Very loud gurgling noise

[Alison556]

I've just had the bathroom done up and I'm now bugged by the loudest gurgling I've ever heard. When you're in the shower, it's OK but as that starts to drain away, it's gurgling like mad, then it sounds like it's coming from the sink.

When you use the sink, it sounds like it's coming up the shower!

There is no water going where it shouldn't (ie not coming up the sink or the shower)

Any suggestions (apart from a set of ear plugs)?

 

[Richard C]

It sounds like your dick of a plumber has just connected the sink waste into the shower run. When you take a shower, the water rushing down the waste pipe is siphoning the water seal from the sink trap (the gurgling sound) & vice-versa; you will eventually smell the problem as well as hearing it! Waste pipes should ideally have separate connections to soil stack/foul drain, call him back & ask him to plumb it in properly or at least fit an anti-siphon trap to the sink but that may not help the shower. The length & method of waste runs are subject to Building Regulations & if he’s made that sort of basic mistake, I would be concerned about what other short cuts he's taken.

 

[Nige F]

call him back and present him with 2 HEP V O waste valves ...1x 35mm and 1x 42mm. tell him to fit them

 

[Alison556]

Sorry for the delay in getting back.

Have checked and yep, you're right, the wash basin and shower both come out of the same waste.

Can't blame the plumber entirely for that because I think the plumber who did the bathroom a few years ago connected the two together and the guy there just now has just followed suit but it never gurgled like that before.

And again, you're right, noticed today that the drains are stinking!

One bizarre thing and maybe it's the proper way to do it - but the shower waste looks like it goes back on itself. I was peering down the waste and noticed that the outlet appears to flow away from where the actual outside of the wall and therefore drains are - sorry bad explanation but if I was standing at the bathroom door, the outside (and wastes) would be on my left, but the shower waste goes right and I'm assuming has some kind of elbow joint to take it back left (does that make any sense?). I didn't know if that was the way it should be done or if the plumber's just been a lazy git and instead of cuttin the pipe from the old shower waste back (the waste on it would have been further over to the right of the current one), he's just joined it with an elbow.

Wanted to check that one before I go back to them kicking up hell - the plumbing work on this bathroom refurb has been diabolical to say the least.

 

[Agile]

He has made a minor error connecting up the waste. It may not have been forseeable anyway. Although he should have tested it.

If the rest is OK then hopefully he can just come and correct it.

Its not a major issue.

Tony

 

[Richard C]

Waste runs should always take the most direct route with as few changes in direction as possible. Difficult to comment/criticise too much without seeing it but your plumber may have just connected up to what’s already there without making any effort to tidy things up which, really, he should have done.

If you’ve had a pumped shower fitted, there will now be a lot more water going down the waste which will have made things worse noise wise & more likely to pull the traps. The plumber should have either fitted individual waste runs to the stack or made provision to allow air into the system, either using air inlet valves or fitting Hepvo waste valves as Nige F suggests.

 

[TicklyT]

If you are looking down the waste to the bend at the bottom of a 'P' trap, it could appear to set off in just about any direction - the waste has to negotiate a series of bends which form the body of the trap before getting to the outlet anyway. Those bends may be oriented to avoid obstructions (floor joists etc.) under the shower tray.

 

[dextrous]

Alison, given the joys you've had with this installation (shower door leaking, damage to ceiling etc etc etc), what surprises me is that you're still surprised to find things not quite right.

Did the company replace the ceiling and fit the door properly in the end?

 

[Alison556]

Thank you all for you advice - I'll see about getting Hepvo valves fitted.

Dextrous - I thought all the problems would have surfaced by now but we still get 'em.

And no, they didn't fix the ceiling properly or the door - the joiner bodged it with some satinwood paint and I fixed the door myself (didn't tell them that though). I admit to feeling slightly sick at the thought of going back to them about the waste (especially since I've never paid the final payment on it!!!!) - and I discovered that the plumber has never heard of a rawlplug - nothing has rawlplugs in it (not the enclosure, shower, riser rail) - it's just all screwed into the wet wall. I'm going to start taking bets on how long it will be before it all falls down.

 

[Agile]

If you are not expecting to pay the final installment on account of the poor work AND they are not going to chase you for it then it may be cheaper to get a remedial plumber to sort it out.

Tony

 

[dextrous]

Thank you all for you advice - I'll see about getting Hepvo valves fitted.

Dextrous - I thought all the problems would have surfaced by now but we still get 'em.

And no, they didn't fix the ceiling properly or the door - the joiner bodged it with some satinwood paint and I fixed the door myself (didn't tell them that though). I admit to feeling slightly sick at the thought of going back to them about the waste (especially since I've never paid the final payment on it!!!!) - and I discovered that the plumber has never heard of a rawlplug - nothing has rawlplugs in it (not the enclosure, shower, riser rail) - it's just all screwed into the wet wall. I'm going to start taking bets on how long it will be before it all falls down.

With that in mind, it may be worth looking at your insurance and, er, seeing what might accidentally require the wholelot to be replaced

 

[Alison556]

I didn't deliberately not pay the final payment - I with-held it till they fixed the problems out but they've never asked for it (and to be honest, I'm not offering it!).

I feel like this is turning into a never ending saga and that I'm losing the will to live.

Noticed today that the bathroom was particularly cold and discovered that only half the towel rail is hot - top is stone cold so there'll be air in there.

Floor is wet as well though not round the actual pipe (but I suppose it wouldn't be if the heating is on and the pipe is hot - it would dry it out) so it looks like the radiator could be leaking though I can't find a leak.

Is there any other reason for one rad to go like this other than a leak at that rad? It's a condensing combi boiler I've got.

Gonna have to go back to them and complain, aren't I?