Colgged Drain Pipe....Help

[TNhobbyfarmer]

I have a gutter that feeds water into an underground drain pipe. The pipe runs underground to the low side of my lot to drain the water. Something, probably leaves, has stopped up the drain and the water backs up and runs out where downspout meets the pipe. The pipe has a fairly long run, 75-100 feet I'm guessing. How would be the best way to unclog this drain?

My first thought was to snake a hose through the pipe and break up the clog. The complication here is the ribs in the pipe. It goes down into the ground and takes a 90 degree turn. The hose would not make the turn. It was probably hanging up on a rib at the 90. This afternoon was my first attempt at fixing the problem. It got dark a few minutes ago before I could think of a plan B, so I decided the best thing to do is call in the TBN experts. Any thoughts?

 

[CurlyDave]

If you have access to the discharge end of the pipe, try running the hose up that end.

 

[igpoobah]

They make a rubber deal that screws onto a garden hose for unclogging pipes, you can get them at Home Depot. You snake it down until it stops (hits the clog) then you turn the water on. It swells up until it contacts all sides of the pipe and sprays a jet of water out the business end and shoots out the clog. I use on on my sewer pipe when it clogs up. works great and is cheap.

 

[AlanB]

They are just a fight, and you are on the right track.

We have started putting in schedule 40 straight PVC on those that we install now and have found that sometimes it is just easier for us to pull up the corrogated and replace it then it is to straighten out the problem.

You probably have a good feel on yours, but when we go to a customers yard, sometiems a utility truck or something heavy has driven over the drain line and crushed it as they are usually quite shallow and no amount of "cleaning' will fix that.

A camera would tell you, but for us, it is usually more cost effective to just pull and replace and get out.

Good luck.

 

[firemanpat2910]

air pressure? I know home depot around here rents a power snake. I have used them when a hand snake just wasnt strong enough.

 

[rus_geek]

Had roto-rooter clear out some clogged septic drain field with a high-pressure water jet. Search Google for 'water jetting' or 'sewer jetting' and get some ideas. I'd imagine you could come up with a similar tip to put on a garden hose and blast out the drain tile from the downhill end.

-rus-