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How To Clear Blocked Drains - Part 1

Before you attempt to unblock main drains,Interceptors were once used to cut houses off
make absolutely certain what system you havefrom the main drains; this is no longer done,
and  get  to  know  how  it  works.so they are no longer fitted. But you may
find that you share an interceptor with one
Two pipe systems are still very common onor more neighbouring properties. Interceptors
house built before the second world war.are easily distinguished from ordinary
There are two separate waste stacks runninginspection chambers by an air inlet terminal
down the outside of the house – onenearby.
for  waste  water  and  one  for  soil.
The single stack system is the one now in
The waste pipes from your plumbing fittingscommon use. As its name implies, waste water
run into the waste stack either directly orand soil pipes all connect to the same stack.
via a hopper head (now obsolete but stillUntil recently the stack had to be inside the
very common). Pipes from ground floorhouse but the rules have since been relaxed
fittings often connect to the stack underto allow outside stacks. Ground floor
ground. But if they are far away from theappliances too far away from the stack to
stack they run instead into a separate gulleyconnect to it have their own sub stack or run
– a kind of underground U trap.to a closed (back inlet) gulley. All
This joins the underground pipe from theunderground pipes run in a straight line to a
waste stack at an inspection chamber, coveredmeet  at  an  inspection  chamber.
by  a  manhole.
There are as many variations in drainage as
Soil from the WC always runs to the soilthere is in plumbing. Houses with a two pipe
stack direct. The underground pipe from thesystem which have been modernized may also
stack joins the waste water pipe at thehave an internal single stack or sub stack.
inspection chamber. Rainwater may beSome larger houses have the one pipe system
collected at a gulley to join the waste waterin which a single stack runs on the outside
system. It may run from the gulley to theof the building. Some early single stack
inspection chamber via a separate pipe. Itsystems  have  additional  old style gullies.
may be dispatched to a separate gravel filled
pit or soak away. Or, in areas where water isThere may also be more than one inspection
in short supply, it may run to a separatechamber: they must be installed where ever
storm  water  drain.pipes join and where the gradient or
direction  of  the  drain  changes.
From the inspection chamber, the combined
waste and soil water flows towards the mainThe only way to really be one hundred percent
drain, normally in the road. Before it getssure on how your drains are laid out is to
there it may well pass through anotherpiece them together on a sketch plan, using
chamber – the interceptorthe above information as a guide.
– containing a large U trap.



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