Leak under my sink....advice needed

[nikkiandmidgets]

I moved into a rental recently which had a caravan type dishwasher in the kitchen between the sink and the space for the washing machine. I got my ex father in law to remove the small dishwasher and fit in my standard sized dishwasher. He did the joinery work one day and plumbed in my washing machine then came back to do the dishwasher another day. I have been advised by the previous tenant that she had problems with blockages and frequently had touse a plunger both in kitchen and at shower?

Anyway, noticed a small leak under the sink (Its a sink with separate small sink\drainer. Also noticed that the sink sometimes had a smell and that water came back up the sink when washing machine was on, or when draining water from one sink, water would come into other sink. had a look under sink and lots of copper pipes and plastic ones that seem a bit loose.

Anyway mentioned this to my father in law when he came back to plumb in dishwasher. he mentioned the washing machine pipe didn't have a fixing at end to attach to pipe but he doesn't appreciate input when you ask him for help so I left him to everything. he said he tightened up a Y joint that had nothing going into it and said that should fix my leak. He is now back home to South Africa for the summer over there and I am now having to drain my washing machine into a bucket as otherwise it goes all over the parquet flooring (didn't do this initially), and there is still an occasional leak in the cupboard. I have had a look below but cannot see where the other leak is coming from. I notice the dishwasher - the nearest one to sinks waste is connected into a pipe which is sealed at connection, whereas the washing machine was going into a tall wide pipe. Also the sink sometimes drains slow so I plunge it regularly.

I am guessing I may eliminate my problems if I can get the washing machine (which I guess pumps out more water) into the sealed waste pipe (I gather swapping out waste pipes between washing machine and dishwasher would do the trick if it stretches that far?), and that the tall pipe (standing pipe?) should be able to cope with the dishwasher waste?

For info, I never notice a leak when dishwasher is on, just when using sink and with the washing machine draining into the tall pipe. As my father in law has done some work and my funds are tight- single mum with an ex abroad and a 2 and 3 year old to look after (and a third birthday to plan for youngest on 11th of next month!) I want to try and fix this without involving landlord as she will probably say I am responsible due to work my father in law did and it was difficult enough finding a landlord who would take someone on housing benefit.

Also should I try buying that sink and plughole unblocker to see if it will clear out drains\pipes? I have only been in this house 1 month....and i know that corners may have been cut in past due to strange socket and switch installs -sideways\upside down\strange locations etc....

Thanks in advance again as this is 3rd question I have asked on these forums tonight

 

[Softus]

I have been advised by the previous tenant that she had problems with blockages and frequently had touse a plunger both in kitchen and at shower?

Plunging might get things flowing, but if she was having to do it regularly then there's a problem that isn't going away.

Also noticed that the sink sometimes had a smell and that water came back up the sink when washing machine was on, or when draining water from one sink, water would come into other sink.

Where does the sink drain to?

And the shower?

Also the sink sometimes drains slow so I plunge it regularly.

In that case you have a blockage that isn't being removed by plunging.

I am guessing I may eliminate my problems if I can get the washing machine (which I guess pumps out more water) into the sealed waste pipe (I gather swapping out waste pipes between washing machine and dishwasher would do the trick if it stretches that far?), and that the tall pipe (standing pipe?) should be able to cope with the dishwasher waste?

That isn't going to cure the problem, because the problem is a blockage.

I want to try and fix this without involving landlord as she will probably say I am responsible due to work my father in law did and it was difficult enough finding a landlord who would take someone on housing benefit.

It's a long term problem that was there before you moved in, so you should really bite the bullet and talk to the landlord, because he/she really should pay to get it sorted.

Also should I try buying that sink and plughole unblocker to see if it will clear out drains\pipes?

No. Someone who knows what they're doing needs to take a good look at the waste plumbing and check that the gradients are correct, and remove all existing blockages.

If you can post some pictures of the traps and waste runs then it might be possible to tell from those what you could do to improve things before any further expense is incurred.

 

[nikkiandmidgets]

Ok thanks for above - will try to get hold of old tenant and speak to her about problems she experienced, I haven't signed a lease yet - my landlords hubby is in RAF and she was down here on holiday when last tenant got housed by council so she said she would get lease when she returned homhome butven't heard from her yet. haven't ffoggiestwhere shower drains to - its uupstairs inthe bathroom and haven't had any probs up there yet (its a disabled shower with sink and toilet) and downstairs there is kitchen and a wc with sink and toilet. Will take some photos tomorrow of under sink set up and get them posted once I get my rugrats in bed if not before.

Thanks for responding so quick and good to know it sounds like historical rather than anything the father inlaw did.


Nikki

 

[Natineah]

Nikki

Someone who knows what they're doing needs to take a good look at the waste plumbing and check that the gradients are correct, and remove all existing blockages.

Softus is right. And some photos will help also.

 

[seco services]

And some photos will help also.

What to a 4 yr old post.
More likely sorted by now.