Odd Basin Question

[SELDNCraig]

Hi guys, I came home from work today to find that my basin had filled half up with water. The odd thing is that the taps haven't been on all day and although the plug hasn't been in all day, the water isn't draining! It just stays there!!

Any idea what's causing this? Any help would be greatly appreciated

Craig

 

[kittedup]

Your waste might be frozen further along and the water is backing up to the basin.

Try a few kettles of boiling water.

Ted

 

[SELDNCraig]

Will try that. Thank you very much

 

[SELDNCraig]

Hmmm, this doesn't appear to have done much unfortunately... the bath taps and kitchen sink taps all flow and drain correctly. My bathroom is upstairs too if that's any help

 

[dextrous]

Where does the waste pipe from the basin go to? Chances are that since it is usually a smaller pipe (32mm instead of kitchen sink or bath at 40mm) it will block up / freeze more easily.

 

[SELDNCraig]

The water from the basin goes outside and flows into a drainpipe which goes down into the sewer. The bath waste also flows through its own waste pipe into the drainpipe however neither wastepipe is physically attatched to the drainpipe so I am not too sure if it is water backing up into the basin. My descriptions might be a bit rubbish as plumbing isn't really my thing

The only other thing I can think of is a blockage in the U bend but then that wouldn't explain the basin filling up itself. Very odd indeed!! Am going to try putting a wire coathanger down the plug hole tomorrow to see if it's a blockage

 

[dextrous]

So, there's a hole in the drainpipe and the end of the wastepipe just sts inside there

 

[SELDNCraig]

Yep, they both sit on top of the drainpipe, although it's not so much a hole at the top of the drainpipe but a sort of box thing which acts as a funnel to guide the water from the wastepipe into the drainpipe

 

[dextrous]

This box thing is called a hopper.

It may have become a big blocked up (leaves perhaps), or it might be the pipe from the sink to the hopper (iced up). Or it might be the trap under the sink - which can be dismantled enough for clearing any blockages without sticking a coathanger down the plughole.

 

[wetshoes]

Sounds like a hopper box.
Are the waste pipes outside frozen ?

 

[wetshoes]

I must type faster !

 

[dextrous]

I must type faster !

Nah - I need to type slower

 

[SELDNCraig]

The basin one could be... thankfully the basin isn't filling up so I think I will leave it for now and have a look at the pipe outside tomorrow when it's light and I can see.