A hundred quid saved...

Yesterday, I noticed that the downstairs loo was slow flushing.

So this morning, after Sam and Judy had gone to London, I went to investigate. Took the lid off the first access point: water. This is Not Right.

Have to take to lid off the second point so as to get better access to the blockage: water there too. Which means that the blockage is between us and the main drains, or in the main drains themselves - not good news. On the other hand, this section hasn't been rodded in the last five years; the point at which I got fed up with calling a drain-clearing company once a year and bought myself a set of drain rods.

So I got the drain rods out with the screw ending and started feeding them down the drain; six lengths in, and there was soft resistance. A few minutes of twisting and pulling, and the water starts draining away again.

Flush each toilet once to be sure the pipes are clear, and I can put the rods out to dry and replace the covers on the access points.

Drain rods: about twenty quid
Drain company: about 100 quid
Getting the drains fixed now: priceless.

Especially with the next lot of company coming tomorrow.

A hundred quid saved...

Yesterday, I noticed that the downstairs loo was slow flushing.

So this morning, after Sam and Judy had gone to London, I went to investigate. Took the lid off the first access point: water. This is Not Right.

Have to take to lid off the second point so as to get better access to the blockage: water there too. Which means that the blockage is between us and the main drains, or in the main drains themselves - not good news. On the other hand, this section hasn't been rodded in the last five years; the point at which I got fed up with calling a drain-clearing company once a year and bought myself a set of drain rods.

So I got the drain rods out with the screw ending and started feeding them down the drain; six lengths in, and there was soft resistance. A few minutes of twisting and pulling, and the water starts draining away again.

Flush each toilet once to be sure the pipes are clear, and I can put the rods out to dry and replace the covers on the access points.

Drain rods: about twenty quid
Drain company: about 100 quid
Getting the drains fixed now: priceless.

Especially with the next lot of company coming tomorrow.