[Richard iSparkle]

so we're cleaning a large old house, and one of the down pipes is blocked solid. its a 3 storey cast iron one.

too high to go up a ladder.... and cant take the downpipes off either

what do we do?

i dont have a jet wash any longer...

[SB Cleaning]

Tell them to find someone else 

[Richard iSparkle]

Tell them to find someone else 

i wish...

its a domestic windows customer for the past 10 years...

good one too

[Shrek]

You’ll need to smash the downpipe and replace it with a plastic one

[Splash & dash]

If there is access from the bottom I know it sounds a bit drastic but try a drain jetter  on a low setting , we have had a couple of old Victorian cast iron ones like that and it was the only way to clear it .

[Nameless Drudge]

You could try attaching a flexi metal rod to your gooseneck(brush off) and  a hosepipe with jet attached to it as well. and play about for 5-10 mins.As long as you don't expect instant it may well work.

[High-Tower]

Sounds like it’s a picker/scaffold job. If it’s been blocked for a long time it could be very corroded inside and might be due for replacement anyway.

[Ascjim]

Get a tower in

[Richard iSparkle]

Ive just spoken to a drain jetter who said they would cut an access point in at the bottom and then jet it for just shy of £200

so i'm let going to tell them customer that the cost is on them...

and then change our T&Cs so we dont include blocked down pipes in the service for the same price

[Stoots]

I would just tell them it cant be done for obvious reasons, if they are a good customer and its going to ruin your relationship then probably worth reducing the charge as your mistake and like you said learn from it and dont include it in future.

[Slacky]

Umm, it’s easy and also the most sensible. Tell them to speak to DynoRod.

You can bet your arse is caused by roots.

Prior to taking the job on you should’ve checked the downpipes for blockages. It takes seconds, literally.

[deeege]

Umm, it’s easy and also the most sensible. Tell them to speak to DynoRod.

You can bet your arse is caused by roots.

Prior to taking the job on you should’ve checked the downpipes for blockages. It takes seconds, literally.

How do you check a cast iron downpipe for blockages when it’s 3+ floors up?

[Mike Burd]

Umm, it’s easy and also the most sensible. Tell them to speak to DynoRod.

You can bet your arse is caused by roots.

Prior to taking the job on you should’ve checked the downpipes for blockages. It takes seconds, literally.

How do you check a cast iron downpipe for blockages when it’s 3+ floors up?

Put your guttervac gooseneck in the top and listen for air but I don’t think Matt uses a gutter ac any more.

We just quote over the phone for all gutter jobs. Fixed price. In 4 years and hundreds of jobs I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve had to get a ladder out. I have turned down a couple on turning up though if the job’s a nightmare. Bog brush in the guttering for example.

[Smudger]

if its cast iron and blocked - tell them your come back end of Jan after its frozen solid and split the pipe - then you can replace it 

[deeege]

Umm, it’s easy and also the most sensible. Tell them to speak to DynoRod.

You can bet your arse is caused by roots.

Prior to taking the job on you should’ve checked the downpipes for blockages. It takes seconds, literally.

How do you check a cast iron downpipe for blockages when it’s 3+ floors up?

Put your guttervac gooseneck in the top and listen for air but I don’t think Matt uses a gutter ac any more.

We just quote over the phone for all gutter jobs. Fixed price. In 4 years and hundreds of jobs I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve had to get a ladder out. I have turned down a couple on turning up though if the job’s a nightmare. Bog brush in the guttering for example.

Getting a gutter vac out, and checking 10+ downspouts on a large house  (at the point of quoting) doesn’t take “literally seconds” though does it?

[M.J.M]

I use the gutter spike from Gardiner's I connect it to the garden tap run water through the gutters untill leaks show then if I think I can't. Unblock them I turn the job down and instruct them to try and find s company who advertiser's for gutter cleaning and gutter repairs

[Mike Burd]

Umm, it’s easy and also the most sensible. Tell them to speak to DynoRod.

You can bet your arse is caused by roots.

Prior to taking the job on you should’ve checked the downpipes for blockages. It takes seconds, literally.

How do you check a cast iron downpipe for blockages when it’s 3+ floors up?

Put your guttervac gooseneck in the top and listen for air but I don’t think Matt uses a gutter ac any more.

We just quote over the phone for all gutter jobs. Fixed price. In 4 years and hundreds of jobs I can count on one hand the number of times we’ve had to get a ladder out. I have turned down a couple on turning up though if the job’s a nightmare. Bog brush in the guttering for example.

Getting a gutter vac out, and checking 10+ downspouts on a large house  (at the point of quoting) doesn’t take “literally seconds” though does it?

No, but that isn't what you asked. 

I agree though, it's not literally seconds and we never check jobs first unless a large commercial.

[Slacky]

Umm, it’s easy and also the most sensible. Tell them to speak to DynoRod.

You can bet your arse is caused by roots.

Prior to taking the job on you should’ve checked the downpipes for blockages. It takes seconds, literally.

How do you check a cast iron downpipe for blockages when it’s 3+ floors up?

It'll be blocked from the ground up, tap the pipe, it'll not sound hollow.

[deeege]

Umm, it’s easy and also the most sensible. Tell them to speak to DynoRod.

You can bet your arse is caused by roots.

Prior to taking the job on you should’ve checked the downpipes for blockages. It takes seconds, literally.

How do you check a cast iron downpipe for blockages when it’s 3+ floors up?

It'll be blocked from the ground up, tap the pipe, it'll not sound hollow.

Doesn’t work in my experience on the original cast iron pipes.  They are usually so thick and well installed that they all sound the same, blocked or not.

I’ve walked away from a job exactly like this one today, large Georgianplace with 8 downpours most of them spilling over. Tap them with a spanner they all sound the same.

I’m glad this post was made anyway because without it I’d have priced and got this job and it probably would’ve ended up being a nightmare.

[Frankybadboy]

if you can access the pipe from the bottom then get some drain rods from screwfix £20 and keep added sections until block,some times it works