There must be a better method......

[Johnysmall]

Working in West London, ongoing council refurbishment of heating, bathroom and kitchen (ungrateful t***s don't know how lucky they are)

Last month started on flats, which have toilet wastes exiting horizontally in floor (cast iron stack with 6"collar protruding 50-75mm from floor level, encasing wc outlet and made good with cement.) The existing pans are removed by the young apprentices and so far in 3 months I have been called to sort out a blockage after our installation more than 10 times. Four of these occasions I have had to remove the pan and examine the soil pipe..These travel vertically into floor about half metre then bend with horizontal run of 1 metre to the stack. Each time there has been small pieces of china in the soil pipe.

The lads swear blind that no/minimal china is falling into soil pipe whilst smashing the wc outlet out of the cast collar and bar standing over them 24/7 I can only take their word for it.

So onto my question, what is the best method to ensure no china falls into soil pipe. We are currently using the 'stuff bag down pipe before removing pan' method but there must be a better way??

 

[John M]

Balloon

 

[Slugbabydotcom]

Its hard to suggest anything without getting a grip of one myself. I know that sometimes they can be a right **** to remove.
Only thing I can suggest is a little less violence and a little more patience when taking the old ones out.
In similar situations I prefer a degradable ball of newspaper to a drainblocking plastic bag for preventing foreign objects getting into a soilpipe or drain.

As I am writing this I have just had an idea but it might be a faff on.

Try sticking one of those inflatable drain testing balloons round the bend, then pump it up, then trash the pot.

It'll work or it won't and necessity is the mother of invention etc

 

[John M]

I wish I'd thought of that

 

[EliteHeat]

I wish I'd thought of that

But yours could have been any kind of balloon!

 

[John M]

Just trying to get rid of that box of inflatable sea horses I bought

 

[Agile]

Where can one buy an inflatable drain blocking baloon?

If I had one I might ask how to get it round the bend!

They would also be useful for pressure testing the soil pipe connection.

Tony

 

[JohnD]

how about poking the snout of an Aquavac down to snort out the bits of broken fireclay?

 

[John M]

Where can one buy an inflatable drain blocking baloon?

drain blocking baloon shop

 

[JohnD]

http://www.sillyjokes.co.uk/wacky/inflatables/pumpkin.html

 

[John M]

Could use a real pumpkin I guess

 

[sambotc]

disc cutter the toilet/soil pipe rather than smash it!

 

[John M]

disc cutter the toilet/soil pipe rather than smash it!

Nowhere near as much fun tho'

 

[John M]

Working in West London, ongoing council refurbishment of heating, bathroom and kitchen (ungrateful t***s don't know how lucky they are)

Good old fashioned customer abuse ......

 

[solo]

Any good? Used to be able to get canvas ones that may go down the pan better but haven't seen them for a while.