3 - 13 November
This has turned into quite a saga. We have had frequent blockages in the kitchen sink ever since getting the dishwasher - about two years. Each time we have blown them free by taking apart the under-sink fittings and running a hosepipe down. Dave holds tight with a waterproof seal, and eventually the pressure build-up frees the blockage.
However, it now seems that we've been clearing a small space, while compacting the main problem. So we bought a twirly corkscrew fitting on the end of a 10metre heavy-duty spiral wire, and introduced it into the pipe. It seemed to be chewing its way along the pipe okay, but when we paced it out, we found it was only going half way.
So, on the advice of Simon our plumber, we cut into the waste pipe, at around 10metres and tried the whirligig in the second half. This is where we found our fatberg. White deposits shaped to the edges of the pipe washed back up when we tried the hose to see how we were doing. It took several goes to break through.
This has turned into quite a saga. We have had frequent blockages in the kitchen sink ever since getting the dishwasher - about two years. Each time we have blown them free by taking apart the under-sink fittings and running a hosepipe down. Dave holds tight with a waterproof seal, and eventually the pressure build-up frees the blockage.
However, it now seems that we've been clearing a small space, while compacting the main problem. So we bought a twirly corkscrew fitting on the end of a 10metre heavy-duty spiral wire, and introduced it into the pipe. It seemed to be chewing its way along the pipe okay, but when we paced it out, we found it was only going half way.
So, on the advice of Simon our plumber, we cut into the waste pipe, at around 10metres and tried the whirligig in the second half. This is where we found our fatberg. White deposits shaped to the edges of the pipe washed back up when we tried the hose to see how we were doing. It took several goes to break through.
Dave spending half his life under the kitchen sink.
The cut hacksawed into the waste pipe - aargh, scary!
Ten days later, after several sessions of scraping out foulness, we got some y joints and made a permanent entry point in each direction in case it happens again. Note to self (and any other builders out there - put inspection points in your plumbing to future-proof them).
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