Forums > Specific Focus > Home, Garden & Construction in Mexico

salto_jorge

Nov 4, 2012, 11:15 PM

Post #1 of 9 (4181 views)

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Clogged Roof Drain

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Does anyone have any experience with clogged roof drains and how they can be repaired ?

Possibly cover the drain and redirect the water flow to another roof drain.

I have no way to directly look into the roof drain since it is on an angle going into the wall to an elbow where it must or should drop down two stories inside our house wall.

Any information is appreciated.

Salto

robt65

Nov 5, 2012, 7:33 AM

Post #2 of 9 (4163 views)

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Re: [salto_jorge] Clogged Roof Drain

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Hi Salto,

Why don't you buy a pipe snake and show some young fellow how to use it (it's really a pretty simple tool to use) send him up on the roof and clear them all while he is at it. Probably shouldn't cost you more than 100 pesos for his time. That kind of maintenance is usually an ongoing issue, so to have the inexpensive tool on hand would be a plus. You can find a pipe snake at any home depot for a few dollars. It is just a hand tool and it sure beats calling a plumber or paying to reroute a drain on a roof. Usually a roof drains from constructing a sloping of the roof during construction and it seems to me that a rerouting of rain water would be an expensive proposition. With a pipe snake it only takes a few minutes per drain and your issue should be solved. I would however have the fellow clear all the drains while he is at it. As I said 100 Mexican Pesos should cover your labor costs. I would also certainly buy the inexpensive tool as if it happens once that you need to do it, it will probably be an annual thing to do. Birds love to build a nest in drains.

Not keeping roof drains clear can sometimes lead to some nasty repair jobs, due to separation of concrete or mortar and brick or stone facings both inside and outside of a home.
Regards,

robt65

(This post was edited by robt65 on Nov 5, 2012, 7:39 AM)

salto_jorge

Nov 5, 2012, 1:14 PM

Post #3 of 9 (4142 views)

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Re: [robt65] Clogged Roof Drain

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It is possible that the drain has always had issues.

Do these drainage pipes typically drain into underground tanks or ?

We have never seen an exit point for the drain pipes in the walls but can see what looks like 4 inch pipes connecting to a below grade open drainage system in the parking lot in the coto.

sparks

Nov 5, 2012, 2:39 PM

Post #4 of 9 (4133 views)

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Re: [salto_jorge] Clogged Roof Drain

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They can drain to the street or a dry well or french drain. Never seen drains built into the house but if you don't want pipes outside the house I guess that's an option.

I assume it's normal plastic drain pipe so a snake sounds good. A small wire "basket" is used up north on roof gutter downspouts to keep leaves etc out. Easy to make

Sparks Mexico - Sparks Costalegre

robt65

Nov 11, 2012, 1:15 PM

Post #5 of 9 (4032 views)

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Re: [salto_jorge] Clogged Roof Drain

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salto jorge,

Hi again. Just wondering if you ever got your roof drain problem sorted out? I would be interested to know where that water was "supposed to be going" (i.e. cistern or direct to garden grass, etc.), and if you ever did get the drain cleared, what method you used to do so.

Regards,

Robt65

(This post was edited by robt65 on Nov 11, 2012, 1:17 PM)

salto_jorge

Dec 16, 2012, 7:15 PM

Post #6 of 9 (3719 views)

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Re: [robt65] Clogged Roof Drain

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The drain pipe situation has not changed.
Things are drying out at the moment.
We have ordered an endoscope on a 10 Meter cable that can lowered down into the drain pipe to see what is going on.
A friend will be picking it up in the states over the holidays.

I have been thinking about ordering a stud finder to find pvc pipes in the walls. If do not know if it would work but it was reported that the density difference will be picked up on the device.

When we have everything it will be time to either fix or plug the drain. Plugging the drain could be the easiest thing to do.

robt65

Dec 16, 2012, 7:54 PM

Post #7 of 9 (3714 views)

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Re: [salto_jorge] Clogged Roof Drain

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Hi salto_jorge,

You said: "We have ordered an endoscope on a 10 Meter cable that can lowered down into the drain pipe to see what is going on. A friend will be picking it up in the states over the holidays."

I love the new (medical equipment or procedure terminology new tools are being given. At any rate this is your best idea. More commonly known as a "Bore scope" or a “push camera”; the better ones have bright LED’s and can be the very best inspection tool for all kinds of pipe lines, no matter the material flowing through them.

The "stud finder idea, really does not work on cement / concrete, adobe, concrete block or brick homes, as these materials are really too dense to show a good density difference. This method also changes the density difference in different thickness of the material especially at curves and angles at floor heights bearing walls and other materials such as possible re bar etc. You are usually throwing away money on that idea. If you were going to get a better (for sure) or different tool, you would be much further ahead to rent or buy a thermo graphic camera that is nitrogen driven (cooling fuel) and produces a very good image. I used one in my architectural consulting business for several years. These cameras are even used forensically in all kinds of court cases and for bridge construction (detecting corroded metal rebar inside concrete butts etc.), and provide an excellent visual of the obstruction (in pipes) even through concrete.

Another plus in doing this correctly with the correct tool, you could easily rent out your services with your tool for other persons, and in a short time get all your $ back on your investment.

With a “stud finder” (even a very good quality one) one must remember it is performing an external examination and not a “guided internal”, encapsulated investigation. It would be very easy and potentially a very costly mistake to start digging out a perceived water drain blockage only to find an electrical conduit instead that was inadvertently left off the drawings, or even a hot water line for that matter with a small calcium deposit forming in the line. Also, unless you have definite knowledge the drain line is PVC all the way through it’s traverse you can easily get a misreading of different material (copper, galvanized tin lines, etc.) on your read outs

Again good luck, and I hope you will let us know your results.

Regards,

Robt65

salto_jorge

Dec 21, 2012, 9:07 AM

Post #8 of 9 (3658 views)

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Re: [robt65] Clogged Roof Drain

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The camera that I picked up is USB based with 4 LED's, although the vendor had the term "push camera" assigned to it, its cable is not rigid enough to be pushed unaided 10 meters like a semi rigid sewer camera. I plan to lower it into the roof drain pipe and may have to attach it to a wire snake.

salto_jorge

Jan 3, 2013, 9:37 AM

Post #9 of 9 (3510 views)

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Re: [salto_jorge] Clogged Roof Drain

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Purchased a "50 Ft. Nylon Fish Tape" to push the camera into the drain.