Potential Soil pipe Blockage

[DazJWood]

I appear to have done something rather stupid, (which isn't unusual).

I have dropped a wood file (probably around 350mm or so) down the soil pipe.

To cut a long story short, I had the vent pipe off and was removing a small section of pipe that protruded too far into the soil pipe (from the inside). As I pulled my hand out the handle caught somehow and it has dropped down the full vertical length of the soil pipe from the bathroom to somewhere below the kitchen (I presume).

I have tried using string with a magnet on and I am sure it is attaching some of the time but it won't pull back up. Now whether this is because it is stuck in the bend or not I don't know.

I figure I have only a few options, carry on trying to fish it out with a magnet, pour water down and hope that it flushes it out (don't think that's likely to work), or lift my decking in the garden and find the manhole cover and then see if I can somehow get it that way.

I'm also concerned that it could possibly have cracked some pipe somewhere when it fell. Is this likely? It did rattle a lot from side to side as it fell so I don't think it fell with as much force as it could of.

What is the degree of bend at the bottom of the soil pipe? Is it usually a standard bend or does it vary?

Has anyone got any further ideas or suggestions?

Thanks in advance,

Daz

 

[kirkgas]

as it is sharp and metal it could damage the pipe depending what it is made of at the bottom bend, fireclay is very likely to break, plastic maybe break and if cast iron no prob, however there is NO CHANCE of you flushing it down the drain, in saying that you will have a pig of a job getting out, but it will need to come out or you will choke it once it has been used for a couple of days, have a look at the bottom of the stack to see if there is an inspection, dont envy you

 

[shneld]

Is it a plastic soil pipe?

Could you cut the pipe horizontally just above the ground (leaving enough poking out to joint it) giving you better access and then just joint the pipe back together?

Forgive me if that’s a daft idea, I’m not a plumber

 

[HoodedClaw]

Lift the drain point and rod it. a brush might push it up to an access point or a drop scraper might pull it out. The bend at the bottom of the stack should be a long swept radius, 350mm file might get past that making it far easier to remove. might have cracked the clay pipe but if it hit on the slide might be ok. Good luck, either way you should have easy access to the manhole cover - building regs requires it so its a chance to change that.

 

[DazJWood]

Thanks all for your comments!

I've been at it all afternoon trying to fish it out with a magnet to no avail.

I've managed to take a few pics at the top of the soil pipe using my digital camera zoomed in and it is definitely not stuck at the bend. So it is either in the horizontal part of the pipe after the bend or has made it to the drain.

Unfortunately the manhole cover is underneath my decking so it looks like I am going to have to take some of my decking up to get access to it.

Job for tomorrow when I've got some light!

Daz

 

[DazJWood]

Well I have spent this afternoon taking my decking apart to gain access to the manhole cover.

I've spent a few hours now trying to get the manhole cover lifted. It has no access points on the surface and has no access points round the perimeter either. It appears to have rusted into the frame also.

There is no where to lever the lid open so I cannot fathom how to remove the lid other than to drill a hole through it, drop a drill bit or similar on some wire down and try pulling it up that way. I don't fancy my chances at success doing it this way either. If I have to damage the lid to get it open can I easily buy a replacement lid? Are they standard sizes? Mine is 62.7cm by 48.5cm.

Is there a different technique to lifting one of these up?

Thanks,

Daz

 

[Bartdude]

Are there any holes in the cover?You may need these to lift it.

 

[kirkgas]

whack a hammer and chisel round the rim, to loosen it up, as its under the decking it wont matter if you belt it a bit

 

[HoodedClaw]

If its that old the holes have probably filled with crud and rust making them look non existant, tap around the short edges on the centre line about 3/4" in.. I had one like this, holes were filled with concrete (not by me) had to use big screwdriver on edge, bent a few - turned out to be a 30ton lid as used on highways! Easily replaced and cheap too.

 

[tamz]

I think by the time you get the manhole cover up it may have been swept past. Toilet roll and the like will drag it along but it will stick at the first branch. Most certainly will give you problems in the future if you don't get it out.

 

[Avatar]

before you demolish your drainage pipework, maybe consider hireing a an insepction video cam upto the job!

While expensive, this could be cheaper than smashing things up - you need to know where this file is after all.It might have been swept along the drainage pipe by 10 meters or more, so you coulod be digging in the wrong place . . .

 

[DazJWood]

before you demolish your drainage pipework, maybe consider hireing a an insepction video cam upto the job!

While expensive, this could be cheaper than smashing things up - you need to know where this file is after all.It might have been swept along the drainage pipe by 10 meters or more, so you coulod be digging in the wrong place . . .

Demolish pipework? I hadn't planned on demolishing any pipework. It has made it round the bend at the bottom of the soil pipe, so it can only be in the 2 metre horizontal run to the drain or in the drain itself. If it's in the drain somewhere then I'm sure it will be ok, after all I've seen housebricks down drains before. If it's in the section between drain and bottom of soil pipe I should be able to fish it out.
Just need to get the cover off!
Thanks for all your suggestions!
Daz

 

[HoodedClaw]

If its not in the bend then I'd use a drop scraper to try and get behind it, drop the scraper down and pull everything out.. Peg on nose time..

Oh, my mates system was blocked up by posh bog roll, 50ft blockage up to 1st floor, apparently the nice stuff just doesn't breakdown and backed up over a few months after he moved in. If loo paper on its own can block up, bricks and files will cause a mess!

 

[Avatar]

Just remind me how much time have you spent on this already?

You could be at it for days . . .

An inspection camera would go into your soil stack, and would probably cost £60 to hire for a day. Do the math . . .

 

[HoodedClaw]

Don't spoil it Avatar, he's clearly having fun