Lost Drain Rods?
How do I retrieve lost drain rods from a drain? This is one of the most common jobs that we are contacted about, generally by a frustrated homeowner who has now not only got a blocked drain but he has lost his newly purchased or borrowed drain rods in the system as well.
Why Drain Rods Get Stuck Or Lost
The main cause of drain rods becoming detached during the drain clearing process is that they simply unthread themselves, the rods purchased at the large DIY houses and builders merchants screw together and all that thrashing about in the drain can cause the rods to spin and undo.
Unfortunately twisting the rods anti-clockwise unscrews them and the law of sod says that it will be the joint halfway down the system that separates first and leaves you holding just three of the six rods you started with.
How We Get Lost Drain Rods Out
There are several techniques for removing lost drain rods from a system without the need for excavation works, they are as follows;
- If the lost drain rods just twisted and separated then a high-pressure water jetting may well flush them out.
- If the lost drain rods have unscrewed they can be retrieved by using a drainage camera, a set of similar rods
- If the lost drain rods have snapped then by using steel root cutting rods along with a retrieving head it is possible to anchor onto the offending objects and retrieve them.
Using a drain rod removal tool to extract a lost drain rod from a drain
All the above have been used by Maintain Drains to retrieve lost drain rods and all have worked for us. Every job is different but these techniques are certainly worth a try prior to carrying out expensive excavation works. If you need help or assistance retrieving you lost drains rods feel welcome to contact us any time.
