Water Dripping Down Outside Of Internal Soilpipe

[Rookery]

Hi,

As the subject heading states, I have water dripping down the outside of the soil pipe, which runs down into the kitchen, from my bathroom.

This is a nightmare as the kitchen walls are now wet.

I've taken the bath panel away (impossible to get off), and had a good look at all the joins into the pipe eg. bath, toilet etc and all are sound.

The water is running down the pipe from above. I can see it trickling down. I had a look on the roof and everything (appears) to be sound as far as the flushing and rubber seal are concerned.

Is it possible my pipe is backed up so much that it's now leaking way back in the bathroom?! Seems implausible as everything drains away fine.

I'm thinking it has to come from the roof somehow. I cant access it from the loft unfortunately.

Please help!!

 

[Burnerman]

There's a very good chance that the seal between the SVP and the flashing has perished....the rubber deteriorates in sunlight.
Another chance is the flashing itself - if its lead its likely to be ok, but if its made with another compound then it too could be split.
Can you get on the roof for a closer look, and clear away any moss at the same time?
Even if you can see the SVP in the loft you should see traces of leakage.
John

 

[Rookery]

Thanks John.

I should have said in my original post that the soilpipe and all fittings have only been in place for 2 years. Do you think the seal could have perished in so little time?

Also, what is an SVP? Is it the flashing and aluminium at the top of the soil pipe?

Also, this trickle is continuous, even though it's not raining! I cant believe there's any plumbing up there; it's over head height in the bathroom and we dont have any tanks etc in the loft.

Nightmare.

 

[Burnerman]

My apologies - SVP is the Soil Vent Pipe that appears above roof level, and allows air into the drainage system all the way down to a convenient manhole. The house drains can access the SVP anywhere.
So - lets get this right......the SVP has leakage on the outside, but not necessarily when its raining? Can the flashing be sitting in a pool?
In which case, something else must be connecting into it - maybe a tank overflow (most irregular, that) yet you say there are none in the loft There shouldn't be any faulty pipe joint up there anyway.
If the SVP was blocked it would only be to bath / sink level at the maximum, and you say all the bathroom furniture drains fine?
We're missing something here - can you get into the loft and check the SVP where its visible?
Flummoxed!
John

 

[Rookery]

Yes that's right. There is a trickle of water running down the outside of the soil pipe, within my bathroom. When I went onto the roof, there was no moisture running down the pipe that is exposed above roof level.

The Flashing isnt sitting in a pool of water, unless something is happening underneath the aluminium, that I cant see?

I cant see the pipe in the loft as it is inaccessible. This is very annoying.

Good point re: blockage to bath/sink level max. Everything drains fine.

Tricky one isnt it. I think there must be some pipework up there, but God knows what??!!

 

[David Leslie]

Hi did you ever solve this problem ...I have water dripping down the outside of the soil pipe into the kitchen even when not raining...the water is coming from above where the toilet, bath and sink feed into it...checked plumbing flashing on roof and everything seems sound..had roofer and plumber baffled!!!!

 

[vinn]

You have an internal soil pipe - is it boxed in in the kitchen or bathroom?
Does your boiler condensate pipe go to the outside & drain to a gulley?
Do the drips increase when it rains or remain the same?
Can you see and feel around the connections to the soil pipe in the bathroom?
Pan connectors & soil pipe connectors from the WC are often found to be weeping a little time after flushing the WC.
Clean and dry all pipework & connectors with tissues before further investigating.

Have any copper or plastic water pipes been examined esp the plastic fittings?
Do you have a flat roof or a pitched roof?

 

[AGAS]

that will keep him busy for a while

 

[dilalio]

Photos and a diagram would help!

 

[David Leslie]

The soil pipe comes down to a kitchen extension which has a pitched roof...the extension was added to the back of the original old terrace house..the boiler condenses outside and goes to a gulley...the spooky thing is it is dry at the moment but every evening after about 7pm a drop appears on the outside of the soil pipe and continues to drip throughout the night a tea towels round the top part was wet this morning...the plumber said the overflow pipe from the toilet was plastic connected to copper..as mentioned before all soil , bath and sink connectors feed into the main soil pipe below where the link is appearing ...we have had very little rain in the last week so this water in my mind must be coming from some pipe work within the pitched roof

 

[David Leslie]

 

[Nige F]

.the spooky thing is it is dry at the moment but every evening after about 7pm a drop appears on the outside of the soil pipe and continues to drip throughout the night a tea towels round the top part was wet this morning...the plumber said the overflow pipe from the toilet was plastic connected to copper..

The toilet cistern is where to look - see if the water level is up - do this after 7pm. Things get spooky around 3 am. avoid the toilet then

 

[vinn]

In pic 1.There's a white plastic pipe showing at the tile/soil pipe junction - presumably thats the WC overflow?
The upper part of the soil pipe appears to have been forced back towards the wall.
A couple of the boss connectors have presumably previously leaked - & have been codged back with solvent glue. Solvent has also been lathered about the installation.
Lower left a stub is entering a fitting at an angle.
There's a capped(?) stub in a connection at top left. Perhaps the original destination of the WC overflow pipe?
I cant see it clearly but the plastic soil branch connection to the Cast Iron(?) soil pipe bend seems to be an odd connection?

Above the tile - Bitumen has been used to presumably recover from leaking at the incorrectly installed flashing and pipe boot & disfigured felt opening.

From what I can make out, I'd say your trouble is more likely to be the flashing - with the WC overflow perhaps somehow contributing.

The tile and neatly cut valley excepted - the whole plastic S&VP job appears to be a rough DIY effort.

FWIW: it would be worth checking why the main roof discharge or the gutter is causing the smudging on the gutter.