Our main drain to the street keep blocking.

[nickjaxe]

At the top of my driveway just before the pavement we have a big square man hole cover...covering the inspection chamber for the drains that lead to the main drain in the street...there is some kind of what looks like a U bend that always has some water in it,

Both mine and the next door neighbours drain come into one at this point,

About 6 months ago we had a very bad blockage and raw sewage overflowed and flowed down the drive and into my garden...1st time this has happend in the 30 years we have lived in this house,

The local water company came out with a few guys and cleaned it up for us fortunately giving us warning about what not to put down our toilets,

Since the overflow I check inside this cover every week...and have found it blocking up 4 time now...there is what I think is a rodding hole in there that has a removable porcelain cover blocking its entrance and the utility's guy advised us to leave the porcelain cover of as it will allow any overflow to run down instead of filling the chamber...saying that the cover is to stop vermin finding a way into our drains,

Anywa this weekend when I lifted the cover it was all blocked up again as deep as the rodding hole....I got my drain rods into the U bend with a 4inch plunger of the end and that soon got things flowing again....when I was using the rods which only go so far in due to the bend I noticed what I think to be a light coloured FAT stuck to the sides of the drain where I was rodding about 1/2 inch think...not noticed it before,

Got off what I could but I suspect there maybe more that I cannot see around the bend,

Is it possible that this maybe what causing our constant blockages and what is the remedy,

We under no circumstances put any fat into our drains.....next door say they dont so where can this FAT come from...he thinks its a by product of human waste but I'm not sure...I know they use a deep fat fried all the time for cooking chips,

Any what about this kind of tool Heavy-Duty Flat 50-Foot Drain Cleaner Snake - Easier to Use than Coil Spring | eBay would this be suitable for working in main drains.

hope somebody can help me out.

Nick.

 

[stani]

If I am right in my thinking I believe now that shared drains to the main drain are now under the care of, in my area united utilities, so just keep getting them to sort it, and a snake isn't much good for larger drains.

 

[jase158]

boiling water will heat the fat and make it move, but will need a lot of it to push it all away far enough that it stops causing problems, I wouldnt say this is what keeps causing it, but next door neighbour may be throwing things down that they shouldnt be, they would never own up to this sort of thing, especially if it is causing u hassle. and even worse then this, is your wife/ partner being honest?

 

[snowhead]

No one ever admits to putting fat down drains.
You don't have to pour neat fat down drains to have a problem with fat build up.

 

[nickjaxe]

I trust my wife but not 100% about next door....especily his missus...not the sharpest cookie on the block,

What else can cause a fat build up like this apart from putting cooking fat down the drain,

Intersting re United Utility's...there who cover our area.

Nick.

 

[nicro3]

Agree with Stani, shared drain responsibility of sewerage undertaker.

 

[nickjaxe]

Last time they came out they said there maybe a charge if they have to call again....are they just trying it on????

When I put the plunger down it clears after a couple of pumps.

 

[jase158]

there is a possibility that someone else down the street has put a lot of fat down, the drain has blocked, backed up and come up your drain (slim but possible)

gravy with meat fat
meat fat, i.e.

there is no other way for fat to get in the drain unless from food/ fryer

 

[stani]

Not sure wether they can charge for repeat visits, but it's also worth a note that things like a simple bacon butty can over a period of time create a build up of fat, you don't have to pour a pound of lard down the drain to block them

 

[jase158]

leaving that cover off might not help either as the cold air mixing with the fat makes it go hard!!!

 

[stevetheplumber]

realy needs a jetter to get rid of fat build up get the utility back

 

[Mike Jackson]

You don't need to pour fat down the drain to get a build up. Just washing a frying pan will deposit fat down the drain. Ideally wipe anything that has been used to cook anything fatty with kitchen roll before washing. This will get rid of the worst of it.

 

[IND_Nick]

It is almost certainly the responsibility of your utilities provider. If you pay the bills to UU then you should get back to them the next time it happens. On your bill you will notice a good portion of the total amount is for sewage and water treatment so you have already paid them to take your waste water away. I also had a customer who received a pretty reasonalbe amount of compensation as she had raw sewage flood her back garden. She said the engineer that came out gave her a form and she just filled it in, sent it off and out of nowhere received a rebate for the amount she had paid that year for waste water. Always worth a try.

 

[nickjaxe]

Thanks for that....I will contact UU in the next few days.

 

[Keefy]

Just in case you're in any doubt as to who is responsible for which part of your drains here's a handy page from United Utilities' website.