Partially Plugged Sewer Drain

[bigleo48]

All,

My IBA has a partially plugged sewer drain. When the machine is real busy the water backs up a little onto the wash bay floor.

The floor drain feeds into a sand separator and to the city sanitary sewer via a manhole. The blockage is between the separator and the manhole, 150 feet of 6" pipe.

I used this tip

with my pressure washer to try and unblock it, but I only get to about 30 ft under its own forward motion (I can't get behind it to push).

So I'm about to call a drain cleaning company, but first thought I run it by you guys to see if there is something else I could do.

Regards....

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

I still laugh every time I see your avatar.
I've had drains get clogged twice. I simply connected multiple 1/4" HP hoses to a self serve bay hose. No gun, no tip at all. Fed that down thru the drain a little bit at a time, pulled it back a foot, pushed it forward... basically trying to just loosen things up and get a path through. It worked fairly easily both times.

I want to buy one of those drain-tips like you used, but I think the higher volume of water pushing forward eventually opened it up, so I figured why bother.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

Oh, I almost forgot about the third time I had a clog - it was a beer can, eventually it popped out into the manhole. To this day I still have no idea how that got through the grates in the bay, into the drain pipe, and worked its way all the way through.

 

[2Biz]

You might try one of these:

http://www.drainbrain.com/hardware/drainflusher.html

I don't know if this one will swell out to 6" to seal off the pipe, but I'm sure someone makes one that will.

 

[2Biz]

Ah...Here ya go...

http://www.ipscorp.com/testtite/testequip/drainflush

 

[MEP001]

Do you have elbows on the pipes in the pits turned down so debris can't float into them?

 

[DiamondWash]

A couple sticks of dynamite should do the trick.

 

[Buzzie8]

Have you tried an industrial electric snake? They come in sections and are about 1 1/2 in thick. I had to rent one on two occasions and it worked both times. Cost about $40 to rent. Chances are that's what the drain cleaning companies will use.

 

[keniniowa]

Ah...Here ya go...

http://www.ipscorp.com/testtite/testequip/drainflush

I have one just like that.

It fixed a slow drain that my plumber buddy's sewer machine wouldn't.

 

[Greg Pack]

I slightly enlarged the holes on my high pressure sewer cleaning head and it feeds itself much better. They are inexpensive so if you screw it up, you don't cost yourself too much. Might be worth a shot, IMO.

 

[guitarandy]

Oh, I almost forgot about the third time I had a clog - it was a beer can, eventually it popped out into the manhole. To this day I still have no idea how that got through the grates in the bay, into the drain pipe, and worked its way all the way through.

Dropped in through a clean out would be my guess.

 

[bigleo48]

Have you tried an industrial electric snake? They come in sections and are about 1 1/2 in thick. I had to rent one on two occasions and it worked both times. Cost about $40 to rent. Chances are that's what the drain cleaning companies will use.

Thanks everyone...as usual you've given me some good ideas!

Buzzie...Turns out I can rent a 100' power snake at HomeDepot next door for $40. Will give that a try next week.

Big