Clogged outdoor drain pipe, the black ribbed kind.?

Question

Our drain pipe in our backyard is completely clogged. It runs deep underneath our cement patio and is not really serviceable.

5 gutter downspouts and 2 sump pump lines all run into this pipe. (yes pvc should have definitely been used)

At the end of the line no water came out, so I began by fishing a garden hose through. I had a little bit of water coming through and I was excited, yet at the next big rainfall, it was still overflowing at all the entry ports.

I'm stuck what to do, all rental places say this is not something thats that fixable. Mostly because you cant use any kind of liquid, and a snakelike system would rip through the thin tubing.

I'm prepared to lay down a large length of pvc piping and reroute the main lines properly.

It's just unfortunate because we've never had this problem before, it was simply because we didn't clean out our gutters as we should have.

Well before I do anything else, any help/thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

There's a special hose fitting you can buy that after it's in the pipe it swells and builds pressure,it may take you all day but it will eventually blow all the trash out the other end........keep running just a plain hose through first.....then put the special nossle on and pressure the rest out.......I went completely around a basement house that way....I had to dig hoes down on each corner of the house and stick 50 gal barrel in the ground to work safely but I got it........and your talking to a happy man.......it's done and now I can still get into the barrels if I have too. They are buried now....but just need to reach the lid.........Put some down spout screens on your gutters.......Good luck......I know it can be done......but first get a small hole and then work it out...........You may have to use them both together one then the other.........you will see it once you do it.........

Answer 2

It is most likely roots clogging it up. It is most likely to be at least 4 pipe. If I were to try unstopping the pipe, I would remove the downspouts where they go in the ground, and try flushing it out from that direction. If this doesn't work, I would 1st try a 3/4 or 1 inch drain snake. The plastic pipe would NOT be to thin to try this method. Just rod it back and forth and it may open. Only if this didn't work, Would I run a new drain.

You might start by checking all the entry points before rodding.  Where the downspouts enter there will be a 90 degree ell and these may be where the obstruction is.

Answer 3

You may try using acid to desolve/ dilute whatever is clogging your pipe (get from hardware store), acid will not attack PVC or HDPE pipes but not metal. If that fail you may opt for changing the whole pipe.

Answer 4

Your black pipe is filled with dirt and really hard to clean out.  The only way is to flush it with water as you have discovered.

Maybe a bigger pressure hose attached to a pump might work. Flush from both ends.

Good luck