I have a dedicated tile for my geothermal that runs from my house 270 ft to my pond.It's a 4 inch plastic farm tile.It's partially plugged as the geo fills the tile up and it runs over after a couple minuites running.The local plumber has an eel,but it's only 100 foot.Rental places only have 100 ft also.We ran it up both ends of the tile,but didn't reach the clogged section.We found a guy with a pressurized water jet system,but he's 40 miles away and said it would be at least 500 bucks.I'm thinking of installing a clean out in the middle of the tile run so the ell could reach it all.Trying to keep from tearing my yard up.Any ideas?
- Thread starter Ray
- Start date
Michael Soldan
Well-known Member
Ray,that's what I'd do. I had farm drainage tile clogged and we dug every 100 feet across the entire field and ran the snake each way,then we'd watch the flow to determine if it needed more work,we got everything working well,I did have a small backhoe digging,but I could have done it by hand as the tile were only down about 3'
RickieBlue
Member
I would push a hose and drain bladder in as far as I could go and see if it will clear out.....see link..
Drain Bladder
Drain Bladder
Jim B. in OH
Member
I have a nozzle I put on my pressure washer hose (<$20) that shoots one stream forward and three back. I use 150' of hose on my 4000 psi, 4gpm pump. I'm pretty sure that it would work with more that the 150' that I have. Jim
> How does that drain bladder work?
When you run water pressure into it, it expands plugging the pipe and then shoots a "high" pressure stream of water out the nozzle. They're only for running at potable water pressure though, so they're not real powerful, but sometimes do the trick. I've never heard the term "drain bladder" before, I've always called them "blow bags".
When you run water pressure into it, it expands plugging the pipe and then shoots a "high" pressure stream of water out the nozzle. They're only for running at potable water pressure though, so they're not real powerful, but sometimes do the trick. I've never heard the term "drain bladder" before, I've always called them "blow bags".
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
The bladders work great, inexpensive and can be bought at the local hardware/Home Depot etc... My 4 main line was plugged and licensed plumber could not get it open with snake - he put a bladder on the garden hose and it open right up.
Angle Iron
Member
e correct size will swell when water pressure is applied. At first no waterpasses through, it swells to seal the pipe and as the pressure builds it starts to allow water through and if all goes well pushes the clog out and down the drain. Used to unclog sewar drains, No idea if it wouild work for this or not. Designed for cast iron,copper and pvc sewar pipes.
Can you find a longer snake, 200 feet, to see where the blockasge is, and dig down in that spot? Since you are only draining water, the blockage must be a falw, and snaking it out might be a rather short term fix. Since you need to dig down, I'd prefer digging down on top of the bloackage and finding out the cause.
However, your port in the middle to be able to snake all ways is certainly a good idea.
Is the 4 inch tile slotted plastic, ribbed plastic, or smooth plastic, is it sealed joints or just butted? Would make a difference on how the pressure bladder thing would work.
I like the 200+ foot hose with the special nozzle on a pressure washer, then you can handle future problems without calling in help all the time.
Lot of good ideas.
--->Paul
However, your port in the middle to be able to snake all ways is certainly a good idea.
Is the 4 inch tile slotted plastic, ribbed plastic, or smooth plastic, is it sealed joints or just butted? Would make a difference on how the pressure bladder thing would work.
I like the 200+ foot hose with the special nozzle on a pressure washer, then you can handle future problems without calling in help all the time.
Lot of good ideas.
--->Paul
ShadetreeRet
Well-known Member
Do you have good water pressure? If so,just try a garden hose with an old fashioned straight nozzle on it. Push it through the pipe until you hit the restriction and see if the water pressure itself would dislodge it. Wouldn't cost much but a little time. Good luck.
The tile is 4 inch ribbed,no slot,black field tile.It was installed 4 years ago.The water from the geo has a lot of iron in it.I think the water probaby has fine sediment that fills the grooves in the tile and eventually builds up.There's a screen filter that the water goes through before the geo,but i doubt if it takes any fine particles out.I probably should hook a downspout from the gutter above to flush it out.I just talked to a plumber with a tile flushing system.He runs a hose with a nozzle up the outlet end on the drain and flushes it as he pulls the hose out.He wants 95 bucks an hour from his house 40 miles away,and it's to wet to get around with that outfit.
Tony in Mass.
Well-known Member
If you can dig down to it, and can get extra fittings, make a hole to put a 'tee', to the surface, and cap that. Measure it out so...your snake... you call it an 'eeel'? Can go... 90 to the pond, 90 to the house, 90 from the house... you get my drift, otherwise you'd need a rotorooter affair with extendable sections etc, forget that.
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
What would a new run of solid wall pipe or large hose cost? Maybe a chain digger and run a 1 or 1-1/4" black plastic hose instead of the 4" tile?
May even snake and pull a plastic water line through the old 4" tile?
The water velocity would be higher and sediment less likely to let silt drop out or deposits build?
May even snake and pull a plastic water line through the old 4" tile?
The water velocity would be higher and sediment less likely to let silt drop out or deposits build?
Walt Davies
Well-known Member
I call mine a Dog Dick think about it.
Walt
Walt
Cap the end at your house and pressurize it. You could use water or air. With the corrugated pipe, you be doing this every couple years. Or dig every 100 feet as others have said.
I agree with B&D it would be best to trench in a smaller black poly line and be done.
Rick
I agree with B&D it would be best to trench in a smaller black poly line and be done.
Rick
Could a muskrat be stuck in it or could one have tried to make a den in the tile? If the plug is over 90 feet from the inlet it does not sound like a den.
If a new tile line plugged in only four years it will plug more often in the future. Tony in Mass has a good idea with 90-90-90 placement of cleanouts. Angled cleanouts to the lawn surface would make future cleanout much easier. Those green flush tile inlet grates are barely noticable in a growing lawn.
To avoid tearing up your lawn, lay some old or inexpensive tarps on the grass all the way around where you will dig. The grass will get matted down under the tarps but it won't get torn up and it should re-grow quickly when the weather warms up. Hand dig to your tile and carry the sod and top soil to a safe location so it won't get mixed in with the subsoil. Then replace the topsoil and sod on top when you are done. A contractor would normally do that if you don't care to DIY.
If a new tile line plugged in only four years it will plug more often in the future. Tony in Mass has a good idea with 90-90-90 placement of cleanouts. Angled cleanouts to the lawn surface would make future cleanout much easier. Those green flush tile inlet grates are barely noticable in a growing lawn.
To avoid tearing up your lawn, lay some old or inexpensive tarps on the grass all the way around where you will dig. The grass will get matted down under the tarps but it won't get torn up and it should re-grow quickly when the weather warms up. Hand dig to your tile and carry the sod and top soil to a safe location so it won't get mixed in with the subsoil. Then replace the topsoil and sod on top when you are done. A contractor would normally do that if you don't care to DIY.
BigMarv1085
Member
You would think if it fills up after a few minutes, the clogged wouldn' be to far down, can you go down about 75 foot, dig to the pipe and put a sanke up it and try to clear the blockage. it would take less than a hour I would think
fixerupper
Well-known Member
A bladder can't completely seal a corrugated tile unless the ribs are filled with something where the bladder expands. Jim
We use the farm vacuum tanker to unblock drains. we made a plate adapter to fit in place of the 6 inch hose, so we can use a 3 inch hose. We just run the tractor at tickover and have enough pressure to either suck out the block or blow it out!
Sorry picture of the tanker was taken at dusk! but it will maybe help you understand what I am talking about....You guys probably have a different name for it!
Sam
Sorry picture of the tanker was taken at dusk! but it will maybe help you understand what I am talking about....You guys probably have a different name for it!
Sam
Not anywhere near SE lower Michigan are ya?
Grandad and uncle run drain tile for a living.. They probably have about 500 feet worth of snake. It is made up of 25' sections of 1/4"ish round stock that couples together.. We always look funny hauling the lengths of the snake on the goose neck trailer (the bar stock it's made of don't roll up like a normal plumbing snake, which makes it a pain to transport)
If you find out it's plugged with tree roots, try running uninsulated copper wire through the tile and leave it in the tile.. Grandad says it will keep the roots from plugging the tile up (I guess the copper kills/stops the roots somehow? I dunno for sure it works, but grandad says it does, so I don't argue. He's been doing it longer than I've been alive).
Brad
Grandad and uncle run drain tile for a living.. They probably have about 500 feet worth of snake. It is made up of 25' sections of 1/4"ish round stock that couples together.. We always look funny hauling the lengths of the snake on the goose neck trailer (the bar stock it's made of don't roll up like a normal plumbing snake, which makes it a pain to transport)
If you find out it's plugged with tree roots, try running uninsulated copper wire through the tile and leave it in the tile.. Grandad says it will keep the roots from plugging the tile up (I guess the copper kills/stops the roots somehow? I dunno for sure it works, but grandad says it does, so I don't argue. He's been doing it longer than I've been alive).
Brad
Indiana Ken
Well-known Member
For basement drains we have pushed black plastic pipe into 4" clay tile to clear problem areas such as Maple trees. Once you are past the problem area, just leave the plastic line in as a liner, no more problems. The black plastic pipe comes in coils of 100' and 250' (?) in the bigger sizes. I just push pipe in into the tile until I reach the obstruction and then use pressurized water to drill through as required, you have to work it back and forth sometimes. It helps to leave it out in the sun a few days to get the "coil" out of it - but sometimes that is not possible.
At 5 GPM a 1" ID line will result in a pressure loss of approximately 4 psi, a 1.5" ID line will result is less than 1 psi of pressure drop. In your case I would go the entire distance with the liner. Use a vacuum breaker if suction is a problem.
Russ from MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Bemidji MN
I think that nozzle is called a go-devil, we used to use something similar in industry for unclogging pipes. Two years ago I made one out of a plastic pipe cap,worked good. I went in a 4" corrugated pipe over a 100'. Should go at it from the bottom end, it will pull itself in and wash the material back out.
Hmmm, I am out of ideas, mine is a closed loop, so no drain on mine.
Maybe some way to disconnect the geo pipe from the drain tile, then used compressed air, so you pressurize the drain pipe without putting back pressure on the geo unit.
In Michigan in the fall all the sprinkler companies blow out the inground sprinkler lines with a trailer mounted compressor. Those push A LOT of pressure and CFM. If you have someone local.
Thats all my ideas.
Rick
Maybe some way to disconnect the geo pipe from the drain tile, then used compressed air, so you pressurize the drain pipe without putting back pressure on the geo unit.
In Michigan in the fall all the sprinkler companies blow out the inground sprinkler lines with a trailer mounted compressor. Those push A LOT of pressure and CFM. If you have someone local.
Thats all my ideas.
Rick
onefarmer
Well-known Member
- Location
- 6735 S Lowell Rd, St Johns, Mi 48879
So put a tee in the line for an air break, so it has no vacuum.
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