shower drain problem

[hazey11]

Hi can someone offer some advice re my shower plug / drain please. 

When using the shower the water flows away fine. The kitchen sink and washing machine obviously flow down the same channel as when these discharge the water is coming up into the shower and bringing with it hair and bits of food etc.

Do I assume this is a blockage or the design cannot handle the flow rate. Is there a valve I can put in the plug whole to prevent water coming up into the shower?

Thanks

Alex 

There is also a gluggling sound when the kitchen sink and washing machine drain, there are no problems with the toilet and bathroom sink which are after the shower on the drainage run.

 

[Sharpend]

You need to have your drains rodded to clean them out. You could try a diy attempt, purchase a long drain/pipe cleaning spring go to the lowest sink, presumably the kitchen, remove the trap under the sink and fish the whole length of spring into it. Spin the spring a few times pull it out and see what mess you have on the end of it. If it comes out clean then the blockage is further along probably on an external pipe. 

If it’s dirty then keep going with the spring and use some drain cleaner/caustic soda every so often. If that fails then call a drain company as plumbers don’t tend to get involved with blocked drains. 

Be careful if water is backing up to shower when you take the trap off as you may get a little water spillage. 

Then you’ll either need a better rod system or call the professionals. Is the property a private/private rented or council/housing association? 

If private then your costs if one of others then somebody else pays. 

 

[hazey11]

Hi Sharpend, thank your for your help, it is my flat so I will try what you have suggested with one of these.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07DNSTFVY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

 

[Geoff1946]

I'm not a plumber, but I think that is incorrectly piped up. I think the shower and the sink should be separately piped into whatever the final drain is, (large vertical pipe, or outside gully) to prevent exactly the problem you are seeing.

 

[binky]

so basically your sink is at a higher level than the shower drain, and the drain connections downstream are either insufficient for the flow or possibly partially blocked causing a  backflow into the lowest exit point which is up through your shower trap. Sounds more like a lettuced bit of plumbing, if the drain run is incorrectly supported, and traps water in it due to sagging / slight uphill pipe run, this can also cause a back-flow into the shower - I have a similar issue in my bathroom, it's amazing how many builders don't install pipework with a continuous downward run. The drain under my bath is slightly uphill as it exits through the external wall, traps water, and when I empty the sink it can blow-up through the bath plug-hole, and certainly likes to gurgle a bit! It may be that a build up of fat / food waste /hair is causing  a slight blockage, so worth trying to clear any obstructions as suggested above.

 

[Sharpend]

As this is a flat, what is the layout- bathroom in relation to kitchen? How old is the flat? 

 

[hazey11]

here is below the shower with the other line going past in the background and joining it.

I assume if i cant find a blockage I can just fit one of these -https://www.manomano.co.uk/pvc-waste-pipe-fittings-1566?model_id=3356483&g=1&referer_id=685564&ach=802a4&achsqrt=164f3&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIv_3IquOx3gIVjpztCh0hgAjVEAQYBCABEgIGqvD_BwE

 

[Sharpend]

Does the back pipe run/connect to the large (4”) pipe at rear of toilet pan? 

It appears that the wetheads have used 40mm waste pipe from sink as main waste, this is undersized, poor design. I suspect that they should have used a 50mm minimum pipe to link both sink and shower to the main 4” pipe. 

There is little point in purchasing the valve until you’ve established whether there is a blockage and/or the designed install is correct, as if either or both are present you will have a recurring problem of a blockage over time and whilst you will not flood you will not be able to use the sink or shower either so best to sort the problem than mask it. 

What area are you in? 

 

[Doc Hudson]

Does the back pipe run/connect to the large (4”) pipe at rear of toilet pan? 

It appears that the wetheads have used 40mm waste pipe from sink as main waste, this is undersized, poor design. I suspect that they should have used a 50mm minimum pipe to link both sink and shower to the main 4” pipe. 

There is little point in purchasing the valve until you’ve established whether there is a blockage and/or the designed install is correct, as if either or both are present you will have a recurring problem of a blockage over time and whilst you will not flood you will not be able to use the sink or shower either so best to sort the problem than mask it. 

What area are you in? 

+1   And at the moment from what I can see you don't have any compatible pipe size to put the 50mm valve into, as Sharpend says everything in the photo looks like 40mm pipe. And that run at the back looks like its just resting on the floor with negligible drop to give much flow.

Doc H. 

 

[binky]

classic limited space so just connect it up and not worry about having a drop to get water flowing the right way. A few wooden wedges may help a little to provide additonal pipe support and give it a gentle nudge in the right way, but clearly access is going to be a problem.

 

[ProDave]

Best thing you can do is cap that existing branch, so the pipe across the back is only serving the sink.  Then lay a new 50mm pipe from the shower with it's own connection into the stack pipe.

 

[Doc Hudson]

Best thing you can do is cap that existing branch, so the pipe across the back is only serving the sink.  Then lay a new 50mm pipe from the shower with it's own connection into the stack pipe.

As the shower waste trap is only a 40mm connection, just a 40mm direct into stack would solve it, no need for 50mm.

Doc H.