Toilet flushing issues - advice

[karansaraf]

Haha, well it is a new build - was finished about a year ago. I bought the property about 10 months ago, but have only moved in properly and started using things regularly over the last 3-4 months.

Let me tell you I noticed a LOT of issues with the quality of the work. Leaks in ALL four bathrooms, balcony leaking causing mould and damp in the wall below, all integrated appliances installed, but not turned on at the back, requiring a lot of work to pull them out from their housings where they had been bolted into to turn the switches etc.!

Two more things remaining and hopefully it's going to be (relatively) plain sailing from here...

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

Fingers crossed then. National chain of builders by any chance?

 

[dilalio]

New build! You will be using the warranty to its fullest!

 

[karansaraf]

No some local builders. Had a nightmare with them, fingers crossed from here on out!

 

[dilalio]

I would get the manhole checked.
If you're lucky, it is just full of builders' spoil and needs jetting, if you're unlucky then the whole stack and sewer run could be wrong

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I would add, if this does turn out to be an issue with the drains, it may be worth getting a local independent drainage company, (avoid the national 'chain' companies), to do a quick once over of the system. Get any problems picked up and dealt with now, (before the builder 'disappears'). Out of everything, drainage is probably the easiest place to hide bodges, and one of the most expensive to put right...

 

[karansaraf]

Ah OK.

Does NHBC warranty cover drains?

 

[Hugh Jaleak]

I believe so, but I think you'd need to check the Policy documents and possibly with the NHBC themselves to double check.

Drainage works to pretty simple rules, water flows downhill, and all parts of the drain should be accessible for cleaning should the need arise.

The drain layer needs to achieve a fall (slope) on the drains steep enough to allow the waste to flow away, but not so steep or shallow as the water runs away leaving the solids behind. Amazing though how many manage a 'backfall' i.e. the drain is sloping the wrong way, or put in 'blind' runs where you cannot get access with a jetting unit or rods to clear a problem....

 

[karansaraf]

Seems like the plunger above has perhaps worked. Seems to be flushing ok today, but will keep an eye on it to see if things change again.

Thanks all for the tips so far!

 

[Echo the husky]

Hope it's sorted, my upstairs toilet does not flush well, the soil pipe runs uphill to the stack.