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[Jimbob]

We have a soakaway at the front of the house, which 'just' takes rainwater off the porch roof, garage, and drive area.

Its been getting very quick to fill up now, 5-10 years back it never had an issue.

Guessing it is somewhat silted up.

As far as I can see I have 3 options, 2 of which are sensible and easily acheivable.

1, call Dynorod, £50-100 quid later, I have a clean drain.
2, buy a drain cleaning attachment for the pressure washer, such as http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KARCHER-FIT-DRAIN-CLEANING-HOSE-10-metres-/260502817104?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item3ca72d8950
Realise its gonna be messy to clean up afterwards, but Ill have it to keep the drain clear with in future.
3, dig up the garden and clean manually.

Anyone fixed a similar issue at all?  How? or any other ideas?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Neither option 1 or 2 will clear a silted soakaway.

Also, if following modern regs, you would not be allowed a soakway that close to your house or public highway.

So question is, is it actualy a soakway or a connection to a storm drain.

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

We have a septic tank linked to a soakaway. An average soakaway will ususally only last about five to fifteen years before it becomes unusable

Much depends on the quality of the water going into the soakaway. As yours takes only rain water it will last longer than ours as the water mixes with the shit in the septic before reaching the soakaway. Not nice.

[Jimbob]

Well its been on the house longer than Ive lived here, a neighbour told me its soakaway and roughly where the pipe went...

On that basis, assuming its a soakaway.


Amended prob as it doesnt do the house roof - that goes to next doors drain.

there is 'gunge' down the pipe, I suspect its just a meter or so of collected leaves, dirt etc slowing the flow.

[Marks DTM Calib]

I hope for your sake its not a soakaway, if its that close to the house then you are risking damp issues (given your not seeing these implies its not a soakway) and potential subsidence trouble (hence why they are never built close to houses and roads).

If its a storm drain full of leaves then a standard set of rods and a hose pipe would sort but again raises the question as to why its clogged as if the fall etc was correct then they are self clearing (unless there is a broken pipe or poorly installed joint). If its just the pipe to a soakaway then again, the rods and a hose would sort but your now pushing contaminents into the infill material.

If it is a soakway and its clogged then your buggered as you would need to be able to get to the infill to sort plus given how close it is to the house and road you would not be allowed to do it (covered by building control) and hence it would have to be connected to the storm drain (which now requries palnning permission as of approx Oct 2008). No rodding or jetting will unbung a clogged soakaway (as the slit has nowhere to wash to).

I would start by lifting some covers and chucking some water down it to see if there is any sign of it being properly connected.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Some more soakaway (if it is a soakway) info here:

http://www.pavingexpert.com/drain08.html

The regs are in part H of the building regs (been looking at these recently with respect to the pending extension)

[aaronjb]

If you just want to clear the gunge down the pipe (ignoring the fact that you might not be meant - now - to have a soakaway there), how about a wet & dry shop vac and stuff the hose down there until you stop sucking up putrid leaves and hit gravel/etc?

[Jimbob]

No inspection hatches.

Aye, just degunking the pipe is all Im trying to do...

IF the soakaways knackered, options are limited without a new drive....

[aaronjb]

If it were me I'd grab my Wickes shop vac (£50, sucks like a five dollar hooker, does wet & dry and has taken 8 years of abuse happily) and stuff the hose down there..

Heck, it sucked up about 3ft of wadded up wet blue paper towel from the inspection pit on Sunday.. it'd have no problems with leaves (it also ate a couple of sheared bolts, rusty washers, cable ties, nuts and half a litre of coolant..)

[Marks DTM Calib]

No inspection hatches.

Aye, just degunking the pipe is all Im trying to do...

IF the soakaways knackered, options are limited without a new drive....

Well sadly, if its a soakway then jetting and shoving will do no good only sukcing may help (but its probably to late)

[Varche]

JimBob- are you sitting Pt1 of "Living in Spain" exams.

Sounds like a model question to me.

In Pt2 you find that you aren't on mains sewer for toilets at all and that is why the big tree at the bottom of the garden grows so well and why it is so boggy!

[aaronjb]

...
In Pt2 you find that you aren't on mains sewer for toilets at all and that is why the big tree at the bottom of the garden grows so well and why it is so boggy!