Leak from shower in flat above mine.

[Carlotta12]

I have searched all the posts regarding ''leaking showers'' but am none the wiser regarding fixing this leak. The person in flat above mine's shower leaked through to my flat from the first time he used it (having newly bought the flat and renovated everything including shower room). The water from his shower drips quite forcefully into my bathroom below at a position about a metre from where his shower tray is - i.e. it is away from his actual shower. It takes about 15minutes after the shower goes on for the water to come through into my flat. He has expensive tiles on floor which he does not want to take up. We suspect it is the waste pipe and he hasn't used it again. He is now getting a plumber who will pour buckets of water down the shower waste hole - if it leaks through then this will prove it is his waste pipe, will it not? And he will have to take his new floor tiles up to repair this pipe - or is there any other way the pipe could be repaired? I am not having my ceiling taken down. Is there any sealant that can be put down his waste pipe that can seal the probable hole? Many thanks.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Let the plumber pour the water into the shower tray and see if it leaks. If not then it is probably the silicone or grout at fault or even the hose connection, if the outlet from the shower is in the wall.

Andy

 

[oldbuffer]

1. If its a purpose built flat rather than a conversion, then the floors are likely to be concrete, and not something you could "take down" even if you wanted to.
2. If he has paid to have the shower room renovated, then he probably can claim the costs against the installers, who should be insured.
3. If the leak had occurred, say, 3 years after the work was complete, it could probably be argued that the leak was an "act of God", in which case you might have to claim against your own insurance, and upstairs could not be blamed.
4. However, if it has occurred as a result of poor installation, which it sounds like, then you should be able to claim the reasonable cost of repairing your bathroom from your upstairs neighbour. If he could claim from the installers so much the better for him.

 

[just pumps]

Pouring buckets of water down the shower waste is a starting point but does it need a plumber to do this? Regarding how to get to the pipe this depends on the shower tray ie is it raised or lowered in to the floor. There is no magic sealant that can be added to cure the problem.

 

[HERTS P&D]

Good point JP, get your neighbour to do it tonight.

Andy

 

[Carlotta12]

Thanks for replies. The building is a mansion block of flats - Edwardian. The floors are not concrete. The work was done about 3 years ago and and leak only detected about 20 months ago - as he had not use it (has other bathroom). He did not bring any plumber in before now because of Covid. He wants a plumber to put the buckets of water down as he will need one to fix the problem. Plumber has already informed him that's what he is going to do first. Regarding insurance - his builders are long gone - mostly back to Eastern Europe I think. I am asking so I can be prepared and now at least know there is no magic sealant! I've actually had 6 leaks now from the works he has done - so want to know what the solution is.