Emptying bath causes leak through washing machine waste pipe

[elpresidente]

Quite a long one this so bear with me. I have even included a dodgy diagram!


The pop-up plug on my bath is broken, so to empty the bath you need to pull the whole plug physically out of the plughole. I think this means that the water flows away much quicker than it would if the plug just popped up.

The washing machine sits directly below the bath. (see diagram!) If the bath is full then just pulling the plug means it overflows out of the washing machine connection and floods the kitchen.

The waste pipe has previously been blocked between the sink and the drain, but I think it is OK at the moment (sink seems to drain fine).

My questions are:

1) Is the broken plug the sole cause of the flooding, or must there be an obstruction somewhere in the system that is stopping the water draining at a decent speed?

2) Can I fix the plug? It appears to be some sort of cable that is broken, access is nigh-on impossible

3) Any other ideas/thoughts on how to stop the flooding. Currently the option is to use a universal plug and put it half over the plug hole thus reducing the flow. But every so often we forget & it's flood time.


Thanks!

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Bath needs its own dedicated waste pipe. What you have is an utter bodge and is asking for trouble. The water will take the path of least resistance, in this case, flowing down from the bath under gravity, then slowing once it reaches a horizontal section. The water cannot get away quick enough with the result you have now. Saw this recently on a shower and bath combined into one waste, lass pulled the bath plug out, went to dry her hair and came back to find half the contents of the bath had erupted into the shower, flooding the floor. (And they were on the same level!)

Doubtfull you'll be able to fix the bath waste unless you can gain access.

 

[Nige F]

Remove the trap on W/M and fit a hep v o waste valve instead

 

[elpresidente]

Thanks guys. There's a basin and a dishwasher on that pipe as well, i just didn't add them to the diagram!