle of melt cleared it. A whole bottle of one shot hasnt done squat this time, neither has a healthy dose of frantic plunging. Ive checked further down and no visable blockage so do I pour more unblocker down or has anyone any better ideas?

Cheers

 

[townfanjon]

You need to get some thick plastic gloves on and get down and get dirty. You should be able to pull most of the gunge out with your hand. If there isnt any gunge it sounds like you need to rod the pipe from your nearest manhole cover. Are toilets etc all ok ? ie, no leaks evident at any other manhole covers.

 

[Ermintrude]

Two carrier bags and hands in upto elbow

 

[Centralheatking]

Good quality black bin liners are best - then if you worried insulation tape up near your shoulder
me - well - I just stick hand in - down toilets drains etc get on with it - and wash my hands
after all us old farts in west lancs are the same CHK

 

[CXR100]

watch that the acid stuff you poured down still isnt in the guley , this is normally heavier than water. so watch you dont burn thru your glove with it, i once burned thru my trousers with the stuff! very dangerous in the wrong hands!

 

[CXR100]

or go and hire or buy a gulley grab!!

 

[ADM360]

You have checked that the gully does go into the drains and is not a soak away?

 

[ozzy]

Some traps have a plastic bit in it that the water comes up the outside of and then into the main pipe. If you pull this out it maybe solid with fat etc

 

[Killy Bing]

got up to my elbow in a back inlet gully once.

then made the horrible realisation my arm was stuck and my phone was in the car.....

 

[ozzy]

Not good lol was there someone there

 

[dfefferkay]

The gully is at the back of the houee sunk into the concrete between two houses, but the drain has two other gullys and the soil stack on the way to the main sewer, thats if its all one combined drain under the concrete but as ive only one access point near the front I assume so. And thats clear as well as everything else running through ok.

Looks like im going to have to bite the bullet and get my arm down there...

 

[Centralheatking]

Do report back - CHK

 

[dfefferkay]

All sorted.


I double bagged myself and got my arm down there. Not as bad as i'd feared once I was in. Just had to keep telling myself my hands were cold not wet!


Turned out there was a solid plug just round the bend. Scraped out as much as I could with my hands but found an old 22mm bending spring was perfect for loosening it all. Flushed it with a few kettles full of boiling water to clear any remains and then put a hose down and ran it through for 5 min.


Thanks everyone for your help

 

[Reg Man]

The classic fat ball hiding round the bend. Try to avoid putting oil/fat down your sink.

 

[townfanjon]

Not as bad as i'd feared

Do you work in an office !!! lol

 

[dfefferkay]

Do you work in an office !!! lol

Ha used to. Looking back I'd rather be down the drain!