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Possible design flaw in apartment block waste pipe design causing damage to my prope

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  • 21-06-2019 4:20pm
    #1
    efwren
    Registered Users Posts: 135 ✭✭


    Hi All,

    not sure if this is the correct forum or not, so apologies if its not.

    I own an apartment which I rent out.

    The tenants in the property have a reasonably regular issue, every 5 or 6 Months or so the toilets leak, or waste water comes back up into the toilet bowls. There are two toilets in the property.

    I have had plumbers out to look at it and they think the issue is caused by a blockage in the waste water pipe in the basement of the apartment block.

    My apartment is the ground floor and the last unit in the chain before the waste water goes into the basement.

    Once it enters the basement there is a 90 degree bend in the pipe. My plumber has stated that the pipe is too narrow to have the type of bend and thats whats causing the issue. Waste is gathering in the corner joint and causing a blockage that is coming back up into my unit.

    I have had the maintenance guys from the management company out to meet the plumber and they simply state that they are not changing the pipe. Now they can't provide any explanation for why the toilets in my apartment keep leaking.

    I welcome any advice on where to go with this. The management company view is that there is nothing wrong with the facility and the issue is mine to deal with. I have always paid my block management fees on schedule including assisting with funding repairs to common areas and fixing faults in other blocks.

    At this stage my plumber is even reluctant to get involved as he been out several times over the course of 18 Months to look at this.

    Many thanks


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    #2
    riemann
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,063 ✭✭✭riemann


    efwren wrote: »
    Once it enters the basement there is a 90 degree bend in the pipe. My plumber has stated that the pipe is too narrow to have the type of bend and thats whats causing the issue. Waste is gathering in the corner joint and causing a blockage that is coming back up into my unit.
    s

    Part H of the building regs give guidance on the min radius of the 90 deg bend at the bottom of the stack.

    Tv7QQn8.jpg


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    #3
    April 73
    Registered Users Posts: 846 ✭✭✭April 73


    I had a very similar issue. The management company told me if I could prove that the blockage was caused because of pipework beyond my apartment they would have to rectify it. If the pipework responsible was within my unit then it would be my responsibility. I had cctv work done on the pipes which showed where the problem appeared to be originating from.


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    #4
    efwren
    Registered Users Posts: 135 ✭✭efwren


    April 73 wrote: »
    I had a very similar issue. The management company told me if I could prove that the blockage was caused because of pipework beyond my apartment they would have to rectify it. If the pipework responsible was within my unit then it would be my responsibility. I had cctv work done on the pipes which showed where the problem appeared to be originating from.

    Thanks for the reply. How did you get the cctv work done, do you remember who did it for you?

    THanks


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    #5
    MrDerp
    Registered Users Posts: 990 ✭✭✭MrDerp


    efwren wrote: »
    Thanks for the reply. How did you get the cctv work done, do you remember who did it for you?

    THanks

    Just call dynorod for a drain survey, it’s routine and your local franchisee can do it. They’ll typically clean the pipes while they’re at it.

    You’ll get a report with images and drawings of your system including any design faults.


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    #6
    mad m
    Registered Users Posts: 9,002 ✭✭✭mad m


    OP,

    Any idea what is actually getting caught at the 90 degree pipe. Any young kids/babies in the place?


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    #7
    April 73
    Registered Users Posts: 846 ✭✭✭April 73


    efwren wrote: »
    Thanks for the reply. How did you get the cctv work done, do you remember who did it for you?

    THanks

    As MrDerp suggested - it was actually Dynorod who did the cctv work for me from memory it cost about €200.
    The suggested fix (within my apartment) was estimated at €1k and would have meant retiling the en-suite. I suspect that the estimate was high as they didn’t want to do the job though.

    I’m almost afraid to say this (touching wood now) but I haven’t had the work done as there was no guarantee that it would fix the problem & so far there have been no more issues with the toilet blocking. I did ask at the time that the tenant might use two-ply toilet paper rather than quilted and to be sure not to flush anything other than toilet paper & that seems to have helped. The blockage was happening when toilet paper got caught at the 90-degree join where the en-suite toilet pipe (which should have been running downward on a slope, but wasn’t) met the main toilet pipe.


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