Water running away slowly + loud gurgling noises

Joined
9 Oct 2010
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Location
London
Country
United Kingdom
Hello,
I would appreciate any answers as I have a problem that I do not understand. I would like to try and have some understanding of what I am dealing with before trying to find someone to sort the problem out. I would rather resolve it myself but have a nasty feeling that won't be possible.

I am staying in a flat on the first floor of a block of flats.
Maybe unrelated, but this week some workmen dug a hole in the road at the end of the street. They have now filled it in and left. They were laying surface water drains.

Mid way during their visit the lavatory and bath plug waste started to play up. Everything worked brilliantly before this time. Now the bathwater runs away very slowly. The loo fills up and flows away very slowly. During the night or evening huge (sounds like) amounts of air come back up the pipes. It is getting worse I think.

Initially I assumed some sort of blockage somewhere so I used an immediate drain clearer from the local diy store. This briefly helped and the water flowed freely from everything again. However, the problem quickly returned - so I tried again with drain clearer - same result. So I presume not a blockage.

Is is trapped air or what? - not that I understand how or what this means.

The roadwork men told me they did nothing to the domestic pipes in the road but they had been very aware of very bad smells coming from the open vent covering relating to the domestic pipes in the street where they were working.

I can't think of anything else - other than HELP? Any answers gratefully received. [/b]
 
Sponsored Links
Indeed - sounds like a blocked main sewer . Definitely one for a call to the Local Authority.
 
Have you spoke with other residents? See if they are having the same problem. Might be just coincidence but one thing to check.

Nath
 
Sponsored Links
Hi there,

No, however I have put a notice up in the hallway asking anyone with a plumbing/drains flow away problem to contact the managing company of the building - having already contacted them myself. Also, since then I have heard the same noise in the flat downstairs.

I have taken the advice of the two previous posts and contacted the council. I now have a job reference number and a promise someone will take a look at the problem - but no time scale.

My current big worry is that, on reading other information on the internet that relates to a situation sounding just like mine, that the problem will only get worse until it all backs up altogether.

I have also tried some advice on another site - pouring loads of buckets of water down the toilet bowl - this seems to alleviate the noise problem temporarily. By this I mean stops the terrible gurgling for a while. The worst gurgling is coming from the bath.

Thank you to everyone who has tried to help me.
 
The council will probably give this priority, the longer its left, the bigger the job to sort out!

Tipping water down could actually make the situation worse, if the sewer is blocked, it just adds to the effluent building up down there.... At least you have the advantage of being on the first floor. If it does overflow, downstairs will cop it, not you :!:
 
Hi Hugh,

The last couple of buckets seemed to go slower so I will take your advice.

One thing I know - I will never (by choice) live in a ground floor flat! :eek:
 
Wise decision, especially when there's about 30+ floors above you. ;) I remember an episode of 'A Life of Grime', the stack in a tower block had blocked at ground level. Each time a flat above flushed their loo, the contents of the pan appeared in the ground floor flat......... :eek:
 

DIYnot Local

Staff member

If you need to find a tradesperson to get your job done, please try our local search below, or if you are doing it yourself you can find suppliers local to you.

Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search.


Are you a trade or supplier? You can create your listing free at DIYnot Local

 
Sponsored Links
Back
Top