Now no one is surprised by the presence of a sewer system in private homes. The principle of its work is absolutely no different from that in high-rise buildings. The difference is that in apartment buildings the sewage system can clog due to the fault of any of the tenants, and in private houses - only through the fault of their owners. What to do if such a nuisance happened? How is sewer cleaning in a private house? There is nothing catastrophic in this situation. To return the working condition to the given good of civilization, there are two ways to do this. The first is troublesome, but cheap. It consists in the fact that the homeowner will clean the pipes on his own. The second method almost does not cause trouble, but requires material costs. It consists in the fact that employees of companies specializing in the provision of such services will clean the sewer system. Let's consider both methods in more detail.
What affects the clogging of sewer pipes
To begin with, we note that in the private sector, sewerage is extremely rarely centralized. In the vast majority of cases, it is built by the homeowners themselves. The concept of a sewer system includes not only a pipe leading from the toilet to the drain hole, but also pipes from the sink, washbasin, bathtub, and kitchen sink. All of them in the designated places are connected into one common pipe, which removes all sewage from the house. Its diameter should be the maximum possible, but not less than 100 mm. Each pipe used in the sewer system inside and outside the house should be at a certain slope (ideally, it is 0.03 meters per 1 meter of pipe). In addition, it is important to consider that plastic pipes are less susceptible to corrosion, therefore, they clog less often.
Subject to these rules, sewer cleaning in a private house will be very rare.
Causes of blockages in pipes
If there are young children or residents in the house who are suffering from mental disorders, they can accidentally or intentionally throw any object into the toilet that will block the sewer. But such situations are extraordinary. Most often, the culprits of the blockages are:
- Fat. It enters the sewer mainly from the drain of the kitchen sink.
- Paper, especially newsprint, thrown into the toilet in large quantities (in general, even in small quantities, it is better to throw used paper into the bin, as it tends to swell and adhere to surfaces).
- Hair. They enter the sewer system, as a rule, from the drain of the bath, less often from the drain of the washbasin.
- Animal hair.
- Rags (can accidentally get into the system when pouring water into the toilet after a hand wash).
- Sand, soil.
- The roots of the trees. Do not be surprised, plants planted close to the sewer system, over the years, are able to penetrate the roots and clog them.
All these substances and objects (except the roots) form blockages in cast iron pipes faster than in plastic ones. This is explained by the fact that the surface of cast-iron pipes, due to the corrosion of the metal, becomes rough, therefore everything that moves along it is easier to stick to it.
Hydraulic Pipe Cleaning
Each type of blockage requires the use of various means to clean the sewer. In particularly difficult cases, experts use the device, popularly referred to as the “Torpedo” (a German unit called KERN Torpedo 300, so some homeowners say “torpedo”). In Omsk, many private firms that provide similar services conduct sewer cleaning in private homes using this device. Here are just a few of them:
- "Build Taxi."
- SanteHprof.
- "City Service".
- PE Trifonova.
Prices in each company are different, from 150 to 400 rubles per 1 running meter. The complexity of the work and the pipe diameter are taken into account. The smaller it is, the lower the price.
The car "torpedo" is able to cope with a blockage of any complexity. Her work is based on the principles of hydrodynamics. The unit consists of a powerful pump, a drive (runs on gasoline or from the mains), a hose and a nozzle with water holes (jets). A hose with a nozzle at the end is introduced into the clogged pipe (always above the clog so that the sewage jets do not get on the worker). Then, under high pressure, water is supplied into it, which erodes the blockage. At home, you can try to clean the pipes in this way yourself, without the invitation of the masters. To do this, you need a powerful car wash. The disadvantage of this method is that too much dirty water is blown out of the pipe during the cleaning process, which must be collected immediately. That is, indoors, using a “torpedo” is not entirely convenient.
Pipe cleaning with mechanical machines
In addition to hydraulic, there are mechanical machines for cleaning sewers in private homes. The device of such units is very simple and is a drum with a steel cable wound on a bobbin and a drive. There is a nozzle at the end of the cable. In some machines, the cable is designed so that the nozzle can be changed depending on the complexity of the blockage. Cable lengths up to 150 meters are allowed. The algorithm of action is as follows: a cable is manually inserted into the supposed clogging place (as much as possible), then the mechanical feed of the cable is started with its simultaneous rotation. When the cable rests on what caused the plug in the pipe, the rotation speed is increased so that this plug can be pushed through or divided into smaller fragments. There are times when it makes sense not to push an object of blockage, but to hook it and pull it out. Do this with the appropriate hook attachment. There are also cases when, for better cleaning of the pipe, hot water must be poured into it simultaneously with the cable. The disadvantage of this method is that the nozzles during rotation damage the walls of the pipe.
Sewer pipe cleaning in Russian cities
In all large settlements of Russia, there are companies that carry out work on cleaning sewers in private homes. In Ufa, for example, the city’s plumbing service, located on Natalya Kovshova Street 6 , enjoys public confidence. Its specialists quickly go out on call, work very carefully, and clean up all the garbage after themselves. In addition to providing pipe cleaning services, the company also sells tools and materials that may be useful to homeowners when operating the sewer system. This company has a group on the VKontakte social network. Its members are given discounts on all services.
Cleaning of sewers in private houses of Saratov is carried out by city services or private LLCs. One of the most popular companies working in this area is Channel Service. Its specialists not only clean the pipes, but also thaw them, pump out the contents of cesspools and septic tanks, sand, sludge, water, and utilize concrete waste.
Cleaning the sewer in private houses in Voronezh, Ryazan, Tula, Orel and other cities of the European part of the country is carried out according to the same principle.
Prices in each locality and in each company are different, but in general they are 150 rubles per 1 meter of linear pipe for mechanical cleaning and 200 rubles for hydraulic.
Southern and Northern Regions
In principle, the methods for cleaning sewer pipes in the southern and northern regions of the country are identical. Such services may differ only in price. For example, cleaning sewers in private houses in Krasnodar costs 150 rubles per 1 meter using a mechanical method (manually or automatically) and 200 rubles using hydraulic mechanisms. One of the companies in demand in the city is the Yuzhvodoprovod shopping center. The specialists of this company can not only clean the pipes, but also replace the old sewage system with a new one, draw up a project for its installation, and offer hydraulic and mechanical devices for purchase or rental.
In the north of the country, due to the long period of cold weather, sewer and water pipes laid not deeply in the ground can freeze, which also creates blockages. Due to the particularly difficult working conditions, their prices are slightly higher. For example, in Izhevsk, cleaning a sewer in a private house mechanically costs from 160 to 300 rubles per 1 meter, hydraulic - 250 rubles, and diagnostics of pipes using video equipment - 195 rubles per meter. Most expensive is defrosting. Its price is 1100 rubles per linear meter.
Pipe cleaning services in Ukraine
Not only in Russia, but also in other post-Soviet countries, sewer pipes are cleaned using mechanical and hydraulic equipment. In Ukraine, these works are performed by utilities upon conclusion of an appropriate service agreement with them, as well as private firms, whose specialists leave for the place upon request. Prices for such services are quite reasonable. For example, in Kharkov, cleaning the sewage system in a private house mechanically costs 20 hryvnias (about 60-80 rubles) per linear meter, and hydraulically - 40 hryvnias per linear meter. Based on such prices, many homeowners prefer to invite the master than to mess with the blockages themselves.
We clean sewer pipes with chemicals
Despite the well-organized service, many clean their own sewers in a private house. There are many ready-made products on sale that allow you to get rid of small clogged sewer pipes. The most popular of them are:
- "Mole".
- "Mister Muscle".
- Sanox.
- Pothan.
- "Antisasor."
- "Selena Antizasor" and others.
The use of such chemicals may vary slightly. Some of them are used with cold water, others with hot. This is always written on the packaging. The instructions also detail the algorithm of actions. As a rule, it is quite simple - you need to pour granules (pour liquid) into the drain of a clogged pipe, add water of the desired temperature, wait the specified number of minutes, then rinse the pipe well with water, opening the tap. The advantage of such tools is that a minimum amount of effort is required to clean the pipes with their help. The disadvantage is that not all congestion can be removed using such means.
If the sewer system does not function due to clogging of the siphon under the sink, it is faster and easier to disassemble, clean and reassemble than using chemical or any other methods.
Folk methods
You can try to clean the sewer in a private house with the improvised means available in each household.
The first method: pour ordinary baking soda (half a glass) into the pipe, add half a glass of vinegar. The mixture begins to smoke (gurgle), so the hole needs to be corked with something and left for a couple of hours. Then flush the pipe with plenty of water.
The second method: pour half a glass of ordinary salt and soda into the pipe, plug the hole and leave for 2-3 hours. After that, thoroughly rinse the pipe with water.
In addition to salt, soda and vinegar, you can try to clean the pipe with boiling water, "White", acoustic soda, citric acid, an electrolyte for batteries.
If the pipe is clogged due to accumulation of fat, such cleaning methods should work perfectly.
Mechanical cleaning
If the sewer pipe is clogged with small food debris (they get into the drain from the plates even if there is a grate on the drain hole), hair or wool, chemical means for cleaning the sewer in a private house will not help much. Here you need to use a plunger. The design of this useful tool can be different, but the principle of operation is the same - to create pressure in the pipe that will push through the resulting cork. The algorithm of actions is as follows: place the plunger pear exactly above the hole, press it firmly against the sink or toilet bowl so that there are no gaps, pump it several times and tear the plunger off the surface with force. If necessary, repeat the procedure. A plunger can move not only food waste, but even small rags that have fallen into the pipe. However, with larger items, he can not cope.
Cable cleaning
This device helps to extract rags, diapers and other objects from the pipe that should not be there. Do-it-yourself cleaning of a sewer in a private house with a metal cable is an unpleasant task, but the result is usually good. It is important to take into account that the effect of the applied efforts will be only if the blockage is formed not very far from the drain, and the diameter of the pipe in this place is not too large. In a wide pipe, the cable will begin to curl up, and if the blockage is located at a decent distance from the drain, it will not be possible to “force” the cable to break through or push the cork out of the waste. The algorithm of actions here is this: at the end of the cable, you need to fluff up its steel fibers or securely attach a metal hook. At the other end you need to make a handle. The cable is slowly inserted into the clogged pipe. When it runs into a blockage, you need to start to rotate it until the moment that its hooks catch what became a cork (for example, a rag). After that, the cable is carefully pulled out. Do such work together. One person must give the cable, and the second - to rotate it.
Pipe cleaning with plumbing wire or tape
Cleaning sewers in a private house with the help of such devices is identical to cleaning pipes with a cable. The difference is that plumbing wire and tape are commercially available with a pre-made handle and nozzle. In addition, the tape and wire have greater rigidity than the cable, which increases the efficiency of their use if blockage occurs at a considerable distance from the place of entry of the device into the pipe.
Street work
It happens that cleaning the sewage system in a private house is required to be carried out not on the premises, but on the street. Such actions are reasonable when the blockage in the pipe is from the side of the cesspool or collector well. If in such cases there is a need to go down to the well in order to introduce a cable or wire into the hole in the pipe, this work must be carried out without fail with a partner. Hazardous gases, such as methane, which are released as a result of decay of waste and sewage, can accumulate in the collector well. So that they do not have a harmful effect on the worker, the well must be ventilated (open the cover). When a cable is inserted into a clogged pipe, the worker must be above this point. Otherwise, sewage can gush out of the hole directly onto it.
That's all the secrets of how to clean clogged sewer pipes. Do this work yourself or call the craftsmen - each homeowner decides for himself.