Not one of the nicest jobs to do, but sometimes it has to be done! If you have experienced poor drainage flow or drains backing up, waste seeping from around the manhole, or strong smells coming from the manhole or worse, in the house; you could have a blockage.

We are going to attempt to unblock it via the manhole.To clear a blockage, you will need a set of drain rods. If you don’t own set they can be hire from your local plant hire.

Gaining access to the drains
  1. Locate your manhole cover. In older properties, it may take some searching due to overgrown grass or plants.
  1. Most covers are extremely heavy and it can take two people to lift it. Typically the cover will have two lifting points, over time these tend to fill with dirt and debris so clear them out before attempting to lift the cover. If necessary, a crowbar (or similar) can be inserted into the lifting point to give some leverage. Some covers require a special lifting tool; this is like a key which inserts into the socket allowing the cover to be lifted.
  1. Make sure you are wearing gloves, lift the cover and place to the side of the drain. You will now be able to see the manhole that the waste flows into. There will be one or more pipes running into it the hole and running away from it.
  1. If the manhole is full and you cannot see the outlet, you will need to work out which end it is at. You can usually establish this by looking for further manholes and working out which one runs into the other. From this you can figure out which side of the open manhole the outlet is on.
Roding
  1. Connect several lengths of the drain rods. If the outlet is an interceptor trap (similar to a large version of your sink trap) using the rubber plunger, plunge the blockage through the trap.
  1. If the outlet is straight, use the corkscrew like end. Turning clockwise, push this down into the outlet. Make sure you don’t turn anticlockwise as you will only manage to unscrew the rods.
  1. Continue pushing and turning until you feel a resistance, this will be the obstruction. Gently push, pull and turn until the obstruction is cleared. It should be obvious when the obstruction is cleared as the retained water will quickly drain away.
  1. Remove the rods and using a garden hose, flush the drain. Replace the manhole cover, ensuring it is fitted correctly; otherwise there is a risk that someone will trip over it.
  1. Clean your hands thoroughly with an antibacterial wash. Drains contain a multitude of micro organisms, some of which can cause severe illness.
Not a particularly pleasant job but someone has to do it. Remember, if hiring the drain rods, to return them to the plant hire, hopefully you won’t need them again!