Bath drains intermittently - bit gurgly too

[Roboloid]

Hi all - just after a bit of advice for, hopefully, a very straight forward problem. I live in a rented house and just want to check whether my problem is just a case of chucking some unblocker stuff down the drain or whether I should pester the letting agent to send a plumber round.

We have a shower over the bath and sometimes, not always but it is getting more frequent, the water from the shower doesn't drain from the bath at all and you end up standing in ankle deep water. The water does drain eventually however, and usually all at once just like it should have done in the first place, not slowly over time like I would expect if there were a big blockage and the water were just gradually seeping through. There is a bit of a gurgly sound when it does this. Is this just a case of there being a blockage somewhere and eventually the weight of water just pushes it aside, or is it something more sinister that I should let the landlord know about? I have raised concerns about the plumbing in the bathroom before - we have lino on the floor and you can see dark rings, which I think are water tide marks, radiating out from both the sink and the toilet and sometimes I have to mop up around the base of the toilet, which is fairly disgusting even though the water is thankfully clean (I hope!).

Any help would be great - I know nothing!

Thanks,
Roboloid


PS sorry I didn't register the first time I posted this, realise that is a bit rude

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Can you pull the drain out? Is it a removable one? If it is pull it out & clean it. Then put drain unblocker down

Hopefully it's just hair & stuff clogging it up.

If that doesn't work I'd report it.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Furthermore, I should have said that if the basin/toilet are leaking that need sorting. Id report it as it could cause damage & start to smell.

 

[rpm]

Pester the landlord to sort it all out, being rented I wouldn't go putting Chemicals down.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Why? I would. If my tenant did I'd be grateful to them

 

[jtsplumbing]

Do you have problems with the basin draining as well ? if fault is just with bath then you can pay out of your own pocket & try a drain cleaner, But it may not work , Just report it to Landlord/Letting agent Its down to them to sort it out ! more than likely Hair and shower gel products

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Do you have problems with the basin draining as well ? if fault is just with bath then you can pay out of your own pocket & try a drain cleaner, But it may not work , Just report it to Landlord/Letting agent Its down to them to sort it out ! more than likely Hair and shower gel products

Spot on JTS, spot on

 

[rpm]

If I`m paying £*** per month then it`s down to the landlord to fix all the problems. To me trying chemicals before checking the waste and the pipe is clear is for amateurs and furthermore not to mention a warning regarding do not try another brand of unblocker if the first doesn`t cure the problem is leaving the OP open to a chemical reaction if it blows up in their face.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Complete rubbish

 

[rpm]

Complete rubbish

Find that a bit rich coming from you rocket.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

What's that then? I only answer posts I know about pal

I ain't trying to be something I aint

 

[Ric2013]

It depends. If the blockage is caused by the tenant's waste, then it is down to the tenant to rectify, same as cleaning is a tenant responsibility. Part of the tenant's responsibility to behave in a 'tenant-like manner'.

If, however, the problem was there when the tenant moved in, it would be reasonable to expect the landord to recify.

Also, I would expect the landlord to ensure the installation is fit for purpose - so if it blocks due to poor design or workmanship, the tenant might reasonably expect the landlord to make suitable corrections.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

I agree. My advice is to see if it clears with some drain unblocker

If not, tell the agent & get it looked at.

As a landlord, if my tenant said they had a blockage & it turned out to be hair or food down the sink as an example and it cost me to clear it if not be too happy!!

 

[rpm]

What's that then? I only answer posts I know about pal

I ain't trying to be something I aint

Care to repost your post about being unable to unblock a kitchen sink and it being the second one to beat you in a month and asking how a plumber did it in 5 minutes.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

You're an idiot chum. Ciao

 

[rpm]

You're an idiot chum. Ciao

Guess the be nice or say nothing rule doesn`t apply to you then.

Not here for a war of words with anybody but to say "Complete rubbish" got my back up.

 

[Riley]

Let's all be nice guys If I'm honest I personally would rather tenants didn't put chemicals down The drain. As they are never honest and tell you that they have and I very nearly got badly burned by chemicals when the old chemical reacted with what I put in there. Woman just said oh I didn't think that would happen even after I asked her if she put anything down there. It's a fine line between tenants and landlords responsibility but in incidents like this I'd much rather they left it

 

[Ric2013]

Riley, I agree with your statement.

Would it be a reasonable solution, then, for the tenant to ask the landlord if the landlord wants him or her to pour x into the trap. That way, it's the landlord who is telling the tenant to use such a chemical or not and the OP would have an incentive to be truthful about it.

Let's assume that the landlord is half decent. I can't see why the landlord would have any objection whatsoever to being contacted by tenants to ask how s/he wants the matter dealt with. The landlord may simply sigh and say ' I'll get it sorted'.

If the landlord isn't half decent, then best that the OP doesn't _demand_ that this be resolved by the landlord, else the landlord may be able to argue that the tenant has incurred costs by insisting on professional action if it then proves that none was required.

 

[rpm]

I`ll go with that Ric2013. Ask first after all Drain cleaning chemicals (READSAW 15-10-10) & Drain unblocker (Jaydebruyne 6-10-14) amongst others highlight the dangers of these chemicals which are easy to buy almost anywhere.

Lets say somebody is told to use X and they pour it in the shower tray and add water, any chrome plastic is going to discolour for starters and it is highly possible the shower tray as well so I still maintain it is for the amateur diy brigade.

 

[harrygashull]

I carry One shot drain and waste unblocker as standard now on the van, have to be careful not to tarnish the chrome bits but iv seen it clear blockages that even a plunger won't do!

But also seen the same stuff in police pictures of a bomb making factory so yeah... don't go mixing it with other stuff if you have already put bleach or bicarbonate down lol

 

[Roboloid]

Wow - first of all thanks all for your thoughts and suggestions - but no fighting please!

I should have said in my first post that I did put some unblocker stuff down the bath drain a few weeks ago, but clearly its not had a lasting effect (I used "Buster Bath Unblocker" - no discolouration of any of the chrome (I was very careful!)). So, based on your responses I probably shouldn't put anything else down there? Or if I do, stick to the same brand? There's no problem with the basin draining - although I have removed a faulty pop-up plug so it's just a gaping pipe at the moment - not very attractive and needs fixing.

Re: the point about the drain being removable, I'm not sure I entirely understand which bit you're referring to, but if its the chrome bit that's actually in the bath, then it looks like you can unscrew it to clean underneath - is that worth doing?

I think I might take some photos - not necessarily of the undraining bath, but of the marks on the lino and the water seepage from the toilet and see if I can get any action from the landlady. I have pointed it out before but not sure that the message got from letting agent to landlady/ Rentokill damp guy who came round ages ago.

Thanks again!
Roboloid

 

[Roboloid]

I agree. My advice is to see if it clears with some drain unblocker

If not, tell the agent & get it looked at.

As a landlord, if my tenant said they had a blockage & it turned out to be hair or food down the sink as an example and it cost me to clear it if not be too happy!!

Yeah exactly - I don't want to waste anyone's time or money if it's something that's simple to fix!

 

[jtsplumbing]

Problem is with domestic (Off the shelf) drain cleaners is that most of them are a waste of money ! there are simple & inexpensive ways that people can maintain there internal waste pipes, but no one ever bothers until a blockage happens, ! most are due to poring fats down kitchen sink, or in bathroom its mostly hair and shower gels

 

[Best]

The OP actually stated that the water would suddenly all go.
That sounds like it is either a partial blockage that is causing a worse blockage that eventually clears each time, or very possibly an air lock in the waste pipe because it is sagging a bit or off the level. A bit like an air lock in a refilled copper pipe.

 

[dean.diy]

tenants do the blocking, plumbers do the unblocking.