Drain Constantly Full of Water.
Drain Constantly Full of Water.
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Geertsen

Original Poster:

1,184 posts

75 months

Saturday 15th February
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We have this drain right up next to our house (a couple of inches from the external wall) and it is always full of water. I am not even sure what it does because it’s at the high point of a slope so surface water isn’t draining into it. House is a 1920s semi.

Any ideas?

Thank you

Road2Ruin

5,945 posts

232 months

Saturday 15th February
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Geertsen said:


We have this drain right up next to our house (a couple of inches from the external wall) and it is always full of water. I am not even sure what it does because it’s at the high point of a slope so surface water isn’t draining into it. House is a 1920s semi.

Any ideas?

Thank you
It was probably a drain for the kitchen sink, many years ago. It is meant to be full of water, stops smells coming back up from the Sewer.

blueg33

41,750 posts

240 months

Saturday 15th February
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Probably goes to a soak away, or for kitchen sink. We have them to soak always, they have a u bend to trap debris. They are supposed to have water in them like a sink drain.

My guess is a 1970’s house, that drain cover us identical to ours except I painted ours with Hammerite

Edited by blueg33 on Saturday 15th February 06:40

BikeBikeBIke

11,877 posts

131 months

Saturday 15th February
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As others say it will have a U bend like a toilet so will always have water in it.

If it's near the house then a sink or somesuch will have come out of the wall and dumped water into it. All the sinks in my house drain in the that way - pipe out of the wall into a drain exactly like yours.

I'm not sure how modern houses do it and what stops them getting blocked at a point where you can't reach them.

Edited by BikeBikeBIke on Saturday 15th February 07:04

Aunty Pasty

785 posts

54 months

Saturday 15th February
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BikeBikeBIke said:
As others say it will have a U bend like a toilet so will always have water in it.

If it's near the house then a sink or somesuch will have come out of the wall and dumped water into it. All the sinks in my house drain in the that way - pipe out of the wall into a drain exactly like yours.

I'm not sure how modern houses do it and what stops them getting blocked at a point where you can't reach them.

Edited by BikeBikeBIke on Saturday 15th February 07:04
Our sinks all go to the sewage downpipe rather than an outside drain.

Evanivitch

24,697 posts

138 months

Saturday 15th February
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U bend. Poke something down there and you'll see it's quite shallow. Stick your hand down and feel it if you want.

Dr Mike Oxgreen

4,323 posts

181 months

Saturday 15th February
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How full is it?

It shouldn’t be “full” of water, but as noted it will probably have a trap at the bottom, in which case it should have some water in it.

If you tip a bucket of water down it, how quickly does the water disappear? It shouldn’t hang around for more than a few seconds. If it fills up with water then there might be a blockage, in which case it’s time to remove that grate, don a pair of rubber gloves, and fish out the mass of stinking rotting leaves. Have fun!

Oxgreen Towers has an identical drain, into which the kitchen sink and dishwasher discharge. I do have to get one of the servants to unblock it from time to time.

Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Saturday 15th February 07:53

megaphone

11,241 posts

267 months

Sunday 16th February
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Could also be a rain water drain, any evidence of an old down pipe from the roof or guttering?

The U bends often gets clogged with 'stuff'. I go around mine a couple of times a year and stick my hand down and pull out the crud, better than it going into/blocking the sewer or soak away. (Use the wife's Marigolds)

essayer

10,212 posts

210 months

Sunday 16th February
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Rice crispies trap

Diderot

8,805 posts

208 months

Sunday 16th February
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Evanivitch said:
U bend. Poke something down there and you'll see it's quite shallow. Stick your hand down and feel it if you want.
There’s an innuendo in there somewhere. hehe

Watcher of the skies

864 posts

53 months

Sunday 16th February
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In your endo?
laugh

Geertsen

Original Poster:

1,184 posts

75 months

Tuesday 18th February
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Update:

Thank you everyone for your comments. They were all really helpful. I did some investigating upon everyone’s advice here and it is a u-bend as suggested. It was a bit stinky and stagnant but free flowing.

Thank you again, a big relief.

valiant

12,396 posts

176 months

Tuesday 18th February
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Yep, nowt to worry about.

We have the same setup and our’s drains from the kitchen so there’s a near enough constant flow. If yours doesn’t have a ‘feed’ then you’re basically waiting for it to rain to have a flow so that’s why it gets a little stinky as the water can stagnate. Bit of bleach or soapy water now and then will sort it.

Edited by valiant on Tuesday 18th February 18:51