Downpipe assistance please

[km]

I suspect there is a blockage of leaves and silt at the bottom of a down spout which is set into concrete at the base. The sections are held by brackets which are screwed into the wall behind a heavy duty render.

My problem is that there is not enough play in the pipe to separate at the first joint which I was hoping would allow me to pull out the bottom section of pipe and clear it. I can only think of cutting through the pipe to clear it and then refix in a connector. Unfortunately I am having trouble in finding a small connector which would allow me to refix the two sections of pipe with minimum amount of play which I will need to force them into the connector. The connectors I have seen are so big that I imagine I will have to dismantle the whole downspout - a choice would be to cut one of these to an inch or two in length .

I am also fearing that the blockage will also be in the pipe under the concrete but that will be my next problem.

Can anyone suggest the most suitable way to handle this. I was also thinking of fixing a pipe branch just above ground and running an "overflow" away from the house and dig a soakaway. Trouble is that it is likely to become a bigger and bigger job.

km

[Handy]

Can you unclip the gutter from the gutter brackets on either side of the downpipe, giving you a few centimetres of free play, then lift the downpipe up just far enough to disconnect at the first join, then lift the bottom section of the downpipe up to access the drain?

[London]

Are you sure the pipe/water does run to a drain and not a soakaway which is blocked all along a pipe. Not all roof water drainage goes into the maid drains.

[osb]

I have undone all the clips I can see but still do not have enough play to release the downpipe.

km

[osb]

I don't think the water runs into a drain. I am reasonably confident that it goes under the cemented area and comes out into either a soakaway (position unknown) or runs across the garden to a ditch on the far side. again I cannot be sure of this.

What is happening is that when there is heavy rain the downpipe fills up, this causes the gutter to flood and water cascades on to an area next to the front door causing splashback and water into the Hallway.

The water eventually drains away so I suspect there is some sort of bockage which is not total but enough to cause the problems as described. The tiles on the roof are of a type that causes a silt like deposit to run off so I guess this is also causing a blockage somewhere along the line.

The amount of concrete around the ground area of the pipe is such that I am reluctant to dig it up to follow the path of the pipe but that may be needed at some stage.

km

[Mike]

Can you cut the brackets and replace them when you've done?

Mike

[km]

That is an option. I can put the new brackets any where I please and as it is a rendered wall could paint over the remains of the old brackets to reduce the impact of so many fittings. They were set into the rendering so new ones would stand proud of the wall, unless I hack the rendering back. If I am going to go that far I may as well try cutting the pipe first and see if I can avoid making too much of a mess.

km

[Handy]

To overcome the immediate problem of water overflowing from the top end of the downpipe you could cut about 6 inches off the bottom end and fit a shoe

. This would allow you to clear any blockage, find out what type of drain is in place, and what needs to be done to fix it. A simple fix would be to install a water butt. Otherwise you may need to break up the concrete and lay a new drain/soakaway, but a temporary shoe would give you time to do that.

[km]

Yes that was the type of solution that made me think of fitting a pipe branch which would act as an overflow if the blockage was underground.

Thank you.

km

[Stewart]

If you have or can hire a power washer then it may be possible to push it as far down the pipe as it will go and try to clear the blockage that way. Normally jetting and rodding is done from the bottom up so as to prevent further packing of any obstruction. If you or a friend can "douse" (it is not difficult) then you may be able to locate the run of the pipe downstream and dig there; you can then rod or jet from that point. I have "doused" many times in the past and regu;lary use 2 lengths of wire, like a coat hanger wire, fence wire or copper wire. I bend each piece to form an L shape with the legs about 18" and 6". I then hold the short ends very loosely and point the long legs straight forward. In its simplest form if I cross a pipe or underground water then the 2 long legs will cross over. It is easy to try first above a known pipeline.