Help unclogging gutters with underground leaders

[Banjorear]

Our house has it's gutters tied into the public sewers on the street. I seem to have a clog at the series of elbows that tie into the main 4" line that ties into the public system. I noticed it during some rain this morning and verified it with with a house.

The PVC "******" (for lack of a better term) that downspout goes into fills up very quickly when squirting a hose down it. I let it run and some organic debris rose to the top, but it didn't unclog.

I tried running a snake down it, but can't tell if I'm hitting the clog or just the bends.

The clean out is down by the street.

Two questions:

1) Is the another way to unclog this pipe? Are there any liquid products out there like a Liquid Plumber for this type of clog?

2) Am I better off cutting it all out and redoing it with a proper clean out to prevent this from happening again?

 

[larry_g]

If you can get a hose to snake up the line from the street clean out do so with one of those miniature fire hose nozzles on it. blasting with water and working against the clog can a lot of times break things loose. Do so from the downspout end also. You can also jam the hose in there on the downspout side and then stuff a rag into the opening around the hose to build some pressure.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

The first question would be- When the pipe was installed did they use solid pipe? If it's not solid it's probably "perf" and that means there's no way in Hell you'll ever get it unclogged, or keep it unclogged.

If it solid, I've been fairly successful with a nozzle on the end of a garden hose and just feeding down the pipe- poking and prodding.

But the BIG question- how the Hell was hooking it up to the public sewer system ever allowed?

 

[Iron-Iceberg]

Some times a leaf blowers stuck in the output end will loosen it up enough to start draining.

 

[lilredex]

Make up an arrow head attachment for your snake, it will cut through the blockage.

Forget the Liq. PLum. stuff it'll do more damage than doing it right. It probably is connected to the storm sewer, which in our case dumps **** untreated directly into Lake Ontario.

 

[nehog]

...
But the BIG question- how the Hell was hooking it up to the public sewer system ever allowed?

I suspect it is to the storm sewer, not the sanitary sewer! (But I could be wrong...)

 

[Banjorear]

I suspect it is to the storm sewer, not the sanitary sewer! (But I could be wrong...)

Yes, sorry fellas. Storm sewer. No, solid 4" pipe.

OK, will try. I used both the high pressure nozzle and a regular garden nozzle fed down toward the clog. I didn't feed up toward the clog. It's a decent distance. I'd say about 25 ft. from the clean-out at the curb and where the clog is.

I'll also try the leaf blower idea.

Thanks.

 

[TK-421]

Definitely try jamming the running hose up from the street side to try and clear it out that way, and then after a bit of that do the same thing from the gutter side.

If that doesn't clear it out then I'd be tempted to hire a plumber or someone who has one of those snake cameras and have them put the camera up from the street side so you can try and get an idea of just what exactly the cause of the problem is, and then that should give you a better idea of how to fix it.

 

[marinusdees]

The first question would be- When the pipe was installed did they use solid pipe? If it's not solid it's probably "perf" and that means there's no way in Hell you'll ever get it unclogged, or keep it unclogged.

If it solid, I've been fairly successful with a nozzle on the end of a garden hose and just feeding down the pipe- poking and prodding.

But the BIG question- how the Hell was hooking it up to the public sewer system ever allowed?

The first house I ever bought, in 1968, was built by the developer of the subdivision as his personal house. The downspouts were tightlined away from the house and, when I asked him about it, was told to "not worry about it", and, "don't monkey with it". The sanitary sewer was the only drainage system down the street. In this town, sanitary and storm drain systems were common at the time, and dumped in the river. When I sold the house, the buyer financed using VA. I was required to cut off the downspouts and place splashblocks. This was a wet part of town. I advised the buyer to reconnect to the cut offs. I am certain the downspouts were connected to the sanitary sewer. I don't know if the buyer reconnected them. In the interim, the federal government provided funds to build a sewage treatment plant and an effort was made to separate the two systems, I have no idea how comprehensive this was and am met with blank stares whenever I ask about it. Better not get too specific.

 

[BillK]

Banjo,
Do you have an air compressor and a portable air tank ? Find something to seal up the end where the gutter drains in to and give it a blast of compressed air. I would get it pretty full with water first. That might blast it free.

 

[Banjorear]

Banjo,
Do you have an air compressor and a portable air tank ? Find something to seal up the end where the gutter drains in to and give it a blast of compressed air. I would get it pretty full with water first. That might blast it free.

Good thinking. Would one of those rubber pressure caps do the trick?

 

[TooMuchHair]

Years ago I lived in a place with some drain problems and had really good results with one of these.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Best-Large-...975585?hash=item3d0e99f421:g:nUkAAOSwX~dWlcTp

 

[BillK]

Good thinking. Would one of those rubber pressure caps do the trick?

Might, or maybe even an old plunger for unblocking the toilet as long as the handle hole goes all the way through. Anything to block it off so the air can do its job. You might just be able to pack some wet rags around the air hose, especially if you have someone to help you.

 

[BillK]

Here you go ....... http://www.homedepot.com/p/VPC-Kleer-Drain-Opener-KD100/203001423

 

[bczygan]

First job is to cut those damn downspouts off and run them off into the yard, at least 4 to 6 feet from the house.

Most places it is illegal to still be dumping rainwater into the storm sewers from your roof. This is especially true where combined sewer systems exist, like we have here in Detroit.

But it's a good idea anyway. When storm systems backup, it's your basement that gets the overflow. Ask me how I know.

Another solution is to use rain barrels.

Bill

 

[kbs2244]

A combined sewer system is just that...combined.
Even the street gutter drain into the same pipes as your toilet.
So, it doesn't matter if your downspouts are a direct connect or run across the yard to the gutter.
That is why Chicago and Milwaukee both have gone to the "deep tunnel" solution to the store the excess water until it can be treated.
In both cases it was cheaper to dig the storage tunnels than to install a storm water only system alongside the sanitary system.

 

[SALIV8]

Id try a shop vac.

 

[bczygan]

A combined sewer system is just that...combined.
Even the street gutter drain into the same pipes as your toilet.
So, it doesn't matter if your downspouts are a direct connect or run across the yard to the gutter.
That is why Chicago and Milwaukee both have gone to the "deep tunnel" solution to the store the excess water until it can be treated.
In both cases it was cheaper to dig the storage tunnels than to install a storm water only system alongside the sanitary system.

This is ABSOLUTELY WRONG!

When you keep your own runoff water on site, and let it percolate into your lawn and planting areas, it does NOT just run across your yard into the gutters.

So it is VERY important to disconnect your downspouts and kick them out into your yard.

New construction is required to do this in most places. You must not only keep all the rainfall on your own lot, but you are restricted in the amount of hardscape and lot coverage allowed. All this is to limit the storm sewer loads.

Homes in all Michigan cities are required to disconnect according to state law.
http://www.dwsd.org/downloads_n/announcements/general_announcements/downspout_disconnect_brochure_old.pdf

Bill

 

[dutchgray]

Where I live you have to pay extra on the water bill if your rain water goes into the storm system. Mine goes onto my own ground but since its clay once it gets wet it pretty much goes where it wants to, it ain't soaking in much. Most new housing there just isn't the enough ground left to put it in your own yard. Not when you build at between 30 and 50 dwellings per hectare.

 

[nehog]

...
Most places it is illegal to still be dumping rainwater into the storm sewers from your roof...

In a few places it is actually required to prevent flooding. (However this is not common!)

 

[Banjorear]

Years ago I lived in a place with some drain problems and had really good results with one of these.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Best-Large-...975585?hash=item3d0e99f421:g:nUkAAOSwX~dWlcTp

Good thinking and these bad boys (needed two- one for 1.5"-3" and one for 4"-6" pipe) worked like a charm. There was so much organic matter from the gutters in these pipes, I was amazed how clogged up it was.

Took about an hour of prodding and blasting, but I got it cleared. Thanks all for the help.

 

[redmondjp]

For future reference, you can also get jetter nozzles and hoses for your pressure washer, in various diameters, that will work very well for safely cleaning out drain lines. There are different types of nozzle tips available - some have one straight nozzle out the front to blast a hole through debris, combined with a few nozzles that shoot angled backwards to clean the sides of the pipe. I've been contemplating getting this setup for my pressure washer (4Kpsi 4.3GPM).

 

[Willie Makeit]

For future reference, you can also get jetter nozzles and hoses for your pressure washer, in various diameters, that will work very well for safely cleaning out drain lines. There are different types of nozzle tips available - some have one straight nozzle out the front to blast a hole through debris, combined with a few nozzles that shoot angled backwards to clean the sides of the pipe. I've been contemplating getting this setup for my pressure washer (4Kpsi 4.3GPM).

I don't give a damn how they do it in Michigan ... my downspouts are connected to the city's storm drain and once a year I use one of these to clean out all my drain pipes.

Best $100 i've spent in a very long time.

http://www.cloghog.com/

 

[The FIB]

Years ago I lived in a place with some drain problems and had really good results with one of these.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Best-Large-...975585?hash=item3d0e99f421:g:nUkAAOSwX~dWlcTp

I used one of those to blast open the basement window well drains at my Moms house.

It worked really well, it expands and locks itself in the pipe while shooting a pressurized jet of water towards the clog, water builds up behind the clog and woosh, clean pipes.

You can actually feed it a ways down the pipe by pushing it with the garden hose. When you turn the water off the bladder shrinks back to original size allowing you to pull the hose back. Be careful you don't lose it down the pipe though, it almost happened to me with the crappy hose I was using.