How to clear blocked downpipe

Conshine

Registered User
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488
Hi, I have a downpipe that runs from the gutter on the garage, into a paved area and I am unable to see the end of the pipe, as it goes underground.

The pipe is blocked with debris, may have been blocked for years.

I have pushed a copper pipe down it and the blocked area is below the ground.

Dont really want to take up the paving to remove the pipe.

Can anybody reccomend anything I can pour down the pipe to clear this?

As you can imagine, with the recent weather, the gutter is now overflowing, ruining the lovely recently painted white walls :-(.
 
It might be best to get Dynorod or someone like that to do the job,all these guys have very powerfull pressure gear and if the can't clear it they will tell you why
 
? Although looks like it's only for sinks etc. rather than downpipes or bigger jobs...
 
First of all Conshine (what a cute name!), you should not have the end of the downpipe below ground unless you have a grill that can be removed (for exactly this purpose). Having said that, you have a few options. Take up a few of the cobbles to access the AJ/Riser/Whatever ...... and take out the debris by gloved hand. Maybe a twisted wire clotheshanger will solve the problem if it is just leaves. Or, you could loosen a couple of the holding brackets and prize off the pipe. This will allow you access before replacing the pipe. These are resilient and will take a little bending. The last resort would be to saw of the bottom 12", remove, clean the gully, then cut 2" more off the offcut. Cut this bit to open out. Align the pipes as before, put a little superglue on the 2" offcut and spring it around the two pipes ....... keeping the joint to the back. Clean any smears ASAP. Just fill the 1/4" space at the back with a solvent filler.
 
Any use? Although looks like it's only for sinks etc. rather than downpipes or bigger jobs...

Thanks Clubman - Looks like its more for baths etc.

you should not have the end of the downpipe below ground unless you have a grill that can be removed (for exactly this purpose)

Didnt build the house myself, but am sure the person that did had their reasons for doing it this way.

Removing the cobbles wouldnt be easy, its kind of crazy paving and there are no gaps between the blocks to work with. The pipe seems to be cemented in, so no chance in pulling it up, I will be trying though, just was not in the mood for it at the weekend having been covered in all sorts of nice gunge from the gutter.
I think I will drill a small hole as near to the bottom as I can and sitck a coat hanger in and see how that goes. I am hoping that the pipe actually goes somewhere and is not just going straight into the ground.
 
I wouldn't drill a hole in the pipe. You could cut the pipe a few inchs from the ground, have a look and then buy a stairght joiner and put the pipe back together, no need to glue it as you may have to open it again in the future.
 
Conshin - I have the same sort of problem - it's the way that houses were built. Mine is a cast iron drainpipe that in concreted into the ground with no means of access at all. I'm not even sure how these drained away as they aren't linked into the drains at all. I've always assumed they led into soakaways in the ground. I can pass a pipe right down through the pipe to ground level so there's no blockage in the pipe itself, so I'm stuck as to what to do.
 
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