Problem With Plumbing - Advice needed!

[Pride_In_Battle]

So we've just moved into a new house, only 8 years old. Had a plumber out today to look into a nasty smell in one of the bathrooms, and they said they've been called out to this before a few years ago.

Seems as though the soil pipe hasn't been connected properly, and as it runs behind a wall, it's going to be a big job, around 4 grand, to put right.

Where do I stand with this? It wasn't picked up in the Surveyors report (only had the basic one done), and the previous owners didn't tell us about it, despite the fact that they knew about it a few years ago. Would this be covered by my home insurance?

 

[rushts]

You shouldn't get smells from the toilet as you have water in the pan to stop smell coming back through. Does the soil pipe go above/through the roof to vent? as smells can come from this back into the bathroom. You may have a leak on the soil pipe internally so try and expose as much as you can and check for leaks/damp. But if you are talking @4K quote then I am assuming that you are about to be ripped off or you need your drains replacing.

 

[Pride_In_Battle]

You shouldn't get smells from the toilet as you have water in the pan to stop smell coming back through. Does the soil pipe go above/through the roof to vent? as smells can come from this back into the bathroom. You may have a leak on the soil pipe internally so try and expose as much as you can and check for leaks/damp. But if you are talking @4K quote then I am assuming that you are about to be ripped off or you need your drains replacing.

Smell is coming up through the drains from the bath. Apparently the soil pipe hasn't been connected to the vent. Or something like that. They'll need to go through a wall in the bathroom and maybe the kitchen below to get to it :(

 

[blueincy]

Smells coming up from the bath? Plug hole?

 

[BerkshireBlue]

seems bloody expensive (that kind of price is a new boiler that needs to be relocated not some basic pumbling job). When you say a wall in the kitchen is it behind cabinets or a standalone wall?

 

[blueincy]

Check the U bend under your bath if it's a shallow one or a bottle one then change it..

It should look like this below with water always present to prevent smells...

The only vent on your soil pipe is outside looks like this..



He's having you over 4 grand the robbing..

 

[Dextersmate]

The seller should have listed any ongoing problems.

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

The soil pipe is probably between the breeze block and the plasterboard and runs down from upstairs to the lower floor and into the drains. Sometimes it is boxed in. Do they know where the issue is, or do they need to investigate? That might be the reason it is so high a quote. In my house, if the seal upstairs goes, it would need the bath taking out, and that means removing a radiator and wall tiles too. It can get messy. Let the insurance pick up the cost of fixing it if covered.

 

[Pride_In_Battle]

seems bloody expensive (that kind of price is a new boiler that needs to be relocated not some basic pumbling job). When you say a wall in the kitchen is it behind cabinets or a standalone wall?

Behind cabinets in the kitchen. I did think it seemed expensive for the work that needs doing though.

Cheers for the advice guys, think I'll get a 2nd opinion before going ahead with it!

 

[Pride_In_Battle]

The seller should have listed any ongoing problems.

But is this a legal obligation? The surveyor came back with nothing either.

If it was my house that I was selling, I think I'd 'forget' too!

 

[Dextersmate]

The seller should have listed any ongoing problems.

New build thought it was covered for 10 yrs

 

[Pride_In_Battle]

The soil pipe is probably between the breeze block and the plasterboard and runs down from upstairs to the lower floor and into the drains. Sometimes it is boxed in. Do they know where the issue is, or do they need to investigate? That might be the reason it is so high a quote. In my house, if the seal upstairs goes, it would need the bath taking out, and that means removing a radiator and wall tiles too. It can get messy. Let the insurance pick up the cost of fixing it if covered.

Not sure if they've scoped it to find out where the problem is before, no. Would all insurers cover this work as standard?

 

[Dextersmate]

But is this a legal obligation? The surveyor came back with nothing either.

If it was my house that I was selling, I think I'd 'forget' too!

When i sold , i had to say if there were any known probs.

 

[Pride_In_Battle]

New build thought it was covered for 10 yrs

I've checked, it's only covered for plumbing issue below ground level, unless the work has been signed off by the NHBC, which it doesn't seem to have been.

 

[Pride_In_Battle]

When i sold , i had to say if there were any known probs.

Hmmm may get on to the solicitors then!

 

[Garrinchas---Dog]

Do you live local to Manchester?

Any chance you can post a photo of the area in the bathroom and the rear of the toilet where the multi-quick is

Is the smell intermittent?
Or there all time
Have you checked under the floor for water? Is there somthing in the bathroom that's not used much,you would be surprised how many people don't use the bath or a shower if they have both in the room and the trap dries up and if it's connected internally to the svp,you will get smells and bad air coming up all the time

Don't take what the plumber said as gospel,most of them haven't got a clue about faults with drains and the svp and there's a lot of "plumbers" wandering about causing more harm than good.

Sadly it's down to yourself to put it right,caveat emptor I'm afraid

I could spend the next hour asking relevant questions about it,but unless I had a look the job,it's a bit difficult

 

[Citizen of Legoland]

Not sure if they've scoped it to find out where the problem is before, no. Would all insurers cover this work as standard?

So if it's a seal on the ground floor then you could be looking at removing worktops and cabinets, although if there's no smell in the kitchen, it's likely a problem upstairs. There should also be a water trap on the bath to stop smells up through the plug hole.
I'm not sure about the insurer, would say probably, yes.

 

[Pride_In_Battle]

So if it's a seal on the ground floor then you could be looking at removing worktops and cabinets, although if there's no smell in the kitchen, it's likely a problem upstairs. There should also be a water trap on the bath to stop smells up through the plug hole.
I'm not sure about the insurer, would say probably, yes.

That's the thing, there's no smell anywhere else but in the bathroom.

 

[BerkshireBlue]

Behind cabinets in the kitchen. I did think it seemed expensive for the work that needs doing though.

Cheers for the advice guys, think I'll get a 2nd opinion before going ahead with it!

ok so this is more complex then as they are going to have to dismatle parts of your kitchen by the sound of things. Have you asked them to break the costs down so you know what's being paid for. something like

remove bathroom wall (is the wall tiled extra work needed if it is)
dismantle kitchen
remove kitchen wall
fix soil pipe issue
rebuild walls
plaster
rebuild kitchen
tidy up


still nowhere near £4k worth 2 days work max.

I'd still check all the traps first and the toilet soil pipe joint. I'd also be tempted to buy a plumbers endoscope and drill a series of holes to investigate the pipe to see it there the problem is beforehand.

 

[malg]

Ah fuck.......I thought one of the Bluemoon ladies had started a thread.