Boiler soakaway not soaking away. Help!

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

The pipe that comes out of my combi boiler at the wall goes into another pipe that then soaks away into the ground through a hole dug in my patio.
However the soaking appears to have stopped happening. The pipe is just full up with water and overflowing at the top. It's not draining into the ground anymore.

You can't see it clearly here, but this pipe is full up of water.





. . . and overflowing.

 

[platinumsage]

Looks quite new? The soakaway should last many decades, unless they didn't actually bother digging one out of course.

There could be some sort of blockage in the pipe, what does the other pipe carry? You can get cheap wireless insepction cameras on Amazon etc....

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Looks quite new? The soakaway should last many decades, unless they didn't actually bother digging one out of course.

There could be some sort of blockage in the pipe, what does the other pipe carry? You can get cheap wireless insepction cameras on Amazon etc....

I have a feeling it's just a pipe with some lime chippings in it. I reckon because there was no way to run it to a drain they just dug a hole into the patio and did a bodge job.
It's been ok for about three years so far. This is new.

 

[StoneRoad]

It might also be that the ground under there is already saturated, especially if they didn't install a properly sized soakaway, or get enough of the correct size gravel / chippings.
Also, I think that Limestone and what is effectively acid rain would react chemically.

Mine runs into the drains [to a septic tank] via a connection in the house, as that was the easiest solution for us.

 

[platinumsage]

Yeah sounds like they bodged it. A proper one could be filled with rubble but should be sized in cubic metres and be 5 metres away from the building.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Most likely need a new one dug

If it was from your kitchen plug hole it may have been able to enzyme bust it

Worth chucking some done and seeing how it clears it

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Yeah sounds like they bodged it. A proper one could be filled with rubble but should be sized in cubic metres and be 5 metres away from the building.

Oh crap.
What can I do? This is clearly not good. Doors prevent anything getting to a drain or five meters away (I think?)

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Most likely need a new one dug

If it was from your kitchen plug hole it may have been able to enzyme bust it

Worth chucking some done and seeing how it clears it

Sorry, I don't know what you mean.

 

[bellaozzydog]

My neighbour had the same issue and enzyme busted it and had some fella power wash down the drain and it blew out loads of gak and resolved it

 

[platinumsage]

It only carries the boiler waste and nothing else?

Looks like you might be able to just about divert it under the door and into the actual drain. Not ideal but saves digging up the patio.

 

[clicker]

What is coming down the big black pipe next to it and where does it go?
Can it not be diverted into there? Or is it just a dead pipe.

Eta I'm not a plumber, just wondered.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

My neighbour had the same issue and enzyme busted it and had some fella power wash down the drain and it blew out loads of gak and resolved it

I don't know what enzyme busting means. Plus this is not going into a drain . . . . which now worries me.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Sorry, I don't know what you mean.

If its a shared soak away from the kitchen being fed by the washing machine and kitchen sinks it might be blocked up with fats, soaps, etc

If that’s the case you can Chuck a chemical in (enzyme action) which may soften it up enough so that with application of high pressure water might clear it

If that’s the case loads of goopy white suds and bits of fat will get washed out

If it’s only fed by the boiler the question is why is it blocked?

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

What is coming down the big black pipe next to it and where does it go?
Can it not be diverted into there? Or is it just a dead pipe.

Eta I'm not a plumber, just wondered.

I think that's where the poopy waste comes out of my toilet. It's metal (cast iron?) so might be an issue? I have no idea.

 

[platinumsage]

If its a shared soak away from the kitchen being fed by the washing machine and kitchen sinks it might be blocked up with fats, soaps, etc

If that’s the case you can Chuck a chemical in (enzyme action) which may wider it up enough so that with application of high pressure water might clear it

If it’s only fed by the boiler the question is why is it blocked?

Looks like there is a drain leading to a proper sewer, just that the boiler people couldn't be arsed connecting to it.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

If its a shared soak away from the kitchen being fed by the washing machine and kitchen sinks it might be blocked up with fats, soaps, etc

If that’s the case you can Chuck a chemical in (enzyme action) which may soften it up enough so that with application of high pressure water might clear it

If that’s the case loads of goopy white suds and bits of fat will get washed out

If it’s only fed by the boiler the question is why is it blocked?

I see. No it is not shared with the sink, that is on the right (in the picture) and goes straight down the drain. This goes into the ground.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

It only carries the boiler waste and nothing else?

Looks like you might be able to just about divert it under the door and into the actual drain. Not ideal but saves digging up the patio.

I was just looking at that actually. I don't think it can be done properly. There is a concrete lip to the drain I would have to cut though, and the pipe would have to be very thin to get a downward slope under the door to the drain,

 

[platinumsage]

Well, your options are:

1. Divert it under the door to the drain. It would look a bit crap, might freeze and you'd have to drill through the concrete lip of the drain.
2. Divert it into the soil stack. Pretty sure this is a bad idea because it's made of iron and the boiler stuff is mildly corrosive. Also shit smells would come out unless you did a U-bend which is getting silly.
3. Dig up the patio and make it go into the drain properly. Expensive and hassle.
4. Cut it and drain it into a water butt. You'd have to empty it at some point

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Well, your options are:

1. Divert it under the door to the drain. It would look a bit crap, might freeze and you'd have to drill through the concrete lip of the drain.
2. Divert it into the soil stack. Pretty sure this is a bad idea because it's made of iron and the boiler stuff is mildly corrosive. Also shit smells would come out unless you did a U-bend which is getting silly.
3. Dig up the patio and make it go into the drain properly. Expensive and hassle.
4. Cut it and drain it into a water butt. You'd have to empty it at some point

Thanks.

How non regulation is option 4?
It is at the very least within my budget.

 

[platinumsage]

Thanks.

How non regulation is option 4?
It is at the very least within my budget.

It's a temporary bodge but an improvement on the existing situation.

Do you get the boiler serviced annually? Worth asking their advice when they next visit in case there are some internal options in the kitchen.

 

[StoneRoad]

Right, I've just measured my combi's drain pipe.
It's 20mm outside diameter.

Something that size should fit under the door step.
You will need to measure up to get the starting height ...
It needs a fall of approx I in 40 to be free-flowing with a discharge of less than 1l/sec.
That will mean drilling through the drain surround (& a one way valve to stop the sink water flowing into the boiler drain).

 

[trashpony]

I am currently having a soak away made to drain my patio which has no drainage. This is the size of the hole

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Right, I've just measured my combi's drain pipe.
It's 20mm outside diameter.

Something that size should fit under the door step.
You will need to measure up to get the starting height ...
It needs a fall of approx I in 40 to be free-flowing with a discharge of less than 1l/sec.
That will mean drilling through the drain surround (& a one way valve to stop the sink water flowing into the boiler drain).

Humm, do you have a picture at all?
At 20mm it might be just enough to go 'down' to the drain.
The boiler is on the left and the kitchen sink and other pluming is on the right and goes straight into the drain. The boiler and the sink are not connected in any way.

 

[WouldBe]

What height is the door step above the patio?

They usually recommend the boiler discharge drops into a 32 mm pipe to run to a drain so it doesn't get blocked in freezing weather.

That seems to be a rather large puddle for a discharge from a boiler.