canalsiderenovation Posted April 25, 2021 Share Posted April 25, 2021 Yep, it's the plumbing again. Any suggestions? No hair or obvious blocks I can see..... Water doesn't seem to be flowing very well. VID_20210424_203756.mp4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted April 25, 2021 Share Posted April 25, 2021 No air getting into the system. Is this straight into an underground waste pipe ..? Flush the loo in the same room and see if it makes it better ... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted April 25, 2021 Author Share Posted April 25, 2021 18 minutes ago, PeterW said: No air getting into the system. Is this straight into an underground waste pipe ..? Flush the loo in the same room and see if it makes it better ... Underground (block and beam). We also notice occasionally when turning the shower on there is a rattle/vibration coming from loft. It's a ceiling fed Mira showing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted April 25, 2021 Author Share Posted April 25, 2021 And flushing loo makes no difference. Been like this for past two nights now though strangely it doesn't seem as bad if you just run cold water on its own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnnyt Posted April 25, 2021 Share Posted April 25, 2021 Check the drains outside, my builder had a callback on a house he built last year with a similar problem and it was found to be half a housebrick in a 6 inch drain some 50m from the house. He thought with his plumber it was a faulty AAV but after much head scratching and a cctv survey found the above. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted April 25, 2021 Author Share Posted April 25, 2021 6 minutes ago, Johnnyt said: Check the drains outside, my builder had a callback on a house he built last year with a similar problem and it was found to be half a housebrick in a 6 inch drain some 50m from the house. He thought with his plumber it was a faulty AAV but after much head scratching and a cctv survey found the above. We can't see any obvious issues and all other taps/bath (in same room) seem to be ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted April 25, 2021 Share Posted April 25, 2021 I occasionally unscrew the handset from our shower hose, (be sure to dig out and put safe the little black rubber washer), then stick the hose down the trap on full whack and at it's hottest setting. The hair trap in our Geberit wall drain can only cope with so much. SWMBO and No.2 daughter moult like Cousin It! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus Potter Posted April 25, 2021 Share Posted April 25, 2021 @canalsiderenovation Hey on the upside you're in now. Suggest two diagnostic approaches. 1/ Ask everyone .. again, if they have "done something they should not have done" in the shower.." Explain that you have been on BH and unless they come clean you will find out and make it public... if that fails..(and it probably will as I bet you have already explored this) then option 2. 2/ Buy a plunger, one of the ones that act like a bike pump may be the thing. Get a big drum of warm water (not boiling as you may crack the tray) pour it into the tray to get a head of water say 50m m in the tray. Plunge like your life depends on it. Report results here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted April 26, 2021 Author Share Posted April 26, 2021 7 hours ago, Gus Potter said: @canalsiderenovation Hey on the upside you're in now. Suggest two diagnostic approaches. 1/ Ask everyone .. again, if they have "done something they should not have done" in the shower.." Explain that you have been on BH and unless they come clean you will find out and make it public... if that fails..(and it probably will as I bet you have already explored this) then option 2. 2/ Buy a plunger, one of the ones that act like a bike pump may be the thing. Get a big drum of warm water (not boiling as you may crack the tray) pour it into the tray to get a head of water say 50m m in the tray. Plunge like your life depends on it. Report results here. Thanks There is only me and the wife and it's our ensuite so straight to option 2 then. We have a normal type plunger so I'll try that later before we buy one of those posh things. Will also try the suggestion by @Onoff too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeGrahamT21 Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 Careful not to blow any fittings off with too much pressure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 12 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said: There is only me and the wife and it's our ensuite so straight to option 2 then. We have a normal type plunger so I'll try that later before we buy one of those posh things. I generally find that hair is the issue in mine. Once a quantity gets stuck and various products such as conditioner etc get trapped in it to make it a greasy mess then the drain stops flowing properly. My solutions are 1. see if there is any hair I can grab and yank out using some industrial tweezers or similar, 2. use one of those air pump things as above (they aren’t very expensive), 3. resort to chemicals. Have only needed 3 a couple of times. Do you have a hair trap fitted? TIMESETL Toilet Plunger with 2 Interchangeable Heads, Powerful Manual Drain Buster for Toilet Bathtub Shower https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07D6LRPYF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_QEX340FR08MEDXD4Q90C?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted April 26, 2021 Author Share Posted April 26, 2021 15 minutes ago, newhome said: I generally find that hair is the issue in mine. Once a quantity gets stuck and various products such as conditioner etc get trapped in it to make it a greasy mess then the drain stops flowing properly. My solutions are 1. see if there is any hair I can grab and yank out using some industrial tweezers or similar, 2. use one of those air pump things as above (they aren’t very expensive), 3. resort to chemicals. Have only needed 3 a couple of times. Do you have a hair trap fitted? TIMESETL Toilet Plunger with 2 Interchangeable Heads, Powerful Manual Drain Buster for Toilet Bathtub Shower https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07D6LRPYF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_QEX340FR08MEDXD4Q90C?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 We both have long hair so I suspect that could be the problem but we do regularly clean the plug bit - pic below. I've tried the normal plunger just and whilst nothing seemed to happen it is flowing down far better. Thanks for the link I've ordered one as I suspect we may need one in the future! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted April 26, 2021 Share Posted April 26, 2021 Well worth trying bicarb / vinegar: https://lentheplumber.com/blog/hairy-situation-three-steps-to-unclogging-your-drain-chemical-free/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted April 26, 2021 Author Share Posted April 26, 2021 18 minutes ago, Onoff said: Well worth trying bicarb / vinegar: https://lentheplumber.com/blog/hairy-situation-three-steps-to-unclogging-your-drain-chemical-free/ Oooh thanks I always have a good supply of those in as it's my go to for cleaning. Cheers for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted April 27, 2021 Author Share Posted April 27, 2021 After the same issue last night I've just plunged the shower with the plunger @newhome recommended. Plot thickens ... Best way of me describing is by highlighting the plans with the areas. In the ensuite where the bath is, is where our shower is as we switched them round. When I plunge the shower the toilet in the cloaks makes a gurgling sound and water rises and falls so what I'm doing in the shower in the ensuite has some impact on the toilet in the cloaks! The toilet and sink in the vanity unit in the ensuite - the same room as the shower is not impacted at all strangely. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 So what happens to the shower trap level when you flush the loo in the cloaks? The plan does not help much without seeing a plan of how the pipes are actually connected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted April 27, 2021 Author Share Posted April 27, 2021 8 minutes ago, ProDave said: So what happens to the shower trap level when you flush the loo in the cloaks? This.... Bit of gurgling and movement. Toilet water levels following plunging are a bit low in the ensuite too. VID_20210427_101832.mp4 8 minutes ago, ProDave said: The plan does not help much without seeing a plan of how the pipes are actually connected. Which we have asked the builder for time and time again. We have sent a sternly worded email to the builder about outstanding work, render, EWI etc and hopefully this will trigger some sort of action and this is now added to the list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newhome Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 I don’t know much about plumbing but I did read on here that you are supposed to avoid back to back toilets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProDave Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 8 minutes ago, newhome said: I don’t know much about plumbing but I did read on here that you are supposed to avoid back to back toilets. If plumbed wrongly, there is a risk of "swapped contents" I think it was @joe90 that first mentioned this some time ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted April 27, 2021 Share Posted April 27, 2021 (edited) 51 minutes ago, ProDave said: If plumbed wrongly, there is a risk of "swapped contents" I think it was @joe90 that first mentioned this some time ago. Yes, I came across this actually happening in a pair of semi,s (luckily the neighbour was a relative!). Back to back toilets (on a Dividing wall) connected to a “double branch 92’ “. edit, this was on a near horizontal pipe not a vertical stack, I doubt it would have been a problem with a vertical stack due to gravity (but still not something I would like to do). Edited April 27, 2021 by joe90 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted May 10, 2021 Author Share Posted May 10, 2021 After an unsuccessful visit by the plumber last week with lots of head scratching we were still waiting for a solution. Last night's toilets all started backing up and we still have the issue above but noticed the utility sink drain outside wasn't going down either. Guy who did all drains and septic tank came out today. The issue.....Get ready for this you won't believe it... When the electrician came out 19 days ago to work through some final issues/snagging he turned off the fuse to the treatment plant/pump but didn't tell anyone or turn it back on. It took 19 days of not having the treatment plant or pump working before everything slowly started to back up and not flow. Flicked switch back and hey presto everything hunky dory. Spark must have flicked it off at some point. He's coming back on Wednesday so I'll be having words! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted May 10, 2021 Share Posted May 10, 2021 At least you got it sorted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted May 10, 2021 Share Posted May 10, 2021 Does the pump / tank not have an alarm fitted for the high level alerts ..?? Most pumping station should have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canalsiderenovation Posted May 10, 2021 Author Share Posted May 10, 2021 Just now, PeterW said: Does the pump / tank not have an alarm fitted for the high level alerts ..?? Most pumping station should have them. Not sure to be honest but given it was turned off at mains (fuse box) it wouldn't have made any difference! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted May 10, 2021 Share Posted May 10, 2021 11 minutes ago, canalsiderenovation said: Not sure to be honest but given it was turned off at mains (fuse box) it wouldn't have made any difference! Yeh it should - most of the pump station controllers have pump failure alarm along with a liquid level alarm, but some come fitted with a power failure alarm. This sort of thing should be used with a battery backup. https://www.tanks-direct.co.uk/high-level-alarm-battery-backup-for-sewage-pumping-station-cw-float/p3139 They can also be retrofitted with a power failure alarm. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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