How To Unblock A Drain Using Drain Rods

A quick video demonstrating how to use drain rods to clear a blocked outside drain.
I purchased this set of rods from Screwfix and paid £22 at the time. They come as a set with 10 poles 90cm each so a total of 9m and the set also comes with a plunger and a hook attachment.
www.screwfix.c...

[@zupp1219]

I bought the rods you suggested and managed to unblock a blocked drain at the side of the house. You saved me between between two and three hundred pounds. You are a diamond. Thanks!

[@thedoitalldad]

Such a nice comment to read!! Glad you managed to get it sorted and save yourself some money... Especially approaching Christmas

[@zupp1219]

@@thedoitalldad Yeah. I couldn't use the washing machine or the kitchen sink for a few days. The plunger attachment unblocked it. Turned out to be what I think is solidified fat. My only regret is not wearing gloves, because my hands smell bad, even after washing them over and over. I watched the Shawshank Redemption, where a guy crawls through half a mile of sewage pipe to escape a prison, and thought if he can do that, I can unblock a drain with no gloves. Mistake.

[@user-cv3wq7pt3f]

@@thedoitalldad going to do this today. As when I power washed a job it’s all blocked up , I hope these rods work today! Will keep you posted!

[@thedoitalldad]

@@user-cv3wq7pt3f Hope you managed to get it sorted!!

[@unclebob8419]

Great video. This method works well for blockages close to the surface, if its meters down and around bends, a pressure washer with the right attachment is best for the job.

[@thedoitalldad]

Great bit of advice 👍🏻

[@veredictum4503]

This is good - straight to the point, technique and tools, and no horrible rock "music"! Thanks! Will buy tool tomorrow. You may have just saved me hundred$

[@thedoitalldad]

Hope you manage to get it sorted 👍🏻👍🏻

[@biggles258]

Bought a set of FAITHFULL rods from Amazon for just over £30. The Rolson set had been commented on as being a bit flimsy and as you say, the last thing you want is a set coming apart inside the drain.. I was trying to unblock a drain between the kitchen outflow and the inspection hatch. The instructions that came with the set described using both the worm screw and the plunger along the length of the drain, but didn't mention a straight up and down plunge into the drain under the kitchen outflow, as you demonstrated. And that's what finally did the trick. Many thanks for taking the time to upload your video. That last (what should have been obvious) detail was what did it for me.

[@thedoitalldad]

As long as you got there in the end!! Glad you got it sorted 👍🏻

[@ppritchard0194]

About to buy my first set of rods to unblock a pipe in my house, thank you so much for the video!

[@thedoitalldad]

No problem! Hope you sort it

[@3crownedprince940]

I appreciate the variety of content you put up. Personally I have never unclogged a drain but I know who to look to when I do. This is simple to understand and straight to the point. I hope this video reaches those who need it.

[@thedoitalldad]

Thank you I really appreciate that! Thank you for taking the time to watch the video even though you didn't need to!!

[@3crownedprince940]

@@thedoitalldad I watched your video for a few reasons 1. To get the video around to people that do need to unblock a drain as they look for a video 2. I will most likely need to do this in the future so if I'm still watching your content I know I can turn to you 3. It's kind of interesting. I honestly have no idea why I felt that way but I enjoyed the content just as much as those everdale videos and botworld adventure videos.

[@3crownedprince940]

Oh and sorry for my reply being way too long to write I just dont know what to say half the time so i stare, write, delete and repeat untill I get a comment I'm happy with.

[@thedoitalldad]

Really do appreciate that. I know the channels a little all over the place, I just upload things I enjoy or think will help others 👍🏻

[@vilebrequin6923]

Very helpful video which rids the mystique of the job and increases confidence in trying it myself! Thanks❤

[@thedoitalldad]

Glad you've found it useful

[@DanCrossRacing]

Cracking no nonsense video - suspect my home drain is clogged and now I know exactly what I need to do about it. Thanks!

[@thedoitalldad]

Just glad I could help!!

[@josephj6521]

Great video. This plunger device works well for sewer blockages a couple of metres down the line. By plunging the access point near the breather you can get the pressure going to move things along. Yucky job but it clears the line.

[@thedoitalldad]

Glad you managed to get it sorted!

[@ameliawalkosz8638]

Brilliant! I’m just about to do my mums drains, so thank you for this video very easy to follow and I agree with the comments great content included.

[@thedoitalldad]

Your welcome!! Hope you get it sorted

[@Azh28]

Thanks so much! Just bought this and sorted my problem in 10 minutes 👍🏻

[@raynbow6]

Great video! Good to see you doing the job in real time 👍

[@thedoitalldad]

Appreciate the positive comment 👍🏻 Hope you've found it helpful

[@chrismichaeluk]

I’ve bought the rods and watched the video. I’m terrible at diy. If I could sellotape a shelf up I would. 😂 Now I think I can manage doing this though. Fingers crossed. If I smash the drains to pieces I’ll let you know but seriously, im confident this video has helped. Cheers 🥂

[@thedoitalldad]

I hope you managed to get this sorted! (Without smashing the drain)

[@chrisredhill1261]

Excellent video. Easy to follow and great to know where to buy new rod. Many thanks for sharing

[@thedoitalldad]

You're welcome! Thank you for the nice feedback

[@richardrichard3280]

nice thanks for the inspiration to run to Screwfix this afternoon and get my drain unblocked! Cheers!

[@thedoitalldad]

Hope you got it sorted

[@danielamcdermott9524]

Thanks for the video. Short, clear, concise. Great job.

[@thedoitalldad]

Glad it was helpful!

[@72shmoe]

Nice video. I had a squirrel/chipmunk push a lot of dirt around and caused a blockage. Dirt buildup. Tried an auger/Snake and had no luck. But, the devices here seem to be an improvement. Thanks for the upload.

[@thedoitalldad]

I knew squirrels could be a pain but never realised they could do that!

[@bnjmnbwmn]

Thanks, this was really helpful, clearly explained (and i unblocked my drain)

[@thedoitalldad]

I'm glad you found this useful!!

[@willcta1]

Brilliant video thankyou, I am glad I watched your video before I attempted this myself, unfortunately mine is a backed up soil drain...nice!

[@thedoitalldad]

Oh god 🤦🏻 hope you manage to get it sorted!

[@Khemetbeauty]

Thanks great video I'm off to get some for my shared drain which is full of my neighbours hair and oil. 😠 so annoying cos when it's blocked it comes over onto my patio 😡 bit now I feel fully prepared thanks 👍🏽

[@thedoitalldad]

You're more than welcome! Hope you manage to get it sorted

[@lepen4652]

Appreciate this as my garden drain has a slow drainage, so I think it's building up, I cleared out what I could as far as could reach with a good long bin liner up my arm, but it's still slow draining so when I buy the rod kit, I know what to do now thank you

[@thedoitalldad]

Glad you've found it useful! I hope you manage to get it sorted

[@alittlehouseinlancashire6347]

Thanks for all of that information including how you filmed it.

[@thedoitalldad]

Glad you've found it useful

[@lindaroland3355]

Thank you so much for this, really helpful.

[@thedoitalldad]

Thank you for watching! I'm glad you've found it helpful 😊

[@khakanqureshi4239]

Marvellous video and clear instructions. Thank you

[@thedoitalldad]

You're welcome, hope you found it useful

[@khakanqureshi4239]

@@thedoitalldad I did indeed. I'll be trying out my new rods tomorrow now

[@thedoitalldad]

@@khakanqureshi4239 Hope you manage to get it sorted!

[@amblernectar]

Spot on video. Cheers for making it. Much appreciated.

[@thedoitalldad]

You're welcome

[@shinejclightemanuel5213]

Just love your demeanor

[@thedoitalldad]

What a lovely comment, thank you

[@marklittler784]

At home it's usually the outside drain the water from the sink pipe goes down that's the problem fat and fibres from washing machine building up, blocked drain outside can freeze and end up cracking top of drain pipe where it comes up and meets grid, ri out of sight, rice put down drains doesn't help either.

[@marklittler784]

Try clearing to u bend by hand using long plastic garden gloves after mopping out the water first might not need rods

[@raymondgawthorne6570]

Thanks for the very helpful demo👍

[@thedoitalldad]

Glad you found it useful

[@iolandaportela9726]

Thank you so much for sharing this, this is really helpful!

[@thedoitalldad]

You're welcome! I'm glad you've found it useful 😊

[@xpiderxhan]

Great video - nicely explained Sir! 🙂

[@thedoitalldad]

Thank you very much!

[@basheerkhuddus9551]

Brilliant video, thanks my friend

[@thedoitalldad]

Thanks for watching, hope it was helpful

[@IsmTwentyTwo]

Good vid mate. Well explained

[@thedoitalldad]

You're welcome! Appreciate the nice feedback

[@quokkapirquish6825]

Thanks for the video. I’m just about to do this exact 10:17 job myself…

[@thedoitalldad]

No problem, hope you get it sorted 👍🏻

[@quokkapirquish6825]

@@thedoitalldad The claw thing didn't pull anything out but the plunger attachment did the job in a couple of minutes of frantic plunging and pulling. Thanks again.

[@AdamCarter-qd3ed]

Perfect instructions thank you.

[@thedoitalldad]

You're welcome, glad you found it useful

[@ladyred3880]

Suffering clogged drain for 2 weeks. Been trying all methods and all failed. I need to try this asap! My house was flooded one night took me 2 hours to remove all the water😢😢

[@thedoitalldad]

I hope you managed to get this sorted?

[@marklittler784]

Maybe poke your rod through a piece of cardboard box to act as a shield against the drain spirting up like the shield on a sword handle only flatter and larger.

[@thedoitalldad]

That's a great idea. Or a large plastic lid off a 10l paint tub would be ideal too

[@riacharda]

My outside drain (linking to my kitchen drain) has some sort of metal grate about forarm length deep. Will these rods help unblock it?

[@thedoitalldad]

You could try the plunge attachment

[@johno-k]

Brilliant Video very helpful. Thank you.

[@thedoitalldad]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bennyboy613]

Thanks for this, super helpful!

[@thedoitalldad]

You're welcome. Glad you've found it helpful

[@wild4fp]

Will give this a go as blocked drains, neighbour not happy as water then runs down to them. Also, may harm by house bricks mold, damp etc. Hope it works.

[@thedoitalldad]

Hope you get it sorted. Just be patient as it can sometimes take a while

[@cityviewvlogs1488]

Amazing job well done 👏 ✔️ 👍 ❤❤.

[@thedoitalldad]

Thank you!!

[@easypeasy5641]

Very satisfying

[@steveaustin6219]

Good video. Very handy 👍

[@thedoitalldad]

Thanks! Glad it's helped

[@rickthelian2215]

Better than an interceptor and all those nasty wipes....😀🇦🇺 £20 cheaper than I expected them to be😀

[@thedoitalldad]

Glad you've found this useful! 😁

[@DarrenUren7]

What about using drain cleaner and hot boiling water?

[@thedoitalldad]

Always worth a try first

[@DarrenUren7]

@@thedoitalldad great some builders have dropped by mistake mortar down my downpipe and it's blocked to a trickle. I wonder what will get rid of the mortar? Cheers

[@polsharf]

Great video. Thank you so much! My outside drain turns about 90 degrees. Would this rod be bendy enough do you think?

[@thedoitalldad]

Thank you for the positive feedback. It depends how big the opening is. You might be best with the plunger attachment to try and force the water through

[@stevenbradshaw367]

Great video

[@thedoitalldad]

Thanks!

[@iman-qs2fc]

Hi my drain outside in back garden blocked and its horrible smell. How can I unblock it.

[@brightgreencarrot]

Thanks, about to unblock my drain 🤞

[@thedoitalldad]

No problem, hope you get it sorted 👍🏻

[@brightgreencarrot]

@@thedoitalldad all fixed, thanks for the video. The sewer pipe is now so clean you could eat your dinner out of it 😂

[@thedoitalldad]

@@brightgreencarrot Let me know how that goes 😂

[@b1h2u3p4]

Is it good to duck tape joints to prevent it from undoing

[@thedoitalldad]

It wouldn't hurt, may just make the clean up afterwards a bit harder work as the rods will end up with sticky marks on

[@emmadorman8835]

Really informative… can you use these to rod up a plastic rain water pipe will they go round a bend?

[@thedoitalldad]

I'd be careful using this around plastic bends as you don't want to push anything out of place

[@bennyt1701]

Are Lockfast rods better? Apparently they can't undo whilst in the drain? Is this true?

[@thedoitalldad]

I think if you have the money they would be worth it just so you don't have to worry about them coming loose

[@robbocop33r12]

See,in my head this video was 'exactly' how i thought the job would go,however,my first pole with the hook on it goes down into the drain about 3/4 of it's length then stops! And i'm not talking impacted crap stopping,it feels more solid like the drain pipe turns/bends and ofcourse the rod is straight and won't follow the contour of the drain pipe!!

[@thedoitalldad]

If you have a short pipe with a sharp bend, have you tried the plunge attachment to try and push the water through and hopefully force the blockage free?

[@robbocop33r12]

@@thedoitalldad I tried that afterwards but after a lot of plunging water level just isn't dropping,this was a small drain i was at,about 20 feet away was a large metal drain like you get on road,that was 'full' of thick grey gunge and water was right up. I managed to find a pipe there to put the full rod length into which seemed to head to the small drain i was previously at,but no luck clearing it.

[@moemiah5799]

Lockfast rods all the way

[@thedoitalldad]

I've never used lockfast rods, would you recommend them over the screw type?

[@ItsJS9]

@@thedoitalldad 100%, a bit more pricey but you pay for what you get. All-round better to have lockfast rods.

[@thedoitalldad]

Thanks for the advice! When these come to the end of their life I will give some lockfast rods a try 👍🏻

[@siobhanmcneenan3253]

Thank you

[@thedoitalldad]

You're welcome

[@kimbo1966]

Put a rag over the drain as you plunge 👍

[@thedoitalldad]

That's a good shout! I was thinking that or a lid with a hole through the middle for the rod

[@kingofdeath5600]

Will that brass bit fit down a 68mm downpipe?? My gutters down pipe join into a 68mm pipe going into the ground which is now full of mud/small roots/leafs.

[@thedoitalldad]

The pipe alone should fit, not sure how much room it will have to bend around any corners though

[@johnpacker1975]

I have had the 4" pad unscrew twice over the years poking around in the drain. It does seem a disaster wating to happen. Why haven't manufacturers made it clip on or drilled it so a screw or lock pin could be inserted..

[@thedoitalldad]

I have to admit there has been times where I've pull it out and it's been loose so a few close calls. I always try to keep twisting the rods in the direction of tightening the attachments/other rods to try and prevent it from coming apart. I do believe more expensive rods have more of a clip attachment

[@k_meiz]

Hi mine is block behind 90 degrees bend. How to unblock this one ?

[@stevebarlow6547]

Hi, I have a drain that was three quarters full, scooped out the water and sludge at the bottom. The drain itself appears to have a type of u bend at the bottom, so bit not sure the rods in your video would be flexible enough, do they make/sell more flexible ones? Any advice greatly appreciated! Cheers steve

[@thedoitalldad]

I'm not sure these would be great for a tight bend. I'd have a search around on KZbin for some flexible rods

[@hullster9970]

I was hoping to use drain rods to unblock a drain we have. But seeing this, those rods wont help. Our drain looks like this one. It goes down about 2ft then there is a 90 degrees turn directly away from the wall, that is quite narrow, i barely get my hand in. Full of grit and mud. Looks like a bucket of grit was knocked over and a load ended up down the drain. These rods wont get round the bend

[@thedoitalldad]

They also come with a plunger attachment to try to force the water along

[@denisesaunders5473]

A plumber is due out today but he has to cut into a large pipe at the back of my home to get to the blockage from the toilet as he coudnt unblock the toilet with a plunger.

[@thedoitalldad]

Have you got a drain cover anywhere that you can check?

[@bobbaxter952]

So,after trying to unblock my outside drain their is something blowing my mind,think i'm hallucinating.I have the metal spural thing on just one pole,it goes into the drain only up to about to 1/3 the length of a pole then stops solid?it felt like the drain pipe takes a turn and pole won't go any further,now,here's the mind blowing bit,the round plunger attachment after much plunging is making some progress and suddenly went down a good pole or two?? Then i put the metal hook down and same thing it just stops 1/3 up one pole??What??Anyway,i think it's still clogged as water isn't disappearing but there was a sudden burst of progression down the pipe,should the water completely disappear after unblocking or still have some water in it??

[@thedoitalldad]

Not all pipes are complety empty even when they aren't blocked... Think of it like a toilet

[@easypeasy5641]

What rods do you recommend

[@yoislam2]

I’m worried your not going to tidy up the mess once your done!

[@thedoitalldad]

Don't worry, I always tidy up after I've done

[@yoislam2]

@@thedoitalldad 🤣😜

[@ChristopherDillman]

Is that tool safe to use for outdoor landscaping drainage? Outdoor landscaping drainage pipes are pvc plastic here in the states.

[@thedoitalldad]

Id say it depends on the access. With them being plastic you'd need to be extra careful not to damage the pipes

[@christophersedlak1147]

thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@thedoitalldad]

You're welcome

[@m4rt1984]

Hi ,i have an outside drain that’s currently blocked but problem is the pipe bends round then down, would this rod do the trick?

[@thedoitalldad]

I'm not too sure this would be flexible enough. Is it a tight bend?

[@ferrworxeinside3985]

I had poop in my inspection chamber so you got lucky with leaves.

[@thedoitalldad]

I work at a primary school and deal with a lot of blocked pipes 💩

[@malcolmwilkes3948]

Where do you get tge rods from

[@thedoitalldad]

Hi, these are from Screwfix in the UK

[@patrickbrown404]

My !, gloves.

[@thedoitalldad]

I know i know 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@dorothybaxter9118]

Could you damage the drain using the hook

[@thedoitalldad]

If using on external waste pipes you should be fine

[@vijayakumaradireddi8377]

How to buy it... And how much?

[@thedoitalldad]

I got these from Screwfix in the UK

[@kmorris4140]

Would a block drain cause n eggy smell??

[@thedoitalldad]

It could do yes. As stagnant water has a very unpleasant smell

[@perjalanan_adit]

Pakai pipa rifeng

[@davidclifford9833]

Are you somewhere near Ilkeston? Accent sounds a bit familiar

[@thedoitalldad]

Wow good spot! Down the road in Spondon

[@davidclifford9833]

@@thedoitalldad originally from kirkhallam before the Cat and Fiddle pub, no wonder Thanks for the tips

[@thedoitalldad]

@@davidclifford9833 Small world! You're more than welcome

[@iman-qs2fc]

Where I can get this rod please I mean this stuff

[@thedoitalldad]

If you click on the description there is a link that should take you straight to the product 🙂

[@marksnowden7915]

Helpful. But a messy worker.

[@thedoitalldad]

Who me? 😅

[@michael5089]

​@@thedoitalldad😂😂

[@guykaareko8893]

Hardly cleared doesn't go around the bend

[@thedoitalldad]

These often have sitting water, the same way as a toilet does. But now if waters poured down it will no longer overflow

[@whereamibob]

Ehhh, gloves??

[@thedoitalldad]

Yes... I do make a comment about this a bit further into the video 😅 But yes always wear gloves 😂

[@noelynoelnh]

First mistake of using drain rods is using shitty cheap drain rods. There more trouble than they are worth.

[@terrytanner8698]

I would just use plunger

[@marklittler784]

@@terrytanner8698 Yeah that sounds a lot safer.

[@krugor]

use some gloves man! 🤣

[@thedoitalldad]

I know! I soon washed my hands and put some gloves on 😅

[@clairetracey3107]

I was thinking the same 🤮

[@TheFlenen]

We have the world's stupidest sewage drain, it has an upward incline! It gets blocked regularly with shit and tissue and landlord doesn't care. Got some drainrods and they worked previously but today I can't seem to shift it whatsoever, driving me mental. I've shoved the whole thing in there and nothin

[@thedoitalldad]

Have you tried the plunger attachment to see if you have cause a bit of force? Also, have you used all the rods? Maybe the blockage is a little further along?

[@TheFlenen]

@@thedoitalldad yeah used all rods, but because of the angle I have to work with I can't use the plunger. Cheers for the fast response btw

[@thedoitalldad]

Don't want to tell you to spend more money incase it still doesn't solve your issue, but sometimes you need more rods to reach a blockage. I've had to use about 30 before to finally get to the blockage. Not a problem 👍🏻

[@amskhan1829]

Wish he’d have worn gloves, this is grossing me out

[@thedoitalldad]

I know I know 😅 keep watching I do eventually put a pair of gloves on

[@AngryDavidBlackenborough]

It’s just leaves weak human

[@mikekahotea8148]

Usually wear gloves during sewerage unblock pending on how bad it is

[@franleung9826]

He had gloves on later in the video :)

[@Falastheen002]

Omg wear gloves

[@thedoitalldad]

I know I know 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@bluesteele2235]

Good try but the drain is still blocked, because water is still there

[@thedoitalldad]

There's always some water sat there but now it no longer over flows and drains through 👍🏻

[@bluesteele2235]

You should showed running water after you finished, but anyway still a helpful video

[@thedoitalldad]

@@bluesteele2235 Yeah, would have been a good idea in all fairness 👍🏻

[@BHANGUVIDEOSUK]

Great video.

[@thedoitalldad]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@macasey4518]

Thank you

[@thedoitalldad]

You're welcome

[@moveuself]

Thank you

[@thedoitalldad]

You're welcome