White efflorescence on Walls around drain

[mastersc]

Trying to clean this up but nothing seems to be touching it. Just bought this place so I don't know how long its been like this. Its 1929 brickwork if that affects the methods to try?

 

[JohnD]

You have a leak. Usually it is the gulley that is broken and is leaking into the ground, but in your case the mark extends above the DPC and may be due to an overflow, splashing, or a leak higher up from the pipe running into it.

1) is your wall built with lime mortar?

2) does the gulley fill or overflow?

3) is the floor of the room on the inside of the mark concrete or other solid material, or is it wood with a ventilated void beneath?

4) Does a washing machine discharge into the drain, the gully or the downpipe? The staining is typical of white soap deposits from a leaking washing machine waste pipe.

 

[mastersc]

You have a leak. Usually it is the gulley that is broken and is leaking into the ground, but in your case the mark extends above the DPC and may be due to an overflow, splashing, or a leak higher up from the pipe running into it.

1) is your wall built with lime mortar? I believe it is Lime

2) does the gulley fill or overflow? Not that I have seen, the previous owner did have drain works done a few years ago.

3) is the floor of the room on the inside of the mark concrete or other solid material, or is it wood with a ventilated void beneath? wood with ventilated void

4) Does a washing machine discharge into the drain, the gully or the downpipe? The staining is typical of white soap deposits from a leaking washing machine waste pipe. No this is a combined rainwater from the gutters and drains from the upper bathroom and lower bathrooms. there is quote a large hopper where multiple pipes discharge into above this photo, so maybe in the past this was overflowing or full?

 

[JohnD]

Tie ropes of twisted paper kitchen roll round the downpipe at intervals so you can see (in dry weather) if water is running or splashing down the outside. Also look at the hopper for leakage or overflow.

Stand back and take wider photos of the gulley and the paving around it.

I can see the paving has been wrongfully laid above the original ground level, and too close to the DPC.

Look at the paving round the gulley for signs or cracking, sinking or repair. It is pretty certain that the gulley, its trap, and/or the connecting bend, will be cracked and broken in the ground and need digging out and replacement. Most likely this has been happening for about 80 years.

Photograph inside the gulley, with a measure, showing the height of the iron grill below the DPC.

If you can lift some floorboards inside, examine the wall and ground near the stain for damp.

 

[mastersc]

 

[foxhole]

Gulley is blocked or can’t cope with flow which follows the down-pipe down and floods the wall .

 

[foxhole]

Is the cut pipe to right of down pipe live?

 

[JohnD]

looking at the verdant weed growth in the latest pic, an overflowing gully seems more likely, though it might still be escaping from a broken trap.

you need to stand by it when someone pulls the plug on a full bath.

 

[mastersc]

thanks all, the house was empty for 2 years, the patio was under 4ft of weeds. Latest pic is actually from a few months ago, first pic is from yesterday after I cleaned it all up. They have had the drains fixed reading some of the reports, so I hope that is over and its just a clean the walls job.

The pipe to the right is still in use.

I will try and fill the bath to see what happens, sadly turning the water on means various ancient taps and shut of valve start to drip! Good job we are ripping out the old lead pipes and bathroom!

What is the best method to clean the bricks, I have tried a vinegar mix and a stiff brush on my drill but those made no dent in it!

 

[JohnD]

cure the water problem, and it will weather away. no point attacking it before the wall is dry.

 

[foxhole]

Wall not going to dry while pipe is discharging onto it.

 

[mastersc]

Photos from the gully, I tried the full bath, hopper and drain were all good. nothing running down the back or overflowing.

also noticed this today the gutter was dripping all day aswell

 

[JohnD]

the gutter? or the overflow pipe?

 

[mastersc]

the gutter at the bottom, hadn't realised there was an overflow in the circle! Had a look in the loft but couldn't see anything.

Reckon that crack in the gully is the cause? Fill it or replace?