Any Plumbers About?

[ladybirder]

Help needed from the Builder or a plumber please.
The problem is the sound of dripping, sometimes gurgling, water from the wall behind my shower (which is over my bath) but no signs of water anywhere, or damp, and no water under my bath. This started about a 4/5 weeks ago. Then two weeks ago my boiler made some horrendous noises for a few minutes and stopped working. Called plumber out which not happy about as self isolating and had to have a new boiler installed. Plumber thought the trickling water was coming from above flat/flats after finding under the bath was dry. The water noise stopped for 3 days after boiler installed but then started again and it's driving me crazy. I can hear it all over my small flat but the lady above me can't hear a thing, or the top one above her. Lady above says she has a dripping toilet cistern and will get a plumber in. I asked her to turn off her water for an hour to see if it stopped, she did and it didn't stop.
I asked my plumber why he thought it was coming from above when it had stopped for 3 days after the new boiler was installed. Coincidence? He didn't/couldn't answer me.
In different circumstances I would get another plumber in but as I am on the highly vulnerable list that is something I am trying to avoid.
Any suggestions from anyone who knows about these things please?

[royfromaus]

This may help, Ladybirder.

https://www.practicaldiy.com/plumbing/pipe-noises/water-noises.php

[ladybirder]

Thanks for that Roy. I've had a look but am none the wiser. For instance I don't know if it's coming from a waste pipe, I don't know where it's coming from. I don't have radiators so they don't need bleeding. I have underfloor heating. Flat is 10 years old and this problem has only recently arisen so nothing to do with new plumbing I don't think as noise was there before new boiler was fitted. But thank you for trying, that is a good link which I shall keep for future use.

[gulliver1]

Maybe a overflow pipe, usually found on the outside of buildings, just a thought L.B.

[NickorWan]

What is on the other side of the wall that your shower is on?

[ladybirder]

Next door's shower Nick. The first question I asked was could it be them and I was told No, by the plumber. I asked next door if they had a leak or a drip and they said No and neither can they hear mine. I'm not tall enough to put my ear to the wall higher up than the shower head but it does sound like it is coming from higher up. I could be wrong of course.
Gulliver I would have thought the plumbers would've seen that as they were outside a lot taking my old boiler out and installing the new.

[The Builder]

Hello Ladybirder,

It's a flat, so I guess there is no roof tank and airing cupboard with an immersion cylinder?

Is it a "Combi" boiler?

The shower is over the bath, but is the shower head fed from the taps (Shower hose type)?

Is it a fixed shower head?

Does the shower have a valve halfway up the wall where you adjust the shower?

[ladybirder]

I have just turned off my water at the mains, which I should have thought of ages ago, my bad. So I'll give it an hour to see if the drip stops. Question, should I flush the loo, and turn all the taps on to get rid of any water in the system? I hate wasting water but ...

[gulliver1]

"Gulliver ,I would have thought the plumbers would have seen that".
Perhaps they did, and that's all it was Then sold you a new Boiler.
Who knows ?.

[Ryzen]

My guess would be a discharge pipe or soil/vent pipe running between flats.The noise you describe may be due to a partial blockage.All guess work i'm afraid. I'm surprised the heating guys could not determine the problem.

[teacake44]

Do you know if the soil pipe ( this takes all waste water to the sewer) runs behind the wall of where your shower is from all the above flats and yours ? if so, it could be that the main sewer is partly block and backed up enough to hold water in the bottom of the soil pipe behind, or near by your wall. As the lady in the above flat seems to have a faulty inlet valve on her toilet this will allow a constant drip of water down the soil pipe. It may be that over night some of the excess water in the soil pipe will seep away slowly into the sewer reducing the level of backed up water, as no one is using baths, taps, toilets, washing machines, but again return during the day when everyone starts to use water at a higher level again. Just a thought??

[teacake44]

Sorry Ryzen must have been typing at same time :0)

[NickorWan]

I was just going to say, that the reason I asked what was behind the wall was that it might be a shaft for pipes. Bathrooms are sometimes put back-to-back to share the common pipe routes between them.

[Maydup]

Do you have an agent who looks after building maintenance and ground works? Could you not call them as it could be communal waste pipe or overflow.

[teacake44]

I did mean to also add that the gurgling can be coming from your waste outlet within your shower, weather or not your using it, this can be a further sign of a blocked soil pipe, ( waste water trying to escape into the sewer.)

[ladybirder]

Hi Builder, good to see you.
No is the answer to your first para.
It is a combi, Worcester Bosch Greenstar I Erp.
Having difficulty answering the rest, sorry.
The shower is fixed into the wall at 3 places. 1st taps at the bottom (above bath taps), with a hose coming out which leads to the (2nd) shower head fixings (to the wall) and then pipe continues almost to the ceiling with another fixing (3rd).
I can move the shower head about with the hose.
Any good? xx

Really helpful Gulliver thanks. As if I'm not worried enough already.

[ladybirder]

Thanks for all the answers while I was replying to builder. I decided to try on here before I informed our managing agents as they will just sent someone out and I'm trying to avoid that unless all else fails. No other owners can hear the noise but about 5 years ago the poor chap opposite me has a utility lid in his garden which was forced up and the content of residents' loos spread over his garden. The drip is as bad during the night as it is in the day.

[ladybirder]

PS. Should I empty the taps and cistern as the drip is still going after an hour?

[malagabob]

As others have said. There could be a “riser” a common void containing waste pipes soil pipes and water pipes for all flats above and on the same floor as you. Has one of the neighbours got a overflow siphon on their toilet flush tank that overflows into the WC bowl. Might be overflowing at times between toilet use and at night.

[The Builder]

Ok LB. I just wanted to rule out anything to do with the shower.

It does have all the symptoms of a problem with a "soil stack".
The other posters have referred to it already.

A soil stack is a vertical 110mm pipe connecting the drain at the bottom to the flats above it. It's where all the poo etc goes down to the outside drain.
Since you mention a bung up in the garden manhole, it would suggest a blockage (maybe partial) somewhere in the stack.
Burbling and glugging would result.
Upstairs' constant overflow drip might well be the dripping you hear 24/7. Perhaps you could ask upstairs to flush while you stand in the bathroom and listen. My thinking is that, if you can hear the dripping, then you should be able to hear the flush coming down.

My problem is that you say the noise is behind the shower. It is unlikely that a stack would be positioned there (you wouldn't be able to fit the bath around it.)
Possibly the stack is within the wall behind the shower.
Anyway, I would be very surprised if it has anything to do with the boiler. Just coincidence.

I think I would rod the whole stack to investigate. Anything could bung it up, J-cloths, wet-wipes, nappies etc.
If we are right, and it is a stack, then I should explain that they normally run up through every floor, picking up waste from each flat.

Anyway. I think further investigation is needed (rodding and generally poking around.)
Of course, it may be something else entirely, but this would fit the bill.

[ladybirder]

Thank you everyone, looks as if we might be getting somewhere. So Mr Builder would I be right to say I need to get our managing agent to get a plumber on to sort this as it is not my flat's problem but the building's problem? In other words, any cost will come from our maintenance budget and not out of my pocket.