I have been known to work on replacing taps and waste and testing the taps, forgetting that I had yet to re-attach the waste pipe. I think I said " oh dear" or maybe it was something stronger!
My technique for plunging has worked every time I've tried it. Don't compress it with force. Compress gently and then pull up as sharply as possible, to dislodge the blockage backwards to loosen it.
@@SkillBuilderI think he's saying the lad was plunging with force downwards, but plunging with gentle force downwards then full force upwards creates the suction needed in most cases.
@@SkillBuilder Neither method works if there is an escape route though, so all other openings above the blockage need to be stopped off in one way or another.
Those Ridgid machine are great. Reminds me when I bought a 60s house in 2017... twice in the first four years the downstairs toilet started backing up with sewage. First DynoRod guy arrived with a wee machine with a spinning blade and cleared the blockage after 30 minutes. Great. Two years later it starts again but much worse, DynoRod out again but this time he brought a Ridgid machine with chains on the end of it, 10 minutes later and it was sorted. Not a problem since. Found out the pipe hadn't been cleared in about 50 years and that Ridgid machine went through like it was nothing.
sometimes the condense pipe is sticking into the waste . 4 times in my 53years of plumbing i have tipped the water into the disconnected sink.because like most plumbers i wasn't thinking.
Yes Stephan, any plumber who tells you he has never done that has to be doubted! I’ve done it 4/5 times and of course each time you say to yourself “I’ll make sure I’ll never do that again 😂😂😂
My best is 27.55 but I seem to be getting slower. I am struggling to come in under 30.00 at the moment. I love the Parkrun and all the people who volunteer in all weathers to make is happen. A great community spirit.
Surprised that condense pipe hasn’t rotted out the copper/ cast iron waste pipes. If it hasn’t got one, I’d recommend fitting a neutraliser on it asap.
Had a more serious blockage over 25 years ago. My wife was in hospital having major surgery and my inlaws were in the house taking care of the kids. I came home from work, my parents arrived and inlaws left, only for me to find kitchen sink totally blocked. Wasted couple of hours trying to clear it, but had to call out a drain co for an extortionate fee. Turns out my mother in law had decided to clean the drain by pouring in washing powder, followed by water. This had set up solid and was only cleared by removing a run of pipe and ramming a metal rod in!
@@patrickcowan8701 Yes I agree. Work boots, wear them. But they only give partial protection when nail penetration comes from below. Even the models with a steel plate in the sole cannot stop the full force of a sharp steel spike. And none of my workwear places have such a boot, so I look before I leap, and trust the steel toe caps will help with danger from above. And I did enjoy the episode where Mythbusters demolished the "steel toe caps will trap your toes" myth.
It's not helping that there is no loop on the washer waste,or,preferably,a stand-pipe,this applies more with a dishwasher,virtually all ftting instructions will point out that the waste should be looped up as far as the underside of the sink to prevent backflow from the waste into the machine,most appliances will be supplied with a plastic jig to form the wastepipe into a U-shape,or,in the old days the outlet pipe would be pre-formed into a U shaped loop....as I mentioned,you get more of a problem with dishwashers,due to the amount of greasy solids,but with either appliance [depending on the waste layout]with a direct spigot,the waste from the sink can drop straight into the appliance waste/pump..etc.etc.plus possible back-siphonage problems etc.And,to top it all,if the main waste pipe is blocked,what is the point of trying to force waste water into the washing machine outlet,most do not have any form of non-return valve..yes,block the overflow,but also cap off the washing machine waste etc..
Had a very similar problem a couple of months back, in my ensuite. It's a double sink, and weirdly only one sink wasn't draining. It made it bloody awkward to block the escape routes, I eventually removed the traps on both sinks and stuffed a rag down the working one. Tried plunging and put everything back together to find them both blocked! I then put the worm down, but mine was manual and it was a fairly strenuous task! 7m down and nothing returning on the worm. I did another plunge, crossed my fingers and put everything back together. It worked. No idea what the blockage was.
The toilet and washbasin in the bathroom of my son's flat were blocked and threatening to overflow. We tried plungers and a manual wire going as far as it would reach to no avail. It dawned on me that the bath was downstream of the other fittings and he hadn't mentioned it being blocked. Apparently he only used the shower over the bath and had never filled the bath (due to his money saving attempts). We put the plug in and filled the bath with cold water then, with a wet flannel blocking the overflow, pulled the plug out. The bath water dropped a couple of inches before there was a great sucking sound and the water in the toilet and wash basin immediately drained. Presumably the weight of the bathwater in the pipe created a strong enough siphon to draw the blockage down the vertical drain to the groundfloor main sewer. Fortunately it cleared away completely as I always feel sorry for those in groundfloor flats that get flooded by sewage from the whole block above.
I'm always cautious of plunging in case there's any weak joints or push fit connections. My goto is a wet vac. Block all the other exits and suck away. Zero chance of blowing any joints
My sink blocked up, I removed the U bend and connecting pipes which were thick with sludge, cleaned them, no joy. The lower pipes would not come off, it was all glued together, so I shoved some 10% NOH solution down and left it for a few hours. Sorted. The KOH is for mycology (study of fungi) but a can of Mr Muscle should do the trick too. It’s nasty stuff, wear goggles and gloves, and wash your hands after.
Roger, quick tiling question for you pal. Just about to tile a new shower tray fitted. Would you sit the tiles onto of the tray (which is 100% level) or would you put a 2-3mm spacer underneath them, so they are just off the top of the tray? Thanks in advance. 😊👍🏻
Am I right in saying that the sink waste was joined into a copper pipe somehow, if that was the case what sort of joint was used ? Also the snake auger you were using there Roger was that a manual one, because it looked like there was a electric cable attached to it ?
I once went to unblock a toilet. The toilet was on the ground floor and the manhole was just outside a few meters away. Some lunatic had shoved down a rolled up, thick, Top Gear car magazine. They hadn't turn off a few pages. If was the whole magazine, rolled up, tight. And then pushed past the U bend. There was a few guys there. I was just looking at them. One of them had done it. What can you say to that?
I've got this problem - and so did as you did. Oddly no gunk on the end either. The water is clearing now but making a hell of a glugging sound and I've reached the end of my 6.5m worm. Any ideas?
I have been in my house for 12 years, and about 2 years ago my toilet, basin and bath were blocking up. I tried snaking, rodding, and jetting with a pressure washer connection, I was getting so far and it would stop. We had fruit flies everywhere. I had dynorod out who said it might be a Scottish water problem, got them out, he showed me I had a kidney manhole in my garden witch was coverd over years ago but it was running through ok. Then I realised that with my boiler cover I have the drains and electricity added on, gave them a call and they sent out a very clover man with a big inspection camera and dislodged it in 10 minutes. It turns out to be a rubber toilet connection seal..
I used a pressure washer when my kitchen sink got blocked, only got as far as the downpipe, had to call the council, pipes from house nice and clean though.
Demise of the West by any chance? Douglas Murray, in The Death of Europe, ploughs the same furrow but seems to think it is avoidable where Spengler thought it was inevitable. The interesting thing is that China for example was powerful and advanced then it wasn't and now it is. Maybe we just have to wait a thousand years and our time will come again.
I’m sure Douglas Murray would be absolutely delighted to hear his work getting aired over a blocked sink! If much of the chat amongst tradespeople could somehow be enacted I’m sure we would be in a much better place today.
This was actually kind of painful to watch. He should’ve cut out that branch line and upsized it to 2 inch PVC. If he had done that he could’ve gotten rid of the flex pipe, which is unnecessary. If you have a plumber doing the work. Another thing. The way he was snaking the drain I find it hard to believe any amount of that cable, actually went down the drain.
Josey Your comment was equally painful to read, due to your complete lack of understanding. Firsty the snake cleared the blockage so it doesn't matter what you believe happened. Secondly they said that the kitchen is being replaced in a few weeks so all that drain run will go. What kind of idiot would go in there and fleece a couple of young guys by replacing a pipe run that will be changed again when the new kitchen goes in? That is just the kind of thing that gets plumbers a bad rep.
My dear old mum dumped the water down the basin while my dad had his head under the waste with the trap off. I can't repeat the language here.
Lmao, bet it was full volume and pure filth.
😂😂😂 I feel sorry for your dad. And your mum, poor thing.
I have been known to work on replacing taps and waste and testing the taps, forgetting that I had yet to re-attach the waste pipe. I think I said " oh dear" or maybe it was something stronger!
Great back to basics video, glad you took the plunge
You English have the funniest plumbing.
It's not just our plumbing that's funny.
Americans fear water more because the winters are colder and the houses are made of wood and stuffed with feathers.
Blimey Roger.... A park run and then work!! I bet you was 'drained' after all that. 😜
My technique for plunging has worked every time I've tried it. Don't compress it with force. Compress gently and then pull up as sharply as possible, to dislodge the blockage backwards to loosen it.
It doesn't work if there is an escape route. I always plunge first and ask questions after.
@@SkillBuilderI think he's saying the lad was plunging with force downwards, but plunging with gentle force downwards then full force upwards creates the suction needed in most cases.
Your pipe probably plastic?
That stopped working years ago 😞
@@SkillBuilder Neither method works if there is an escape route though, so all other openings above the blockage need to be stopped off in one way or another.
Those Ridgid machine are great. Reminds me when I bought a 60s house in 2017... twice in the first four years the downstairs toilet started backing up with sewage. First DynoRod guy arrived with a wee machine with a spinning blade and cleared the blockage after 30 minutes. Great. Two years later it starts again but much worse, DynoRod out again but this time he brought a Ridgid machine with chains on the end of it, 10 minutes later and it was sorted. Not a problem since. Found out the pipe hadn't been cleared in about 50 years and that Ridgid machine went through like it was nothing.
sometimes the condense pipe is sticking into the waste . 4 times in my 53years of plumbing i have tipped the water into the disconnected sink.because like most plumbers i wasn't thinking.
I thought it might be the slug he drilled out of the copper with the hole saw. You can imagine it being in there.
Yes Stephan, any plumber who tells you he has never done that has to be doubted! I’ve done it 4/5 times and of course each time you say to yourself “I’ll make sure I’ll never do that again 😂😂😂
What Parkrun time did you get Roger? Good to see others taking part in it!
My best is 27.55 but I seem to be getting slower. I am struggling to come in under 30.00 at the moment.
I love the Parkrun and all the people who volunteer in all weathers to make is happen. A great community spirit.
@@SkillBuilderdon’t worry too much, as long as you are staying active and enjoying it.
Be careful. It may be a trap.
If you are really stuck, do what I did the other week and use a bamboo cane with copper wire wrapped around the end of it to clean the pipe out :)
Surprised that condense pipe hasn’t rotted out the copper/ cast iron waste pipes. If it hasn’t got one, I’d recommend fitting a neutraliser on it asap.
Had a more serious blockage over 25 years ago. My wife was in hospital having major surgery and my inlaws were in the house taking care of the kids.
I came home from work, my parents arrived and inlaws left, only for me to find kitchen sink totally blocked.
Wasted couple of hours trying to clear it, but had to call out a drain co for an extortionate fee.
Turns out my mother in law had decided to clean the drain by pouring in washing powder, followed by water. This had set up solid and was only cleared by removing a run of pipe and ramming a metal rod in!
Always be conscious of nails. Never leaving them standing up, bend them all so they are flush with the wood, so no-one stands on one!
That was what I was telling them in the nicest possible way. If they worked on site I would have been a bit more forthright.
Wear work boots.
@@patrickcowan8701 Yes I agree. Work boots, wear them. But they only give partial protection when nail penetration comes from below. Even the models with a steel plate in the sole cannot stop the full force of a sharp steel spike. And none of my workwear places have such a boot, so I look before I leap, and trust the steel toe caps will help with danger from above. And I did enjoy the episode where Mythbusters demolished the "steel toe caps will trap your toes" myth.
It's not helping that there is no loop on the washer waste,or,preferably,a stand-pipe,this applies more with a dishwasher,virtually all ftting instructions will point out that the waste should be looped up as far as the underside of the sink to prevent backflow from the waste into the machine,most appliances will be supplied with a plastic jig to form the wastepipe into a U-shape,or,in the old days the outlet pipe would be pre-formed into a U shaped loop....as I mentioned,you get more of a problem with dishwashers,due to the amount of greasy solids,but with either appliance [depending on the waste layout]with a direct spigot,the waste from the sink can drop straight into the appliance waste/pump..etc.etc.plus possible back-siphonage problems etc.And,to top it all,if the main waste pipe is blocked,what is the point of trying to force waste water into the washing machine outlet,most do not have any form of non-return valve..yes,block the overflow,but also cap off the washing machine waste etc..
Electrolysis of the different metals meeting (copper and cast iron)? I had something similar, and my plumber told me that is what i had.
he was right and the acid in the condensate makes it worse
Had a very similar problem a couple of months back, in my ensuite. It's a double sink, and weirdly only one sink wasn't draining. It made it bloody awkward to block the escape routes, I eventually removed the traps on both sinks and stuffed a rag down the working one. Tried plunging and put everything back together to find them both blocked! I then put the worm down, but mine was manual and it was a fairly strenuous task! 7m down and nothing returning on the worm. I did another plunge, crossed my fingers and put everything back together. It worked. No idea what the blockage was.
The toilet and washbasin in the bathroom of my son's flat were blocked and threatening to overflow. We tried plungers and a manual wire going as far as it would reach to no avail. It dawned on me that the bath was downstream of the other fittings and he hadn't mentioned it being blocked. Apparently he only used the shower over the bath and had never filled the bath (due to his money saving attempts). We put the plug in and filled the bath with cold water then, with a wet flannel blocking the overflow, pulled the plug out. The bath water dropped a couple of inches before there was a great sucking sound and the water in the toilet and wash basin immediately drained. Presumably the weight of the bathwater in the pipe created a strong enough siphon to draw the blockage down the vertical drain to the groundfloor main sewer. Fortunately it cleared away completely as I always feel sorry for those in groundfloor flats that get flooded by sewage from the whole block above.
That very thing happened to me once. The lower flat was awash with sewage and had to be refurbished. I still have nightmares
I'm always cautious of plunging in case there's any weak joints or push fit connections. My goto is a wet vac. Block all the other exits and suck away. Zero chance of blowing any joints
My thoughts to.
My sink blocked up, I removed the U bend and connecting pipes which were thick with sludge, cleaned them, no joy. The lower pipes would not come off, it was all glued together, so I shoved some 10% NOH solution down and left it for a few hours. Sorted. The KOH is for mycology (study of fungi) but a can of Mr Muscle should do the trick too. It’s nasty stuff, wear goggles and gloves, and wash your hands after.
Roger, quick tiling question for you pal. Just about to tile a new shower tray fitted. Would you sit the tiles onto of the tray (which is 100% level) or would you put a 2-3mm spacer underneath them, so they are just off the top of the tray? Thanks in advance. 😊👍🏻
I always put a spacer under the tile so I can gun some silicone under the tile as well as the final bead.
@@SkillBuilder awesome thanks for the quick reply and knowledge 😎👍
Am I right in saying that the sink waste was joined into a copper pipe somehow, if that was the case what sort of joint was used ? Also the snake auger you were using there Roger was that a manual one, because it looked like there was a electric cable attached to it ?
Mc Alpine sink waste fits copper and plastic. The auger was electrically powered and I did spin it. You can see this in the video
I once went to unblock a toilet. The toilet was on the ground floor and the manhole was just outside a few meters away. Some lunatic had shoved down a rolled up, thick, Top Gear car magazine.
They hadn't turn off a few pages.
If was the whole magazine, rolled up, tight. And then pushed past the U bend.
There was a few guys there. I was just looking at them. One of them had done it. What can you say to that?
I found a plank blocking my drain. A whole bloody plank!
I’ve often unblocked sinks by filling them with hot water and letting it seep down. If the blockage is fat related, it melts it.
Plungers only work if you block off the overflow hole, as otherwise the plunged air just escapes through it.
Yes we have a video that says that
Proper job
I've got this problem - and so did as you did. Oddly no gunk on the end either. The water is clearing now but making a hell of a glugging sound and I've reached the end of my 6.5m worm. Any ideas?
Yep. Like a total plonker I once poured the water straight into the sink. Water everywhere. 💦 😂
I have been in my house for 12 years, and about 2 years ago my toilet, basin and bath were blocking up. I tried snaking, rodding, and jetting with a pressure washer connection, I was getting so far and it would stop. We had fruit flies everywhere.
I had dynorod out who said it might be a Scottish water problem, got them out, he showed me I had a kidney manhole in my garden witch was coverd over years ago but it was running through ok.
Then I realised that with my boiler cover I have the drains and electricity added on, gave them a call and they sent out a very clover man with a big inspection camera and dislodged it in 10 minutes.
It turns out to be a rubber toilet connection seal..
What idiot would empty the bucket down the sink with no trap on???
Ok I have done it...more than once 😂
I used a pressure washer when my kitchen sink got blocked, only got as far as the downpipe, had to call the council, pipes from house nice and clean though.
Can’t beat a worm. I’ve drilled through decades of calcified gunk from copper wastes going into cast iron stacks.
That will be it, I know they block up at that point but I hadn't thought about the dissimilar metals.
6:03 you mean adopted by the Sewerage Undertaker (E.G. Severn Trent Water). Not the Council. Changed October 2011.
yes you are right
What time did you do?
I think it was 30 minutes, I am slowing down but it was wet and slippery
@@SkillBuilder nice work 😀, just putting my elements boards up this evening 👍 (one wonky wall though 🤔)
condensate into copper and cast recipe for disaster
You are right and that explains the green gunge. It will all be changed to plastic in the near future
I got my 800w PC cleaner blower made a seal using gorilla tape and blasted down the line.
Drain unblock+ hot water
Please STOP using this click bait Titel!
The Video is good, it deserves a bette title.
As much as you might not like 'click bait' the fact is that it gets people watching and we need to have views to keep us in business.
Twilight zoned me on this one..wtf?
But a master plunge never let me down yet
It is the escaper route that makes plunging hard
Monument tools master plunger
Needed a distraction.
Been reading Spengler.
Don't like bottle traps.
Demise of the West by any chance? Douglas Murray, in The Death of Europe, ploughs the same furrow but seems to think it is avoidable where Spengler thought it was inevitable.
The interesting thing is that China for example was powerful and advanced then it wasn't and now it is.
Maybe we just have to wait a thousand years and our time will come again.
@@SkillBuilder Cyclical. Yes.
Europe is committing suicide. Anyway!
🍻
I’m sure Douglas Murray would be absolutely delighted to hear his work getting aired over a blocked sink! If much of the chat amongst tradespeople could somehow be enacted I’m sure we would be in a much better place today.
This thread has gone a bit Harry & Paul - Intellectual Scaffolders.
@@fredbloggs8072 Harry and Paul. po si bly a qware. Enfield and Whitehouse were subversive. I approve. Wait!. let's ask Bunny...
"Problem" Problem solved.
Could have been an airlock.
No that is not possible with a fall all the way to the stack. It was actually caused by electolytic action of the condensate on the copper waste
What a waste of time watching this. No outcome.
The sink was unblocked, what were you expecting?
This was actually kind of painful to watch. He should’ve cut out that branch line and upsized it to 2 inch PVC. If he had done that he could’ve gotten rid of the flex pipe, which is unnecessary. If you have a plumber doing the work. Another thing. The way he was snaking the drain I find it hard to believe any amount of that cable, actually went down the drain.
Josey
Your comment was equally painful to read, due to your complete lack of understanding. Firsty the snake cleared the blockage so it doesn't matter what you believe happened. Secondly they said that the kitchen is being replaced in a few weeks so all that drain run will go.
What kind of idiot would go in there and fleece a couple of young guys by replacing a pipe run that will be changed again when the new kitchen goes in? That is just the kind of thing that gets plumbers a bad rep.