Flooded Sshower tray, shared wastes and cowboy plumbers....

[theskiingbear]

Fairly newly installed shower tray in our ensuite has started to fill with water when we use it. This started 2 days ago since our plumbers connected the bath in our main bathroom. Up to that point the drainage didnt seem too bad, but now the water is filling up the whole tray, we dont understand why this has just started to happen. The waste from our ensuite is connected to/feeds into the waste in our main bathroom and as I said, the bath waste has just been connected. We have had other issues with the plumbing with this crowd of labourers eg toilet leaking from base (toilet to blame...now fixed though) and bath waste leaking (to be fixed). We dont see how the bath being connected up to the waste in the main bathroom could be related to the shower tray drainage issue but hoping one of you experts can shed some light?

We are due to have our ensuite shower removed and refitted as the wall tiling is a dogs dinner but the floor in our main bathroom has just been laid and the ensuite floor is not being lifted. We can only access the ensuite shower waste from our kitchen ceiling. There is a hole in the ceiling at the moment (dont ask) so we can see the ensuite shower waste if that has any bearing.

By the way we have a mega flow.

 

[oldplumber]

sounds like to many things running into one waste that cant cope, either to long or no fall or too small

 

[theskiingbear]

When you say too small what do you think is too small? Also as we will be taking the shower out and refitting, is there anything we can do to fix it, bearing in mind that we have access to the waste through our kitchen ceiling

 

[oldplumber]

id have run 2"/50mm for the wastes for a bath and shower to ensure theyworked ok and i expect youve basins going in as well

 

[theskiingbear]

Yes, we have got basins going in there as well. I have a horrible feeling the plumbers changed the original waste pipes in our main bathroom, for narrower pipes. The ensuite wastes havent been touched, yet... But I dont understand why we didnt have this issue before, when the main bathroom wastes were changed. It has just started to happen since the bath in our main bathroom has been plumbed in.

Any suggestions on how to address this issue?

 

[oldplumber]

get in another plumber who knows his/her stuff

 

[Bartdude]

Are these the same guys with the £1200 shopping list?? I think you had some 50mm waste pipe on there,I wonder if it's been used on your job?

 

[ecowarm]

Hope you use some one decent for the ensuite re-fit

 

[theskiingbear]

Are these the same guys with the £1200 shopping list?? I think you had some 50mm waste pipe on there,I wonder if it's been used on your job?

Yes, its me again with more worries. Yes the 50mm wastes were on the list, were they used, who knows....

 

[theskiingbear]

Hope you use some one decent for the ensuite re-fit

Too right. We're looking!

 

[franky]

Where are you based I'm sure one of the guys would pop around and have a look for you, especially after your run of bad luck with trades

 

[Bartdude]

How does the bath drain away? When the bath was plumbed in the waste pipe angle may have been altered. Is the en-suite drainage on the end of the run?

A photo would help if you have one.

 

[tipintim]

When you pull the plug on the bath ( i.e empy it after use ) does the shower in on suite start gargling

 

[theskiingbear]

Where are you based I'm sure one of the guys would pop around and have a look for you, especially after your run of bad luck with trades

We just moved from where you are and are now near Aylesbury.

 

[theskiingbear]

How does the bath drain away? When the bath was plumbed in the waste pipe angle may have been altered. Is the en-suite drainage on the end of the run?

A photo would help if you have one.

Bath drains fine. The ensuite drains into the main bathroom waste.

 

[ecowarm]

sounds like it may run uphill!!

 

[REDSAW]

might need a durgo.

 

[dontknowitall]

sounds like it may run uphill!!

You took the words right off my keyboard ...

 

[theskiingbear]

might need a durgo.

whats a durgo??

 

[tipintim]

does shower waste run under boards, in line with the joists. May be it hasnt been supported, and its bellied/bowed

 

[tipintim]

air amitance valve

 

[ecowarm]

air admitance valve but I doubt you need that (Durgo) if the bath runs ok

 

[theskiingbear]

does shower waste run under boards, in line with the joists. May be it hasnt been supported, and its bellied/bowed

The bath waste does, we saw it a few weeks ago before it got tiled over. I dont know about the shower waste as its in the ensuite and it was tiled over a while ago, we didnt see the plumbing.

 

[tipintim]

is your basin into shower waste.
If so, run your basin fast and see if it fills up shower. Give it a bit of time to find out.

 

[GQuigley67]

sounds like there isnt a good run in the pipe, may be thrown in any old way seen it a few times, one of the customers houses i was at the other day their basin waste went uphill then connected into the bath waste, and the basin fills up with the plug out and no doubt when bath drains the basin gargles. or could be a blockage you could try plunging it

 

[theskiingbear]

is your basin into shower waste.
If so, run your basin fast and see if it fills up shower. Give it a bit of time to find out.

The shower runs into the basin waste

 

[tipintim]

ok. What i would do is.....
Disconect basin waste ( take the trap off ) and empty it down the shower.

Then you have an open end (i.e basin waste pipe ) acting as a vent

Then i would run your shower to see of it fills up as before.

If it fills up, your pipe is running up, bellied or blocked.
If it dont fill up you need to fit some sort of vent.

 

[theskiingbear]

How does the bath drain away? When the bath was plumbed in the waste pipe angle may have been altered. Is the en-suite drainage on the end of the run?

A photo would help if you have one.

Joy of joys I've found photos of the plumbing before it was redone. I'll uplodad them

 

[Avatar]

sounds suspect - a basin into a shower or bath waste is very common, but what do you mean the wastes for the 2 bathrooms are joined? Each bath/shower should have a seperate run of pipe to the soil stack, if not you are going to be in world of trouble.

Further investigation (and description) may be required . . .