A 75mm plastic pipe is blocked by gravel. There are bends near both ends so I can't get a waterblaster past the bends. I have attached a 100psi hose to the pipe but that fails to shift the gravel like it did last time it was blocked. Any brilliant ideas before we call a plumber who is likely to fail too? I can poke wire or a hose down about a metre. The bottom end of the pipe is rather inaccessible.
carter19,
Sep 25, 8:09am
Why not saw thru it, clear it, then buy a small length of pipe and some couplers to put it back together and more importantly address why the gravel is getting in to the pipe.
johotech,
Sep 25, 8:47am
What you need to do is make yourself a venturi pump to suck the gravel out - using your water hose to create the venturi.
trade4us2,
Sep 25, 9:24am
The blocked part of the drain runs under tarseal and concrete and railway lines.
trade4us2,
Sep 25, 9:26am
It was suggested that I use a wet/dry vacuum cleaner. Maybe I'll try that.
johotech,
Sep 25, 10:52am
So a venturi pump is too hard for you? I thought you were capable.
snoopy221,
Sep 25, 6:56pm
The simplest and easiest way is hydraulics. I.E. inflate a small balloon to completely block the drain. Insert mains pressure hose behind the balloon seal drain with towels wrapped around hose turn on mains pressure water and hydraulic balloon and gravel to the sewer
pauldw,
Sep 26, 1:48am
I don't think you'd move a plug of gravel if it had blocked the (too small for a drain) pipe. It will just compact in the bend. You'd have to get a suction or water pipe to the blockage to stir the gravel up. It needed a pit to drop the solids out of the water flow.
dastedly,
Sep 26, 3:32am
dig it all up and start again .never have a 75 mm drain ,why is your drain under railway not your land to be there . why sump and end to stop gravel getting in to drain . Real sounds like some one put drain that clearly not know what they doing
trade4us2,
Sep 26, 3:49am
I did that 10 years ago and it worked. This time it doesn't work. I don't know where the gravel is coming from.
maclad,
Sep 26, 12:00pm
There is a nozzle we purchased for the water blaster specifically for unblocking drain pipes. It rotates at high speed and is attached straight onto the end of the hose where your lance would normally go and it can be fed down the pipe to the blockage.
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