What could have cause this drain to block?

[Rob Holmes]

Currently sorting some blocked drains around the farm, this one has us puzzled.
Was boiling up in the middle of field so dig it up to find a small section packed with fibrous roots. The drain is at least 4.5 ft deep with no trees or hedges within 100 metres, the rest of the length is clear. I can’t ever remember there being a hedge there (if there was it has been gone 40+ years)
The only thing that has been suggested is OSR roots? Are they that fibrous, do they go down that deep, and why only that patch?

 

[melted welly]

Osr roots love to block drains. Will have at least half dozen blockages each year.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I think that’s Red Ocre (not sure on the spelling)

Pronounced around these parts as oak-er

I was asked to go with my digger to investigate a couple of blocked drains on a local farm a while back. He was pretty much sure it would blocked with red ocre, the fibrous stuff you have and when you squeeze it a deep red, staining liquid oozes out of it.

We dug down a couple of feet and, expecting to find the clay pipe drains soon, I started taking an inch off at a time . The digger bucket just caught the end of a pipe and dislodged it. The pressure was amazing, with water shooting up several feet above ground. This carried on for a few seconds until it calmed down and then stopped to a trickle.

As expected, the drain was blocked with the ocre, about two feet long. We put it back together and backfilled it and, to my knowledge, that cured it.

Not sure what causes it or where it comes from.

 

[Kevtherev]

OSR roots can cause a lot of bother.
Red ochre is caused by the content of iron in soils more common in clay soils.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Yeah, but what causes the fibrous stuff? It’s got to be a live “root” or something.

 

[Tractor Tim]

Osr I would have said. We've had murder for nearly five years now on some ground after growing it and being a relatively dry winter roots have gone down five foot in places through heavy clay. Sorted most of it out now but still finding bit. As for ochre drained five acre of sports field in September with wrapped pipe and they were nearly blocked by feb don't quiet know what to do about it

 

[Tractor Tim]

@nxy had a thread osr over drains

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Must be an old drain though

 

[Kidds]

I'd say the roots blocked the drain and the resulting ochre (okker) deposits made it worse.
I've seen nettle roots do it before now ( much to my amazement at the time) but have also heard plenty of times that OSR can and does do it too.

 

[lloyd]

Osr not getting many fans these days!

 

[Rob Holmes]

I think that’s Red Ocre (not sure on the spelling)

Pronounced around these parts as oak-er

I was asked to go with my digger to investigate a couple of blocked drains on a local farm a while back. He was pretty much sure it would blocked with red ocre, the fibrous stuff you have and when you squeeze it a deep red, staining liquid oozes out of it.

We dug down a couple of feet and, expecting to find the clay pipe drains soon, I started taking an inch off at a time . The digger bucket just caught the end of a pipe and dislodged it. The pressure was amazing, with water shooting up several feet above ground. This carried on for a few seconds until it calmed down and then stopped to a trickle.

As expected, the drain was blocked with the ocre, about two feet long. We put it back together and backfilled it and, to my knowledge, that cured it.

Not sure what causes it or where it comes from.

OSR roots can cause a lot of bother.
Red ochre is caused by the content of iron in soils more common in clay soils.

The field is know as Brickyard Bank, it used to have the brickworks for Longford Hall estate, so that does sound plausible

 

[FarmerBruce]

Find osr roots get in to the newer perforated plastic pipes much worse. Bloody osr

 

[spin cycle]

I think that’s Red Ocre (not sure on the spelling)

Pronounced around these parts as oak-er

I was asked to go with my digger to investigate a couple of blocked drains on a local farm a while back. He was pretty much sure it would blocked with red ocre, the fibrous stuff you have and when you squeeze it a deep red, staining liquid oozes out of it.

We dug down a couple of feet and, expecting to find the clay pipe drains soon, I started taking an inch off at a time . The digger bucket just caught the end of a pipe and dislodged it. The pressure was amazing, with water shooting up several feet above ground. This carried on for a few seconds until it calmed down and then stopped to a trickle.

As expected, the drain was blocked with the ocre, about two feet long. We put it back together and backfilled it and, to my knowledge, that cured it.

Not sure what causes it or where it comes from.

I think red ochre forms with iron bonding to soil particles

 

[Cab-over Pete]

Oh ok.

So the name red ochre really just refers to the red pigment then and not the fibrous stuff?

 

[spin cycle]

Oh ok.

Do the name red ochre really just refers to the red pigment then and not the fibrous stuff?

yes

 

[Cab-over Pete]

You learn something every day

 

[DaveGrohl]

Osr not getting many fans these days!

That’s the beauty of importing it.

 

[TMPUK]

Osr I would have said. We've had murder for nearly five years now on some ground after growing it and being a relatively dry winter roots have gone down five foot in places through heavy clay. Sorted most of it out now but still finding bit. As for ochre drained five acre of sports field in September with wrapped pipe and they were nearly blocked by feb don't quiet know what to do about it

Hi Tim, do you still have problem of clogging with iron ochre ?