Drains question(s)

Just had a blockage in my main drain, just about on the hedge line. I poked a hose down but didn't have any rods so I called out a drains firm, They cleared it quickly enough with high pressure water jetting and said there were two or three snag points, probably roots. (It's plastic so far, then clay). They reckoned I should get a TV survey and, it it is roots, that they can sometimes be cleared with some sort of flail followed by lining, and that this would be covered by insurance. Anyone got any experience of this method? I would have thought it might be safer to dig it up (fortunately not under concrete).

Secondary question, the water jetter was a reasonably meaty petrol powered job in the back of a van, but would a suitable nozzle on a good domestic pressure washer work, at least for modest blockages? Anyone know any suppliers?

The clearance cost £115 plus vat (fixed price) and they were there within the hour. Only a ten minute job, but I thought that wasn't bad for Easter Sunday, being 20-odd miles from their base (the most local drains plumber was away for the holiday).

Reply to
Newshound
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I had Dynorod do a drains survey before I bought this house - the building surveyor recommended it as the previous owner had had problems with tree roots. It cost about 250, and the video was quite convincing.

I had Dynorod clear the roots and line the drains - all in all it cost

4000, but that's for over 60 metres. Many of my drains were fractured over quite a length and these they fully lined with a polyester resin tube, others had local dislocations and these just got local internal bandage. I also got to see the TV pictures of the results, so I knew it had been done right. All in all I was very pleased with it. I should add that the house seller paid half on the basis of the survey!

Compared with trenching and backfilling and all that entails over some days, this was quick, clean, and not exorbitant.

Watch out though, as Dynorod are a franchise, so your area's guys may not be as good as mine from Cleator Moor.

R.

Reply to
Richard A Downing FBCS CITP

Typical (smallish) drain jetter is 210 bar x 36 litres/min, 20hp engine. Typical DIY machine is 100 bar x 6 litres/min, 1:5 hp motor. Do the math :-)

A top of the range HPC with a performance of 150 bar x 10 litres/min will do a (slow) reasonable job on short run 4" drains. Try someone like Machine Mart.

Reply to
The Medway Handyman

yes, though I presume they would still unblock some blockages. Getting covered in shit spray wouldnt be such fun, and I guess theres a risk of it making you seriously ill. Not sure it would be my first choice, rods are relatively clean.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

I have a drain cleaning accessory for my Karcher; it's a nozzle with four reverse jets, specially designed to power through blockages and clean crud from drains, sewage pipes, etc, works a treat as long as you keep the yellow band about a metre from the end clean; it reminds you to switch of before pulling the hose out any further so as not to get covered in shit. See

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Inspector Gadget

Reply to
RB News

Ive got a small diy type pressure washer and 10m drain lance, while it works fine for small blockages ie plastic toy covered in hair and vampire tissues with a generous helping for fat/crap to bind the lot together. with dislodged clay drains, with roots growing through it would be useful as a chocolate teapot.

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Reply to
Mark

Or a chocolate fire guard

-- Cordless Crazy

Reply to
Cordless Crazy

Thanks for all the replies. Will see what the TV cameras find. Perhaps I could knock up a webcam in a polycarbonate tube......

Reply to
Newshound

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have relatively inexpensive waterproof cameras.

Reply to
Ian Stirling

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