Blocked? downpipe

[jack8]

Hello

The house is built about 1910, but there is what I think of is a later addition on the side which is brick built and looks very similar to the construction of the house itself with all the same materials used. Anyway on this extension which is one story there is a downpipe which appears to be blocked.

I have tried all the usual, snake and also those screw together pipes. I can get the pipe down about 11-12 feet from the gutter opening which means approx 1 foot or so into the ground and then it comes up agains something very study and hard. The downpipe is old but in reasonable shape and is cast iron (as with rest of the house).

I have owned this house a year or so but figure it has been a problem for some years as there has obviously been some penetrating damp into the extension walls. Also the downpipe has a couple of leaks where waster seeps down the pipe and into the ground nearby.

I am figuring the only thing to do is to dig out to investigate the soakaway - not something I'm sure I feel confident enough to do myself. It would also be a tight squeeze. Where the downpipe goes into a concrete collar type thing then into the ground, there is a shed within 3 feet and also the sewer pipes which run down the side of the house.

Do I have any options? Is it proper/legal/appropriate to alter the downpipe to empty into the sewer (which is quite close).

Any ideas and input welcome. Apologies for long post.

Cheers.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Not allowed to connect rainwater to the sewer now, but with a property of that age chances are its on a combined system, (i.e. foul and storm water go into the foul). Where does rest of the house drain to?

Snake may be hitting bend at the bottom, but without excavating then you wont know. If you redirect it into the sewer I doubt it'll be noticed...

 

[jack8]

Thanks for the reply.

I had figured it might be a combined system but I have had my hand up the sewer outlet and there doesn't appear to be a join. Still it could be further up. The downpipe in question goes into the ground only a 2 ft from where a waste outlet comes out of the house then runs down the side of the house.

There are two other downpipes - front and back of house - both go straight into the ground with the concrete collar, they are both next to the driveway to the garage. No idea where that water runs to - though the one on the rear of the house I think is also blocked (I'm investigating that too). The one at the front of the house looks like it has been sorted out at some point - the lower section of the cast iron pipe has been replaced by plastic. Wonder if there was a block and the pipe had to be broken to ream out under ground? Anyway, no indication of any soakaways around the house at all.

In the next rain I'll check to see if the sewer pipe is running fresh water to see if that gives any hint.