Unblocking a loo...

[TonyK]

Hi

Got a prob. 2 loos plumbed on the same waste leading to the stack. Flush loo no. 1 the second wells up a bit, flush 2 and they both well up. Obviously theres a blockage so normally out come the drain rods, except theres no rodding point. At least not one that i can find without putting holes walls etc so I assume whoever installed them didn't think they'd ever get blocked in a youth hostel with 70 kids in it.

they've been like this for 24 hours and I've been flushing on and off to see if its clearing in any way. Any magic tricks? Especially considering I've got another group of 50 coming arriving in 24 hours.

Tony

[Tim Downie]

Uh oh! Have you looked up on the roof to see if the soil stack is accessible from the top? Alternatively, are there no manhole covers leaking noisome fluids at ground level yet? If there are, whip the cover off and dive in. If there aren't, just lift *every* manhole cover that's nearby.

Tim

[TonyK]

No puddles on the driveway (yet!) and I can;t get to the top of the stack so i'm stuck in the... well you know...

Tony

[The Natural Philosopher]

First plunge em to empty as much as possible

Then fill each one up with canister of caustic soda

Then pour hot kettle of water on each one, wearing glasses, and slap a plastic bag over the top and put the seat down till the fizzing and bubbling stops.

Repeat until loos are cleared.

Find brat responsible, stuff down loo and repeat treatment till he is firmly dissolved and no forensic evidence exists.

Relax with cup of Ovaltine in the secure knoweldge that all is well and God is in His Place

[Sump Plug]

I had exactly the same problem except with 4 loos, I used the long bendy spring type steel flexible rod thing about 10 foot long to clear it. They seem to be the standard thing for sale to do this type of thing (i'm no plumber). I just bent it round the u bend in the toilet bowl. Don't be too vigourous pushing too and fro as i did or you will wear the enamel off the bottom of the toilet bowl.

good luck

cg

-- Can't think of good sig at present.....maybe later --

[Rick]

Just a suggestion, don't know if it will work.

Get a towel, put in bin liner. Use as large plug in one loo. Do the same with another towel, but use this one as a plunger.

What have you got to lose, except 2 bin liners?

Rick..

[Andrew Mawson]

Pour one of the patent sulphuric acid based drain unblocking fluids down in great profusuion and dissolve the blockage. They do work very well (but avoid getting them on acrylic baths - don't ask!)

Andrew Mawson

[Tim Mitchell]

This (apart from being a bit dangerous) will only help if the blockage is ... well, you know ... "organic". If its a really big turd. In the likely event that someone has flushed something inappropriate down there then rodding or plunging is the only solution.

[Zymurgy]

eew, you'd re-use the towels ? :-0

Mind you .. in a youth hostel :-)))))

I've used big rags for this job before. Cut an old sheet in half and drop half in each loo. These will seal lovely when wet. Two of you then use broom handles on top of this simultaneously to plunge.

If this doesn't shift the debris, it's likely to be blocked in the manhole open gully rather than the pipe. then it's time to start lifting drain covers...

Cheers,

Paul.

[Owain]

"Rick" wrote | Get a towel, put in bin liner. Use as large plug in one loo. | Do the same with another towel, but use this one as a plunger. | What have you got to lose, except 2 bin liners?

Two bin liners and two towels, if the bin liner leaks (or possibly even if it doesn't, depending on level of personal fastidiousness).

Owain

[nightjar]

I would call in Dyno-Rod. U-bends are no problem to their hose.

Colin Bignell

[PoP]

Don't forget to apply for a new mortgage to pay their invoice.

PoP

[John]

Near where I live is the Drain Rodding capital of the UK. On almost every corner is a van with a drain rodding trailer. How many cowboys are needed? Maybe one job a week is sufficient though.

[nightjar]

Any plumber who unblocks drains charges a lot, but I can't say I blame them. Given the OP's circumstances, it does seem to be the only viable option, short of re-building the hostel.

Colin Bignell

[roger]

PoP writes

Much cheaper than DynoRod, and very professional, the Highways Dept of your local Borough. In Northwich, Cheshire, for 60.00 + vat you get 2 willing men and 12 tons of pump truck for up to 30 mins. The kit is so powerful and the men so experienced you can clear a blockage, blast clean the other 3 stacks, and shift years of composted leaves from the car-park drains in that time. And on the first visit I recd a valuable tip - ban those clip-to-the-rim perfume things. Some go easily round the U-bend, then rotate to jam in the 4inch pipe.

[TonyK]

Played (not the right word!) around with lengths of plastic, towels in bin liners, mops with sheets wrapped round them etc for 3 hours before giving up and calling in "Draincure", they were the only company who would quote an hourly rate over the phone. The boss came out as they were busy, he worked on it with all sorts of machinery for an hour and a half before it eventually cleared (non decomposable blockage!).

After all this I was ready for a 100+ quid bill but he just said they'd "do it as a favour" as he had fond memories of staying in a youth hostel.

I shall add him to my Christmas card list!

Tony

[Andy Hall]

What a nice guy!

I was beginning to wonder whether you would give this as a task for somebody staying at your hostel :-).

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[roger]

TonyK writes

That really is good to hear.

Just so we all know a firm that can clearly be trusted, is this the Draincure of

?

[TonyK]

Thats them, you'll notice they even put their hourly rate on their website!

I'd have no problem in recommending them based on their but then I would, it was free!

Tony

[PM]

Dyno-Rod have fixed prices for householders.

had to use a drain clearing company about once a year at my last house. The pipework to the kitchen ran under the house and was a bit too level, so blocked up every winter when it got cold.

Dyno-Rod were a lot better than some of the other companies I used before them.

PM