Fault finding - AAV next? As bath & shower not draining even though all pipe work/sewers etc. clear

[Toonaholic]

I have a shower, bath and basin that all drain slowly, and the bath emptying now results in water coming up through shower trap. A lot of gurgling noises too. The shower trap does not empty quickly enough and will overflow over the shower tray if take a shower over a couple of minutes.
I have had someone put cameras down pipes and up through manholes in garden, along sewer pipes and up into waste stack and everything is clear without blockages.
Does this mean it is likely an air issue? And what to do to resolve thanks?

Ensuite backs on to bathroom with the issues and shower and basin in ensuite use same waste and they drain well/quickly.

It all worked well for about 5 years but not now.

Any ideas thanks as bath and shower are out of commission!

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

If an adjacent bathroom is sharing the same stack, without apparent issue, then I would be looking firstly at the waste pipework arrangements in the affected bathroom. The fact it has worked properly in the past would suggest something has changed, the most likely I would say being a partial blockage has built up.

What access do you have to the pipework? Mechanical cleaning would be my first suggestion, drain snake or something similar to clean out the pipework and remove any built up debris. A wet vac is another option although this is less likely to remove any congealed gunk stuck to the wall of the pipe.

I really do not recommend the use of any type of chemical, it is unlikely to make any concerted difference, and will just make the entire situation more dangerous for the next poor sod ho comes along and attempts to clean the pipework out.

 

[Toonaholic]

Thanks for responding.
Have had ceiling down and plumber in and no blockages at all I’m afraid, so it isn’t that. Wet vac brought nothing back, and camera shows pipes completely clear, so think it must be something else other than a blockage.

 

[Andy165]

Proper fall on the pipe ?

 

[jj4091]

I'm not a pumber but would disconnecting and emptying the trap on the wash basin not have the same effect as installing an AAV and prove whether that was the problem.

 

[Toonaholic]

T

I'm not a plumber but would disconnecting and emptying the trap on the wash basin not have the same effect as installing an AAV and prove whether that was the problem.

Thanks for the advice. I have tried this just and it makes not difference at all sadly.

 

[Toonaholic]

Proper fall on the pipe ?

It's not good in terms of fall (goes through beams and marginal drop). However, the pipes form the other bathroom run into same pipe and they drain super swiftly!

 

[Toonaholic]

I'll drop a video of flow of water in bathroom with issues and flow in bathroom that runs to same waste stack.
And a photo of pipework from when had the ceiling down...

 

[Toonaholic]

So - photos of pipe work. And then videos of bathroom with good flow and one with bad flow.
A lot of gurgling noises in pipes whether trying to drain bath, shower or sink, and bath backs up into and comes out of shower drain when try to empty it.

 

[Toonaholic]

If an adjacent bathroom is sharing the same stack, without apparent issue, then I would be looking firstly at the waste pipework arrangements in the affected bathroom. The fact it has worked properly in the past would suggest something has changed, the most likely I would say being a partial blockage has built up.

What access do you have to the pipework? Mechanical cleaning would be my first suggestion, drain snake or something similar to clean out the pipework and remove any built up debris. A wet vac is another option although this is less likely to remove any congealed gunk stuck to the wall of the pipe.

I really do not recommend the use of any type of chemical, it is unlikely to make any concerted difference, and will just make the entire situation more dangerous for the next poor sod ho comes along and attempts to clean the pipework out.

Hi there,
had ceiling down, cameras in pipes etc. and definitely isn't a blockage.

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Can you indicate direction of flow(s) please, and that Flexi waste I suspect isn't likely to be helping much, pair of swept 92.5º (or 92.5 and 45) bends would be better, with rigid 40mm pipe in between. Is that an Non Return Valve on the shower?

I'm leaning, (at the moment), towards some sort of anomaly with air movements, possible one side is having the water sucked out, (hence draining super quick) and the other is holding pressure, so the water cannot get away, and instead is backing up.

 

[Toonaholic]

Can you indicate direction of flow(s) please, and that Flexi waste I suspect isn't likely to be helping much, pair of swept 92.5º (or 92.5 and 45) bends would be better, with rigid 40mm pipe in between. Is that an Non Return Valve on the shower?

I'm leaning, (at the moment), towards some sort of anomaly with air movements, possible one side is having the water sucked out, (hence draining super quick) and the other is holding pressure, so the water cannot get away, and instead is backing up.

Thanks Hugh- attached with flow directions.
The plumber added the non return valve as the bath water was draining and then popping up under shower. That said, even with this is in place that still happens!!

 

[Toonaholic]

Thanks Hugh- attached with flow directions.
The plumber added the non return valve as the bath water was draining and then popping up under shower. That said, even with this is in place that still happens!!

Apologies Hugh- now with photo actually attached!

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Afraid it's going to be a lot of questions, always more difficult to diagnose when you're not on site.

Obviously shower is on the right hand side, take it the bath connects in on the Tee, downstream of NRV. Where does it go after this, how far, many bends etc? Where does en suite join the rest of the system?