I would just like to say

Stone56 said:

Got one so easy to use and thay shift every thing

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I'm coming round to the idea of being forced to get one. Yet another bit of kit I'll have to store somewhere.
What bothers me at the mo is that there seems to be some sort of large obstruction in the drain that I cannot break up. I can get past it, just about. It is all very sticky and sludgy so there is another litre of drain cleaner in there at the mo.
At one point the water I had put in did seem to drain away, then it stopped and stayed there again.
So annoying. If all of this was going on closer to hand than 5 feet or so down a drainpipe Id be a lot more convinced that I could clear it. But as it is I think I am going to have to manufacture some sort of tools to break stuff up and fetch them out. Not easy.

I have worked on our drains in the UK more than once and there they run, as usual, a couple of feet under the surface and nearly horizontal. Never had to work with a drain that runs vertical for 2 metres or so.

Stanleysteamer said:

Silly W decided that planting an orchard over the pipe that leads to the main drain would be a good idea, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if it wasn't root intrusion, but where I have found the blockage it will not be that. It is too far away from the nearest tree.
I think it is just a flipping awkward fatberg. We were too naive about what a septic tank can deal with ever since we got the house, until now that is. But the stable door has been bolted truly a bit late.

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The jet blaster will remove roots from a drain but not stop them so a annual thing

kevstar said:

Sounds like it could be a big Captain's log.

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Don't want him staying at my place

Stone56 said:

I was thinking the same if you need bars and scaffold poles and all that sort of stuff then it all needs re- piping not fit for purpose

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There is no reason why the pipe should have collapsed that I can think of. It isn't as if the earth above it has been disturbed by heavy vehicles running over the earth above it or anything.
I cannot imagine being able to dig a 2 metre deep hole to be able to fix whatever. That'd require shuttering and what not wouldn't it? If I could find the pipe that runs down the land, somewhere else then I'd be quite happy to connect into that, but I have no idea where it is. Typically the gorundworks cowboy didn't leave anything to tell us. He is now dead and the guy who took the business over when he retired has gone bonkers some while back, so no point in trying to get any one in to help.
Manholes? What manholes? It runs about 250 metres with none until it hits the main drains in the road below next door but two's property.

The only thing is that right next to it is the underwater storage tank. It has an overflow pipe exactly the same and that isn't leaking at all.
If I can't fix it I will dig a biggish hole around the overflow pipe and connect the septic tank run off into it. They both connect together somewhere under the land anyway. The stupid thing is that it isn't a normal septic tank set up with a crowsfoot outfall, but we had to treat the waste before we could connect into the main drains and it is purely for this connection that we have to pay for sewerage charges even though we treat it ourselves.

I have considered turning ours into a normal septic tank system, but that would mean hiring or borrowing a digger and sadly up-rooting a heck of a lot of trees in our orchard. And of course I doubt we could do it without all sorts of paperwork.
I think in fact we'd do it and just not tell anyone!

kevstar said:

I rarely google for funny stuff, ive watched loads of comedians an seam to remember totally useless & random guff.

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Jethro ??

...put some go-juice in the car and, guess what?
No issues at all, it flowed at full-bore for £50 with no issues.

Stanleysteamer said:

There is no reason why the pipe should have collapsed that I can think of. It isn't as if the earth above it has been disturbed by heavy vehicles running over the earth above it or anything.
I cannot imagine being able to dig a 2 metre deep hole to be able to fix whatever. That'd require shuttering and what not wouldn't it? If I could find the pipe that runs down the land, somewhere else then I'd be quite happy to connect into that, but I have no idea where it is. Typically the gorundworks cowboy didn't leave anything to tell us. He is now dead and the guy who took the business over when he retired has gone bonkers some while back, so no point in trying to get any one in to help.
Manholes? What manholes? It runs about 250 metres with none until it hits the main drains in the road below next door but two's property.

The only thing is that right next to it is the underwater storage tank. It has an overflow pipe exactly the same and that isn't leaking at all.
If I can't fix it I will dig a biggish hole around the overflow pipe and connect the septic tank run off into it. They both connect together somewhere under the land anyway. The stupid thing is that it isn't a normal septic tank set up with a crowsfoot outfall, but we had to treat the waste before we could connect into the main drains and it is purely for this connection that we have to pay for sewerage charges even though we treat it ourselves.

I have considered turning ours into a normal septic tank system, but that would mean hiring or borrowing a digger and sadly up-rooting a heck of a lot of trees in our orchard. And of course I doubt we could do it without all sorts of paperwork.
I think in fact we'd do it and just not tell anyone!

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Feeling for you Stan.
So I am still having a problem visualizing this pipe with the problem.
Is it after the tank or before?

If you are ramming a bar down and hammering it are you sure you are not breaking the pipe itself? Surely its only plastic pipe?
If you had it draining a bit then it stopped something has dragged some more stuff down.

For my money not really knowing, cos we don have a pic, not sure we need 1 though.A drawing on a fag packet would help or an old wine box in your case.
So in the absence of a pressure washer I would say.
If you can get to where you think the blockage is with your bar, (assuming your caustic doesn't work) Tape a hose to it and run HOT water down the hose, small bore hose hot water at mains pressure will clear a fat ball may take a while, But where do you chase it too?

I do relate with your plight having been through a few blocked drains (not here). we have pics of a lot of stuff during building works and they have come in so useful.

J

DanClarke said:

...phone call.
Car's all done. Started it y'day and is now finished. Also, they fitted a replacement filler hose I supplied and discovered the reason for the "trickle-only" fill-ups. The anti theft/siphon device had snapped off and was blocking the tank spigot.
Off to collect it now. Many £'s lighter, but all done.

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Was this the ball joint job not gonna ask the cost but was it less than expected?
Glad you have a final solution to your dribble problem too.

J.

marjon said:

Feeling for you Stan.
So I am still having a problem visualizing this pipe with the problem.
Is it after the tank or before?

If you are ramming a bar down and hammering it are you sure you are not breaking the pipe itself? Surely its only plastic pipe?
If you had it draining a bit then it stopped something has dragged some more stuff down.

For my money not really knowing, cos we don have a pic, not sure we need 1 though.A drawing on a fag packet would help or an old wine box in your case.
So in the absence of a pressure washer I would say.
If you can get to where you think the blockage is with your bar, (assuming your caustic doesn't work) Tape a hose to it and run HOT water down the hose, small bore hose hot water at mains pressure will clear a fat ball may take a while, But where do you chase it too?

I do relate with your plight having been through a few blocked drains (not here). we have pics of a lot of stuff during building works and they have come in so useful.

J

J

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And "rodding kits" (cheap as chips) have a double corkscrew end to engage and break up stuff.

DanClarke said:

And "rodding kits" (cheap as chips) have a double corkscrew end to engage and break up stuff.

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Got some. Handy to do chimney sweeping too.

J

marjon said:

Feeling for you Stan.
So I am still having a problem visualizing this pipe with the problem.
Is it after the tank or before?

If you are ramming a bar down and hammering it are you sure you are not breaking the pipe itself? Surely its only plastic pipe?
If you had it draining a bit then it stopped something has dragged some more stuff down.

For my money not really knowing, cos we don have a pic, not sure we need 1 though.A drawing on a fag packet would help or an old wine box in your case.
So in the absence of a pressure washer I would say.
If you can get to where you think the blockage is with your bar, (assuming your caustic doesn't work) Tape a hose to it and run HOT water down the hose, small bore hose hot water at mains pressure will clear a fat ball may take a while, But where do you chase it too?

I do relate with your plight having been through a few blocked drains (not here). we have pics of a lot of stuff during building works and they have come in so useful.

J

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I have just ordered a pressure washer from Mr Bricolage in Castres so it should be ready to pick up in, wait for it, 2 hours!
Time for me to get changed and smartened up. and gt over there as that takes 1/2 an hour.
I have come to the conclusion that the thing I think is partially blocking it is not. I think the pipe kinks to one side, i.e. away from the septic tank. which Is why I can only get tools etc down further in just one place. I have not hammered on the end of the bar I too do not want to put a hole through a plastic pipe! Although I appreciate why you would have said that. If I had I think the waste water might have drained through that hole, at least for a bit. I think a tiny amount of water drained from one cavity to another, through the gloop.
The pipe is the outflow pipe from the septic tank, so at the top of a two metre high tank buried in the ground. It is a concrete one. It comes out of the side just below the top then turns vertical immediately.

DanClarke said:

And "rodding kits" (cheap as chips) have a double corkscrew end to engage and break up stuff.

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Yet again I have one of those at home in the UK too! French ones are more for sweeping chimney's than doing drains. I found one for drains but it was nearly as dear as the jet washer I will be picking up!

Stanleysteamer said:

I have just ordered a pressure washer from Mr Bricolage in Castres so it should be ready to pick up in, wait for it, 2 hours!
Time for me to get changed and smartened up. and gt over there as that takes 1/2 an hour.
I have come to the conclusion that the thing I think is partially blocking it is not. I think the pipe kinks to one side, i.e. away from the septic tank. which Is why I can only get tools etc down further in just one place. I have not hammered on the end of the bar I too do not want to put a hole through a plastic pipe! Although I appreciate why you would have said that. If I had I think the waste water might have drained through that hole, at least for a bit. I think a tiny amount of water drained from one cavity to another, through the gloop.
The pipe is the outflow pipe from the septic tank, so at the top of a two metre high tank buried in the ground. It is a concrete one. It comes out of the side just below the top then turns vertical immediately.

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Do you have "pump out" people? sure you do.
If you got your tank emptied it would at least allow a normal use in the house while you sort it.
When is W due back?

J