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!